Gen 3 Prelude Antenna woes

OK here's my problem - I have a Gen 3 Prelude (1988 model), with a spoiler on it - but it's not factory fitted. When I have the radio on and open the boot, the aerial stays up. It will open fine without damage but as soon as the boot is closed, well lets say that the aerial I'm on is my 3rd one since I've had the car - and I've had it for 6 weeks. My uncle has the same car, only a 1990 model, and it would seem that his has a factory fitted spoiler. When he opens his boot with the radio on (ie. aerial up), his aerial comes down. I haven't looked to see how his is wired differently, but I was just curious if anyone had a wiring diagram or has any idea how this is wired up so I can try and sort out my problems. I had thought of doing it with logic gates, however most of the ones I've seen will object to having 12V put through them so that is ruled out. The only other option is to rig something up out of relays (if that's possible), or to get an aerial out of a model that did have the factory spoiler. All the same, what I want to happen is I want my aerial to go down when the boot is opened if the radio is on. If anyone has a wiring diagram or any ideas for offer, it would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance, Tom

Wire a relay that will interupt the turn on lead for the power ant when the trunk is open. So basically cut the power ant lead and wire one end to 30 and the other end to 87A. Then wire a constant 12V(grab at the ant as well) to pin 85 and then tag the trunk's pin wire and connect it to 86Certified Security Specialist

Always check info with a digital multimeter.

I promise to be good.

Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.

OK i'm not really sure I understand what to do there... I know I'll have to cut the power antenna wire (which becomes active when the radio is on), but there's no boot pin in the car - as far as I can determine the boot release is controlled by a cable rather than a solenoid. There is a light in the boot which becomes active as soon as the boot is released. Since the boot can be opened from inside as well as by a key in the back of it, I think that will work. So sdo I wire the power antenna to pin 30, the output to 87a. The always live wire goes onto 85 and then then the wire from the boot light goes to 86? Will this only lower the antenna when both the radio is on and the boot is open? I don't want it to go up when I have the radio off and I open the boot.... Thanks again for your help. Tom

Basically what you want is the wire that turns the trunk light on. What will happen when you wire the relay, as I said earlier, the antenna will lower when the trunk is open, it will not cause the ant. to go up. When you close the trunk, with the radio on, the ant will go back up The trunk pin wire is GREEN/ black. The constant power for the ant. should be WHITE/ blue. I don't know what the ant. turn on lead will be. You will need to cut the wire that raises the ant.(this wire will have power when the radio is on and no power when the radio is off) and wire one end of the wire to pin 30 and the other end of the wire to pin 87a. What you will be wiring is similar to this starter kill relay, except the starter wires will be your power ant wire, the ground from alarm will be the trunk pin, and the ign wire will be the constant power from the ant.Certified Security Specialist

Always check info with a digital multimeter.

I promise to be good.

Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.

ok i think i got that. i'm working on the install right now. I'll let you know how I go! Tom

OK I've done that, and it works a treat! I did come across a bit of a problem with my alarm system whilst installing this setup though, and if anyone could help I would be most appreciative!

What's happened is that the boot sensor for the alarm has been wired into the light in the boot, and is then wired onto the door sensor circuit. This means that when a door is opened, the light in the boot comes on, and hence the aerial goes down as if the boot were being opened. It also displays on the dash as both of the doors AND the boot being opened. I have disconnected this for now as I don't want the aerial to go down when I open the doors. Operation is normal when the alarm wire is taken off the light in the boot.

What I want to know is if it's possible to wire up the boot sensor of the alarm separate to the door circuits so that when I open the door to get out of the car, if I still have the ignition on, the aerial will stay up and the boot light won't come on, but when I open the boot, the aerial will go down and the boot light will come on - and also display the boot as being open on the dash (ie. if the boot is the only thing open I want only it on the dash rather than the boot and both doors)! I would also like to know if it's possible to have the doors wired in a way that I can still see which one is open (rather than both) without it affecting the operability of the alarm. 

I'm sure it's possible in some way to do this, but I'm not sure where to start! I have looked at the Security Systems pages on the site and I gather that perhaps just using a Diode on the alarm wire may make it work... the only thing is, this seems far too simple. I just want confirmation of how I should go about doing it so I dont mess things up!

Thanks very much for your help,

Tom