I have a new to me 1990 W124 300D.

It has an aftermarket Alpine head unit and the antenna goes up whenever the head unit is powered up.

I want to minimize wear and tear on the antenna assembly and would like to wire it to be manually switched to go up only when needed.

On cars like this without an antenna switch on the dash, is it as simple as the head unit supplying 12v to the antenna lead and the antenna goes up? If so would it be possible to then just put an on/off switch in the antenna turn on lead circuit?

Would it be possible to retrofit an OEM antenna dash switch and configure it be an on/off switch for the antenna system? Iirc on my previous W123 that had this switch the antenna would still go up but the switch let you raise it higher or lower only?

Most W124s have an antenna switch. You'll need to get the switch with pigtail and a wood dash panel with an extra slot for it.

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Sadly, mine doesnt.

I wouldnt mind getting a dash panel with an extra slot, and a switch to go with it, I see them on ebay for relatively cheap.

IIRC the antenna trigger wire is up to the radio head and is white on 123's may be same on 124's??? You could add a hidden switch to that wire. Can someone confirm the trigger wire color?

Good luck!!!

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On 124 it's blue. Not sure about 123. Any on/off switch would do the job. Alternative to getting dash panel is replace fader with antenna switch. Should be bypassed anyway with an aftermarket headunit.

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Sugar Bear, yeah, an on/off switch would be perfect.

Now that I think about it, I think on the 123's, you can push the switch partially to raise and lower, and you can push it all the way to either fully raise the antenna, or fully lower it? I dont know if the 124 oem switch works that way. At this point I'd prefer the oem dash switch over a hidden switch, if it can be configured as an on/off switch.

Party, I will eventually bypass the fader. I dont think the fader cut out is big enough for the OEM switches? But I'm sure there are switches that would fit there, would really like the OEM switch though for a clean look.

You will not be able to use the switch to partially raise or lower the antenna. It will function as an on/off switch. Lots have done this on 124/129/201 including myself. Searching the internet beyond this site will yield a good bit of info.

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Party, that is exactly what I want the switch to be, an on/off switch. Good to hear it can be done!

If you dont mind, how did you do yours?

Your 1990 will have the fader that accommodates the W124 dash switch, and if you're still using it you can set it to where you prefer and stash it away underneath for the time being until you do a proper bypass.

Off top, I forget the pinouts of the antenna pigtail other than illumination and ground which are grey/blue and brown respectively, but as mentioned it's posted on the WWW on other message boards and perhaps this one as well. I don't mean to be cryptic, but it's really just a search away.

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I'll also add that I'm pissed that antenna logic is becoming a bygone feature in the aftermarket. While it's true that cars haven't had telescoping antennas for a while, it probably very closely follows the crossover of vehicles that even accept DIN aftermarket headunits.

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Party, I see what you mean now about the fader cutout accomodating a standard W124 switch. Despite looking narrower because of the fader wheel width, the overall size is exactly the same.

Good suggestion to stash the fader while its still hooked up. I will get an AC wood panel with the extra cutout though, if I go through with this, to put the switch in the original location for an OE look. Your idea is easier and cheaper though, it will help others doing this for sure.

It's a matter of personal preference, but if the headunit is a modern aftermarket unit then the OE look is already compromised in a more substantial way. And it's very easy to see the non-functional fader as a dead appendage that should be amputated IMO. Its general appearance doesn't even match the profile of the other switches.

But to each their own.

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Yeah, the head unit looks more out of place, touché!

Anyway, I found a thread over on benzworld where a fella did exactly what I am looking to do, if anyone else is wondering.

From post 3 of this thread:https://www.benzworld.org/threads/antenna-manual-up-down-modification.2831538/