RKE Question

[padgett 2,444]

Plan to add to 88. What does this plug connect to ? Both are same so not a battery. YWTK

[Ronnie 1,632]

Maybe the antenna that you need in the back window? Just a guess.

[Ronnie 1,632]

I hope you document what has to be done to add RKE to your '88. I might want to do the same thing.

[dship 564]

Looking at the 86-93 Riviera/Reatta Parts and Illustration Catalog:  It looks to be the rear window glass connection that allows the keyless fobs to communicate with the the RKE box to lock/unlock the doors.  The harness & box looks to be a Reatta (E97) setup vs. a Riviera (E57) one.  Hope this info helps.  What you are missing is the "male" piece that would be glued to the rear window that the cable end you've circled would attach to.  You could probably rig the cable up to the rear window some other way....glue, duct tape, etc., or just let it lay on the rear package tray area...might work.

Edited March 1 by dship (see edit history)

[padgett 2,444]

NP for an 88 just use the 89 FSM wiring. Is the antenna a loop ? If so how long ?

[dship 564]

There is no traditional "antenna" per say, i.e. no loop nor any type you might see on late 90's GM cars that had analog OnStar.  In other words, there's no external antenna that is affixed to the rear window.  The cable with the end that you circled is the "antenna".  Originally, that end would be affixed high up on the internal side of the rear window.  It would snap in place to the male piece that would be glued to the interior of the rear window.  Think of it like the setup similar to a 9volt battery.  The 9v battery would be the male piece that would be glued to the interior of the rear window.  The female piece (your circled cable end) would snap into the battery.  The setup was to be portable so that it could be unsnapped if the rear window needed to be replaced.  It also would be visible enough so that the key fob could communicate with the box without any metal interference.

[Ronnie 1,632]

32 minutes ago, dship said:

In other words, there's no external antenna that is affixed to the rear window.  The cable with the end that you circled is the "antenna".

 

Dave, The '91 like you have must be different. Section 9K-4 of the '89 FSM seems to show an antenna in the back window that the cable Padgett circled attaches to. (see photo). It also has instructions for repairing the antenna but none for replacing it. Although I couldn't find where it specifically states how the antenna is attached to the back window, I assume it is glued on in the same way the rear window defroster is. My '88 doesn't have an antenna or I would take a look at mine to determine exactly how the antenna is attached.

 

 

 

[Ronnie 1,632]

Here we go. I overlooked it the first time in Section 9K-2.

 

[dship 564]

Ronnie,

Attached are the pics from the 86-93 Parts and Illustration Catalog for the 89-91 Reatta.  You are correct in that my '91 does not have an external antenna.

 

[padgett 2,444]

Guess what I need to kow is wheter it is a twin wire antenna (ends not connected) or some sort of termination on the end. I can experiment to figure out.

[dship 564]

The more I think about this, I think maybe the antenna is housed horizontally underneath the headliner right where it meets the rear window glass.  The cable vertically leading to the antenna is tucked just inside the sail panel. 

[Jim 122]

 

It appears there was a mid year change.

Some '89s had the antenna fully horizontal in the blacked out area at the top of the glass. This must not have been ideal as some '89s and all '90s had a loop antenna bonded to the glass similar to the rear window defrosters.

The button connectors are similar to that of a 9V battery but both are the same and they are soldered to the black area on the glass.

I am attaching some pictures of the loop style.

The early, I am guessing, is just two bars going away from the buttons. They appear to be not a loop but an antenna going each way and not connected to each other. The loop style on the late '89s and '90s appear to be a loop. 

The last picture is of the length of the "wires"

 

Edited March 2 by Jim (see edit history)

[Ronnie 1,632]

Good information Jim. I have added it to ROJ. It can be found here: Remote Transmitter (RKE) Antenna Location

[dship 564]

After viewing Jim's illustrations/pics, re-thinking Padgett's "loop" antenna question, and re-reviewing my '91 Reatta's rear window in better light (its in a dark igloo), I made a mistake in some of my replies by quoting that there is no antenna per-say.  There is in fact a loop antenna imbedded in the window glass at the top of the glass.  The cable connection is just under the headliner nearest the top of the glass.  Again, my mistake. 

Edited March 3 by dship (see edit history)

[Barney Eaton 1,443]

I had a problem on one of my coupes,  the contact came loose from the glass.  

I was able to reattach with some low temp solder.    If conductive adhesive is available that would work. 

[padgett 2,444]

Thank you.