News:

The ORG - No back-slapping boys club!

Main Menu

Wiring Hirschmann universal antenna to 79 450SEL

Started by Sonch, 07 June 2020, 03:19 PM

Sonch

I need to know how to wire a Hirschmann universal antenna with 3 wires to the existing wiring harness/terminal with 5 wires. Help!

daantjie

How about an intro and at least a "hello" before you hit up the forum for assistance?
Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

Sonch

Uh....sorry? Didn't know about proper protocol or etiquette. I'm a complete noob and new owner of '79 450SEL with 64k miles. I have next to zero auto mechanicAl experience but have enough of a mechanical mind to try to fix things. Just fixed the passenger front window regulator. What else can I share?

ptashek

#3
VERIFY ALL OF THE BELOW WITH A MULTIMETER BEFORE INSTALLING

This is what's likely going on here:

Brown is your chassis ground, and goes to black. Yellow is permanent +12V, and goes to red.
Blue is switched +12V, and hot only when the radio is on. It should be branched off of the radio wiring harness.

So the operation would typically be like this:
- if blue has +12V - antenna goes up
- if blue has 0V - antenna goes down

No idea what the black wire is doing in the harness, mine's stock and was always just brown-red-blue.
1993 "Pearl Blue" W124 280TE
1988 "Arctic White" W124 200T
1979 "Icon Gold" W116 450SE

raueda1

Quote from: ptashek on 08 June 2020, 05:14 AM
VERIFY ALL OF THE BELOW WITH A MULTIMETER BEFORE INSTALLING

This is what's likely going on here:

Brown is your chassis ground, and goes to black. Yellow is permanent +12V, and goes to red.
Blue is switched +12V, and hot only when the radio is on. It should be branched off of the radio wiring harness.

So the operation would typically be like this:
- if blue has +12V - antenna goes up
- if blue has 0V - antenna goes down

No idea what the black wire is doing in the harness, mine's stock and was always just brown-red-blue.
I got curious and browsed the schamtics for W116's.  This seems to be one of those areas where there's some model-to-model and year-to-year variation.  Later cars (post-1977?) seem to have the dash switches but the blue wire goes to the switch, not the radio itself.  Earlier models (such as mine) show the blue wire directly to the radio.  MB's schematics of multifunction switches are indecipherable to me.  It's not clear from the schematic whether later switch-equiped cars must use the switch or whether the radio alone is enough.

Yes, absolutely need to test what the leads do!
-Dave
Now:  1976 6.9 Euro, 2015 GL550
Before that:  1966 230S, 1964 220SE coupe, 1977 Carrera 3.0

Sonch

Thanks, guys.

Derrr.....lead testing probably would have been the best place to start!  ::)

Completely dead. I had also lost my clock recently. Have only owned the car for a couple months so didn't put it together: fuse #1 blown.

I had been working on original antenna when it stopped functioning completely. Thought I had seized the antenna motor. Probably just blew the fuse then. Antenna was on last legs anyway so will keep with new replacement. So....

I'll still have the 5-wires-meets-3-wires mystery after replacing the fuse and will "report back"  ;D

Sonch

Annnnnnd ..we have some closure! 3 #1 fuses later and after some line testing I determined the following for my particular '79 450SEL model. In reference to the wire harness pic posted above:

Blue: constant live power feed
Brown: ground
Yellow/striped: switch
Black: no clue and not extra grounds. Probably variable height control somehow, which is not possible with universal replacement anyway.

Antenna installed and operational. Happy that this wiring configuration still allows for both manual antenna switch on dash AND radio knob on/off to operate antenna.

Thanks for earlier musings

daantjie

Thanks for closing the loop on this and good feedback.  Often threads are left open to linger without resolution thus lacking the learning(s).

Full redemption for you ;)
Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

Taha

Hi,

Could you please upload a photo of your original Hirschmann antenna and its bracket? As much as I know it must be 6000U type 482 but I saw some with black plastic covers instead of metal on some 79 and 80 model years.

Thanks.
1978 280S

raueda1

Quote from: Sonch on 14 June 2020, 11:31 PM
Annnnnnd ..we have some closure! 3 #1 fuses later and after some line testing I determined the following for my particular '79 450SEL model. In reference to the wire harness pic posted above:

Blue: constant live power feed
Brown: ground
Yellow/striped: switch
Black: no clue and not extra grounds. Probably variable height control somehow, which is not possible with universal replacement anyway.

Antenna installed and operational. Happy that this wiring configuration still allows for both manual antenna switch on dash AND radio knob on/off to operate antenna.

Thanks for earlier musings
Very nice!  Sometimes there's a creeping perfectionism with this stuff, so.....     Are you handy with a soldering iron?  If so consider gilding the lilly by replacing the crimp connectors with proper MB connectors.  There's a fitting for the MB connector back there so it can all be made to look stock. They maybe available on ebay, not sure. 

I've also had some success stripping such little odds and ends off junkyard cars.  There are also a couple garages in my area with old MB's sitting on the lot rusting.  I've befriended the owners who have let me take a few parts.  You may be able to do the same.  Worth a shot.
-Dave
Now:  1976 6.9 Euro, 2015 GL550
Before that:  1966 230S, 1964 220SE coupe, 1977 Carrera 3.0

Sonch

@ Taha, here you go!

I actually got in there and got the old one working again, but was still rickety and on its last legs. I also heard that it would have a good chance of it failing again so went with the new universal replacement.

Which, @raueda1, is a non-starter for your high integrity/perfectionism bar lol. Not sure what you mean by the wiring, because I am using the original wire harness with pin terminal back to car. Are you talking about using Mercedes-specific wiring butt connectors in splicing to the new wires on the replacement? Not feeling the need to go there. . .

Taha

Thanks for the photo. It's not difficult to disassemble and It might work again if you give it a good clean.  You can do that on a weekend as a hubby  :)
1978 280S

rumb

If only all of them were in that nice of condition.  Anywhere that it rains the main wheel is horribly corroded.
'68 250S
'77 6.9 Euro
'91 300SE,
'98 SL500
'14 CLS550,
'16 AMG GTS
'21 E450 Cabrio

floyd111

So, the second pic shows an AUTA 2050, not a 6000U.
Are those interchangable, or have I misread something?

Sonch

@floyd111 I think this thread is running off the rails a bit. I have successfully replaced my corroded stock antenna with the 2050. I believe @Taha is sharing his successful dismantling/cleaning of his 6000 and encouraging others to give it a shot?