Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

My 95 L400 seems to have an antenna built into one of the rear passenger windows.

Does anyone know what it is used for? Was it originally for the radio? My radio has an external antenna that seems to be aftermarket.

Is it the left hand side rear window? I also own a 95 L400. PF8W Royal Exceed. I always assumed it was a wire to help defrost that window. It doesn't work. So maybe it is a antenna. I will look at it again.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

Yes it is. Mine is also an Exceed. I am pretty certain it is not a heater. A heater needs to run from one thick wire to another. This does not. It is an antenna.

Does your car have another antenna? Perhaps this one is for an alarm or something.

My van has a pull put antenna by the front driver side door.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

I also have been wondering what this was. The antenna for mine is on the RF 'A-pillar' and I don't see the need for another antenna. Mine is a 97 Super Exceed.
I am pretty sure it is not an antenna. It is the same gauge, and colour of the defroster wires that run through the rear window. I haven't pulled the rear panel off to see where it might connect.

I love a mystery.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

It is definitely an antenna. While working on another problem, I found a cable that looks like a normal radio antenna connector only smaller. It leads off to the left of the dashboard. When I plug it into my radio (have to hold it in place because it is too small) it gives good reception.

At some stage when I have time I may cut the end off and put on a proper radio antenna connector.

I'd love to know for sure if it is a radio antenna or if it is an antenna for an optional alarm. Anyone know for certain.

I'd like to not have to use the pull out antenna that always gets knocked about on ferries and in parking garages. Also if I backup in the woods without putting it down, it gets bent.

-Dennis

Yo also have one. Assumed it was for factory gps.

Might also have to look at using it for fm. The pullout is slightly annoying for parkades

What makes you think GPS?

It was just a hunch, But thinking about it a little more, it could be for TV or something as well. Could even be a diversity antenna but that's a little out side of my scope and based on some googling.

Kurtis

Ok, I think I've found the answer on the delicaclub.com website. Once I began thinking about it being a defogger it didn't make sense as the wires are around the perimeter of the window. If it was a defogger it wouldn't have done a very good job.
I pulled the panels off mine and saw that a grey wire runs from the connection to the window (at the bottom front side of the window). It runs up the C pillar and turns toward the front of the van inside the headliner along the top of the sliding door. I didn't follow it any further.

So I searched and found a post and pics on the site of the two connectors for the stock radio. The post is from a guy detailing the replacement of his stereo (it's actually pretty good if you need information on removing and upgrading your stereo).
The bottom plug in the pic is the regular radio antenna plug, the top one appears to be the plug leading to the rear antenna.

[img][/img]

Along with the pic was this question.... from the guy who was detailing the upgrade of his stereo.

"There was a weird plug attached to the radio as well. The bottom plug is the standard radio aerial, but what's the top one for? I left it dangling"

Response from another member -

"Your mystery plug isn't so mysterious, it is for your second radio aerial, that is what FM diversity means on your old head unit, the head unit decides which aerial has the best signal and switches to it
I am guessing the front windscreen has the second aerial, I have an aerial on the front screen and left rear side window, I guess the side window is for the GPS."

and further clarification from yet from another member -

"You may actually find that the "aerial" on the windscreen (if it's the one at the bottom where the wipers rest) is actually the screen heater (use in very cold climates where the wipers can become frozen to the screen). The "FM diversity" antenna is usually on the LHS rear window".

Here is the entire thread if you wish to read it.
http://www.delicaclub.com/viewtopic.php?t=15338

So, it's a diversity antenna....which I googled and found this.....
"Diversity in communications usually means that your receiver receives two or more signals carrying the same information (music, voice, etc.). The signals could be at different frequencies, phases, or locations in space (i.e. two antennas as mentioned above). Your receiver has some circuitry that chooses one of the received signals. It could simply pick the strongest (not always the best) or it could be more complex and actually try to determine signal quality and choose the best one".

I wish Mitsubishi's management was as smart as their engineers... Cars can rely on two antennas for their radio and it is smart enough to decide which antenna signal to use? That was done back in the 1990s...

Now I'm going to have to check whether my radio is hooked up to both antennas!

thanks.

Thanks Izak, good info.