Antenna is dead
12-11-2002, 05:01 PM
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Antenna is dead
I have heard the power antenna dies quite often with 4Runners. Mine was dead when I bought a few weeks ago. Does anyone have any suggestion on what I should do? Is it any easy fix? Is it just a matter of replacing the motor that pushes the antenna up and down?
Right now it just makes a noise and the antenna just sits there; I can push and pull it by hand. Any thoughs, or past threads?
Right now it just makes a noise and the antenna just sits there; I can push and pull it by hand. Any thoughs, or past threads?
12-11-2002, 05:38 PM
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ah, welcome to the broken antenna club. Most likely your motor is fine and the gears are stripped. That's good, because if it's the motor then it'll probably cost a lot more. I've never replaced it myself but I can't imagine it'd be very hard to do. I'm sure somebody here will chime in on how to fix it. Good luck.
Steve
Steve
12-11-2002, 07:35 PM
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I ran across this thread: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...&threadid=4224 . Do a search, there's probably more.
Steve
Steve
12-13-2002, 09:54 AM
#4
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Sharp,
To answer your question, there are two parts to the antenna "system", the motor unit and the antenna. The motor unit is affixed to the inside of the front fender well. You can access it by unscrewing the fender trim and then the fender wall lining. You'll need a philips head screw driver and I believe 10mm rachet heads.
To start removal, unscrew the silver bezel nut (on the top of the antenna mount) using a cloth-wrapped screwdriver. Unscrew this and the black antenna mount. If you can, pull out your antenna mast. You will see that the antenna has a long, white platic piece of geared "teeth".
Go back under the fender well and then unscrew the motor unit. Opening it is easy: I believe its a bunch of philips head screws. Once opened, see if there are any little bits of plastic teeth in there. If so, you'll need to buy a new antenna mast.
If you don't like the motorized stuff, I highly recommend buying the whip antenna kit. I replaced my motorized antenna with a Toyota (OEM) whip antenna. Let me tell you, these suckers are really tough. I've had them whipped back by hitting low tree branches, etc but they just whip back!
I purchased a black whip antenna (Tacoma) too. It looks better than the silver one that you get with the 4runner kit.
Email me if you need more info.
Bob
To answer your question, there are two parts to the antenna "system", the motor unit and the antenna. The motor unit is affixed to the inside of the front fender well. You can access it by unscrewing the fender trim and then the fender wall lining. You'll need a philips head screw driver and I believe 10mm rachet heads.
To start removal, unscrew the silver bezel nut (on the top of the antenna mount) using a cloth-wrapped screwdriver. Unscrew this and the black antenna mount. If you can, pull out your antenna mast. You will see that the antenna has a long, white platic piece of geared "teeth".
Go back under the fender well and then unscrew the motor unit. Opening it is easy: I believe its a bunch of philips head screws. Once opened, see if there are any little bits of plastic teeth in there. If so, you'll need to buy a new antenna mast.
If you don't like the motorized stuff, I highly recommend buying the whip antenna kit. I replaced my motorized antenna with a Toyota (OEM) whip antenna. Let me tell you, these suckers are really tough. I've had them whipped back by hitting low tree branches, etc but they just whip back!
I purchased a black whip antenna (Tacoma) too. It looks better than the silver one that you get with the 4runner kit.
Email me if you need more info.
Bob
12-14-2002, 02:42 AM
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I'm working on a write up with diagrams (thanks to my artist friend Danielle) about rebuilding a power antenna.
Unfortunitely I am very busy with work these days writing projects for work and studying but I'll put in some time and post when it is done.
Unfortunitely I am very busy with work these days writing projects for work and studying but I'll put in some time and post when it is done.
12-14-2002, 09:48 AM
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Bob,
Thanks for the info regarding the antenna fix, it sounds simple enough, but I guess I will not know until I get in there to look at it. Which will be sometime next week...hopefully. As you know we are being hammered by this Pacific storm up here in the Bay Area.
Also, Mack, any write up about 4R antennas would be awesome. It sounds like it would be something simple that everyone would benefit from. As great as 4R are, I guess they have to have an achilles heal. It is better that it is something simple like the antenna and not like the Ford Pinto's exploding gas tank. (My first car)
Thanks for the info regarding the antenna fix, it sounds simple enough, but I guess I will not know until I get in there to look at it. Which will be sometime next week...hopefully. As you know we are being hammered by this Pacific storm up here in the Bay Area.
Also, Mack, any write up about 4R antennas would be awesome. It sounds like it would be something simple that everyone would benefit from. As great as 4R are, I guess they have to have an achilles heal. It is better that it is something simple like the antenna and not like the Ford Pinto's exploding gas tank. (My first car)
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12-17-2002, 10:03 PM
#8
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Sharp,
Still working on the write up but here's the part numbers and prices for both parts. This is the same email I sent to Duke:
***
These are the part numbers for the antenna assembly and the black taco whip antenna:
Antenna assembly: 86300-35090 (list $36.94)
Tacoma Whip antenna: 86309-AA040 ($27.38 at my dealership)
The antenna assembly comes with a silver antenna. The black Taco whip is optional. Personally if you just wanted a black antenna, I imagine you could scuff up the silver one with sand paper, paint it black with Krylon and then you'll have a black antenna. However, the Tacoma whip antenna has the wire wrapped around the length of the antenna from top to bottom---it looks cooler in my opinion. They both work well.
***
Bob
Still working on the write up but here's the part numbers and prices for both parts. This is the same email I sent to Duke:
***
These are the part numbers for the antenna assembly and the black taco whip antenna:
Antenna assembly: 86300-35090 (list $36.94)
Tacoma Whip antenna: 86309-AA040 ($27.38 at my dealership)
The antenna assembly comes with a silver antenna. The black Taco whip is optional. Personally if you just wanted a black antenna, I imagine you could scuff up the silver one with sand paper, paint it black with Krylon and then you'll have a black antenna. However, the Tacoma whip antenna has the wire wrapped around the length of the antenna from top to bottom---it looks cooler in my opinion. They both work well.
***
Bob
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