How to cure the 'chucka-chucka' sound in your motorized antenna...
After my antenna went I tried one of the little amplified antennas from Checkers, it really sucked and I just disconnected the trigger for the OEM antenna and drove around like that for a while.
Well, turns out you can score a replacement antenna off eBay for the same price (and much less then a whole new unit). Do a search for 'accord antenna mast'
Anyway, here it goes...
1. Remove the special nut that holds the antenna in.
There is a tool for this, but I decided not to spend the dough (read: cheap) and made my own ghetto tool.
Nut:
Ghetto Tool:
Takes a bit of work to break it loose, but be gentle or you'll scarf up the nut. Also, be careful, inside the special nut there is a tiny little rubber seal near the top. It's easy to knock loose and lose.
Removal:
2. Extend the antenna.
Turn on your radio and let the antenna extend as far as it will. With the radio still on, pull back the trunk liner covering the antenna and disconnect the antenna power supply.
Disconnect:
You can turn the radio off since the antenna will no longer receive the signal to go up or down.
3. Remove the old antenna mast from the motor.
Should just pull out, right? Wrong. The collar that slips into the motor assembly on the antenna mast is made of brass and in my case, had corroded itself thoroughly to the housing. You may not have this problem, but I did.
I started by cutting the plastic at the base of the antenna to get a good grip on the brass.
Cut:
No good. I eventually put a vise grip on the mast itself, and yanked it right through the brass collar. I then removed the entire assembly from the car and dug the brass out with a regular screwdriver and an awl. Be sure to screw the special nut back on to the housing, it's very easy to damage the threads or mis-shape it. Be mindful on the rubber gasket on the nut too, I just took mine out until I got the brass out.
Special nut and digging out brass:
The brass (bastard):
If it wasn't for that brass piece, this job would be a cinch.
4. Install new mast.
Reinstall the motor assembly if you had to take it out. Be sure not to connect the power though, we'll do that next.
One thing easy to miss... There is a clear plastic tube in the back of the antenna assembly. This tube goes into a black rubber tube on the inside of the fender. It's easy to miss because the motor completely blocks your view of it. Make sure you plug that tube back in otherwise any leaks will go straight to your trunk.
Replace the rubber grommet around the antenna housing so you don't scratch your paint. Snake the plastic cable from the new mast into the housing and let it hang to the side. Make sure you have the teeth of the cable facing towards the back of the car or the gear won't catch it. Push the cable down into the housing as far as you can without too much force.
Cable:
If you haven't already, turn off your radio. Now, hold the antenna in one hand, making sure the cable teeth stay facing the rear, reach into your trunk with the other hand and connect the power supply to the motor. Don't push it in until it clicks. You can push the connecter into the plug, make the connection and use that to control the motor.
The motor will want to wind the mast all the way down, use the plug trick to stop it after it has caught the cable and drawn in a foot or so.
Push the brass collar of the new antenna into the housing all the way.
New antenna:
At this point you can reconnect the power supply if you want and draw the cable in. The special nut will fit over the top of the new antenna, so you can do it when it's up or down.
Make sure your grommet is lined up nicely and then tighten that nut down. Make sure the little gasket is in the nut.
To adjust it after installing, I put the mast all the way up, pushed it down a bit and then retracted it.
After my antenna went I tried one of the little amplified antennas from Checkers, it really sucked and I just disconnected the trigger for the OEM antenna and drove around like that for a while.
Well, turns out you can score a replacement antenna off eBay for the same price (and much less then a whole new unit). Do a search for 'accord antenna mast'
Anyway, here it goes...
1. Remove the special nut that holds the antenna in.
There is a tool for this, but I decided not to spend the dough (read: cheap) and made my own ghetto tool.
Nut:
Ghetto Tool:
Takes a bit of work to break it loose, but be gentle or you'll scarf up the nut. Also, be careful, inside the special nut there is a tiny little rubber seal near the top. It's easy to knock loose and lose.
Removal:
2. Extend the antenna.
Turn on your radio and let the antenna extend as far as it will. With the radio still on, pull back the trunk liner covering the antenna and disconnect the antenna power supply.
Disconnect:
You can turn the radio off since the antenna will no longer receive the signal to go up or down.
3. Remove the old antenna mast from the motor.
Should just pull out, right? Wrong. The collar that slips into the motor assembly on the antenna mast is made of brass and in my case, had corroded itself thoroughly to the housing. You may not have this problem, but I did.
I started by cutting the plastic at the base of the antenna to get a good grip on the brass.
Cut:
No good. I eventually put a vise grip on the mast itself, and yanked it right through the brass collar. I then removed the entire assembly from the car and dug the brass out with a regular screwdriver and an awl. Be sure to screw the special nut back on to the housing, it's very easy to damage the threads or mis-shape it. Be mindful on the rubber gasket on the nut too, I just took mine out until I got the brass out.
Special nut and digging out brass:
The brass (bastard):
If it wasn't for that brass piece, this job would be a cinch.
4. Install new mast.
Reinstall the motor assembly if you had to take it out. Be sure not to connect the power though, we'll do that next.
One thing easy to miss... There is a clear plastic tube in the back of the antenna assembly. This tube goes into a black rubber tube on the inside of the fender. It's easy to miss because the motor completely blocks your view of it. Make sure you plug that tube back in otherwise any leaks will go straight to your trunk.
Replace the rubber grommet around the antenna housing so you don't scratch your paint. Snake the plastic cable from the new mast into the housing and let it hang to the side. Make sure you have the teeth of the cable facing towards the back of the car or the gear won't catch it. Push the cable down into the housing as far as you can without too much force.
Cable:
If you haven't already, turn off your radio. Now, hold the antenna in one hand, making sure the cable teeth stay facing the rear, reach into your trunk with the other hand and connect the power supply to the motor. Don't push it in until it clicks. You can push the connecter into the plug, make the connection and use that to control the motor.
The motor will want to wind the mast all the way down, use the plug trick to stop it after it has caught the cable and drawn in a foot or so.
Push the brass collar of the new antenna into the housing all the way.
New antenna:
At this point you can reconnect the power supply if you want and draw the cable in. The special nut will fit over the top of the new antenna, so you can do it when it's up or down.
Make sure your grommet is lined up nicely and then tighten that nut down. Make sure the little gasket is in the nut.
To adjust it after installing, I put the mast all the way up, pushed it down a bit and then retracted it.
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