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Need some help/advice

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loggerbomb

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Jun 10, 2004
Messages
3,744
Location
Kitchener, ON Canada
Wanting to take some of the 'goodies' out of the Mystique and put them into the Contour. A couple things I need some clarification on are 1) Can I swap out the Antenna in the Contour for the Motorized one in the Mystique? 2) Can I swap in the lighted sun visors? Just wondering if they are plug and play or if I have to splice wires to get the job done.
I also want to swap some of the interior, though I want to keep some of the old and some of the new. Though I think I need to go and take a look when the sun is out and I am not half asleep to see what may and may not go. Basically I want to keep the Contour dash trim, but swap out the panel below the steering wheel (I love that sunglass pocket) and swap out the center console. I know it would leave quiet the rainbow interior, but I could always dye/paint.
 
rouar tried to put the mystique kick panel under the steering wheel with the glove box but it wouldn't fit because of the routing of the wiring under the dash.

I don't see why you can't swap the antenna, just need to wire it up. same goes for the lighted sun visors.
 
Well trying to take that panel out and you think it would be a quick thing to do, but nooooo, they got to recess the screws! My sockets are too big to fit in between the gap of the screw head and panel! :mad:

Moves onto antenna mast...
 
OK, well got the antenna off the Mystique no problem (too bad the base nut was already chipped) but am having a hard time getting the one off the Contour. All I have for penetrating lube is WD40 and now I ran out of light...

Also, do I have to splice in the power for the antenna into the taillight wires, or does it just swap out like the side mirror harness? Like I said I ran out of light before I could strip the plastic molding back and get a look.
 
Why would you splice the power from your taillights?

you'd either get an antenna that motor up when you brake, or when you turn your lights on...

You'd need to run the power from the front of the car where the "amp/antenna" (remote) wire is. Normally blue by any standard..


You don't just hook up a straight 12V to the antenna.. its a turn-on (remote) wire.
 
Well I just came back in from trying to get that antenna off the Contour and what the hell, did they loc tite those things on?

Not sure what I would do about the power issue. Seems like I would have to splice a bunch of wires or trade the one wiring harness.

No one done this before? I'd love to pick someone's brains about it.
 
Ray said:
Why would you splice the power from your taillights?

you'd either get an antenna that motor up when you brake, or when you turn your lights on...
You'd need to run the power from the front of the car where the "amp/antenna" (remote) wire is. Normally blue by any standard..
You don't just hook up a straight 12V to the antenna.. its a turn-on (remote) wire.
Click to expand...

Well gee, thanks Ray, glad you read that post were I clearly stated that I have ZERO electrical knowledge. Yes, I would clearly know that the amp/antenna wire is blue!
I thought I would be able to splice into the wiring that goes to the right taillight because on the Mystique, the plugs that plug into the power antenna are all coming out of that bunch of wires.
 
I'm glad I read that, too, or else I would have stated it in a much more "experience" oriented manner. That WAS simplified. The next time you want to embark on something you have no idea about, you will probably expect to run in to some problems, then, I hope.

You will probably see a blue wire coming from the front passenger side of the car along the side panel (possibly secured up against the top of the run near the trunk lid, etc) and that should tie in to the antenna, too. Its a 12V signal that is very low current that acts like a "green light" to go ahead and power the motor of the antenna up.

You'll need to tie in to that wire, or if you don't have that wire, you'll need to pull the radio and look for the solid blue wire that likely has a tag on it that says "antenna" or "remote" or "amp turn on".. and run a wire from that to your antenna itself.

this signal is present when your radio is on "AM/FM" mode but not on CD/AUX/or when its off.
 
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