In my 1972 chevelle. I have had two aftermarket CD players one was a Pioneer and the other was is a JVC. After install I found out that they would work with out a Ground wire. So a Friend and I tore in the wiring for the car and corrected all the P.O. wiring errors. (EX. cut wires just laying around, brunt starter wire for header, incorrect one wire alt. wiring, ect.)

We got it all put back together last night and tried it again and the same thing, had all the speaker wire detached (we had even replaced them too) nothing was connected except the power wires....Or so we thought.

We were setting there and Jim (the Friend) look at me and says what do we have connected.

I say nothing but the power.

his reply was and the antenna.......that was the problem all a long.

Now for the question I had my windshield replaced about 2 years ago a factory one that has the antenna in it. How does antenna cable connect? what should all be connected to it? ect.

Thanks for ever ones time.

The windshield antenna plugs into a connector directly below it. On the inside of the connector there should be a coax wire about a foot long that plugs into the radio.

If the antenna is plugged in, the radio has a ground.....
I usually run a ground wire anyway and ground it to chassis strap bolt on the back of the radio....
Poor grounding invites interference.....

so the CD-player working without a Ground while the antenna is hook up is OK? I understand that I need a ground from the CD-Player wiring, but I did not that the antenna should ground the CD-player like that.

An antenna coax lead has two conductors. The center wire is the signal wire and is used to pick up the signal out of the air and get it to the tuner section inside the radio. This center conductor connects to the antenna mast or is connected to a wire embedded in a cars windshield or back glass. The outer portion of the coax is nothing more than a shield wrapping around the center conductor to stop or eliminate a stray signal or interference from getting to the center conductor where it might pass by other electrical devices or wiring.
Both ends of the antenna coax lead need to be grounded to the body of the vehicle or at least one end so that the center conductor remains shielded. If the outer portion of the coax lead is not grounded or there is a voltage potential difference between the two ends where they attach then interference or noise can be injected into the center conductor.
Personally I would run a seperate ground from the chassis of the radio to a good metal ground on the vehicle close to the radio's mounting area. While the outer shield of the antenna lead can serve as a ground for the radio (and most will work this way as you found out) I worry about how well the connection would be after time like from the antenna base rusting out, a pressure fitted somewhat snug electrical connection where the lead pushes into the radio, how much current the cable can actually handle, and how well connections are in the different parts of the antenna system that would degrade over time.
Sometimes I have has audio system noises and they do sell antenna isolators and essentially what they do is break the ground connection on the coax lead so that then the radio is only getting a ground from one point and eliminating what is referred to as ground loops but it sometimes affect how well the radio gets its signal. Sometimes too radio's are mounted to steel dashes and this ground has one potential while the ground wire off of the radio is grounded elsewhere and it too has a different potential and noise gets into the system.

I remember a system years ago with the radio getting a ground just from the antenna system and when the antenna mast was moved the radio would cut in and out. The attachment to the fender was loose and rusted out and while I cleaned and tightened that spot I also added another ground and it was never back for that problem again with it cutting on and off.

Jim