Antenna mast - partial action

Hey everyone,

My power antenna has never worked for me, so I ordered a new cable. I figured I could hear the motor run whenever I hit the radio knob, so it must’ve been a broken cable. Today in the midst of a polar vortex I pulled the OEM unit out, drilled out the rivers, and much to my surprise (not) the cable was broken. Cool, I thought. I replaced the cable, got the motor back under the fender and tested it... only retracts about 5 inches and then extend fully.

Once the cable reaches its stopping point the motor doesn’t run any more, it only does for about 1.5 seconds. Should it be running longer? Is this an indicator of a bad motor? I noticed inside the case there was only a single strand of copper connecting the plug and the motor itself... I’m really bummed that I almost froze to death to fix it, but it’s really only half fixed. Lol.

It’s almost like it’s not winding the cable up all the way. Just for a moment...

Your blocking tooth on the small white gear may be in the wrong position. There is also a mechanical stop that disconnects the power when the motor shaft moves to one end, or the other of its travel. It may be sticky, and move at the wrong time. You should test it before final installation.

Check for smooth free motion of the top section in the smallest tube. The replacement masts I have purchased were tight in the tube.