TDiddy

A few days ago my antenna quit. It had the usual symptoms: Antenna would go up 1/2 way or so, then stop, while the motor kept churning away.

I had gone back and forth on a Taco whip replacement or another power mast. I went to the dealership, who did not have any Taco antenna parts in stock. That fact coupled by them giving me a discount on the power mast due to them not having what I originally wanted in stock means I replaced it with another 4Runner mast.

I basically followed Bob's write up along with a few other snippets I found in a search. I had to open up the motor too - it was obvious I was missing some of the zip line. Total time was 2 hrs; I would have finished alot sooner but I forgot how the bracket went on the motor...

Basically the steps were as follows:

1. Remove spanner nut
2. Turn on radio, as antenna goes up, help it out
3. Remove grommets and roll back fender liner
4. Remove 10mm bolt on the antenna bracket
5. If you have a digital camera, take a pic of the motor with the bracket and all the screws in place - it will help when reassembling (I wish I would have done this...)
6. Unclip the power cable, remove screws
7. Pry cover off motor, remove broken piece of zip line
8. Close up the motor, re-clip power cable, mount the bracket
9. Get the antenna back in to the fender well
10. When tightening the bracket down to the mount, make sure the antenna motor is as high as it will go - it should be protruding up through the hole in the fender by at least 1/2 an inch
11. Have a helper work the radio and run the new antenna down in to the motor
12. If all went well it should retract normally.
13. Tighten spanner nut, close up the fender liner, you're done.

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

Anybody who reads this and needs a power antenna motor assembly, mine is just sitting in my garage collecting dust...

You shoulda gone Taco Tom!

TDiddy

Next time it will be...

Or maybe if you get yours sold, i can sell mine - I'll have to wait to see how the market is!

SLC Punk

Tom,
I have done the same thing on my old 93 Camry and on my Celica. I have purchased the antenna off of ebay for $15, and the one in my Celica still works. Just make sure you keep the antenna clean, I clean it with lighter fluid, that way no gunk collects on it.

keisur

I always call the stealer to make sure they have the part and to get a price quote and then I ask them to give me internet pricing. usually I get about 25% off of the stealer price doing this. Good job on staying with the stock power antenna I prefer them and have never busted one off while on the trails, of course, I am usually either listening to the sat or just have the thing off so I can hear nature and the roar of my magnaflow. good job.

chuckd

My antennae is stuck in the up position. the motor goes at it but nothing happens. I wonder if I bought waskillys thing if it would fix it.

TDiddy

$10 says the zip line in the mast has broken. That's the typical symptom.

You could buy Brian's old one, but chances are it won't last as long as a new replacement. Just a matter of wear and tear. Unless you'd get it real cheap, I'd either shop ebay or go to the dealer.

Also e-mail member TOR, he works in a parts dept. and can probably get you the best price.

SkyRat

Nope. Waskilly has the motor. You need the mast. The fix is easy though once you get to the motor. My biggest problem with the whole thing was getting the Limited Flares off that side, so I could get the fender liner out, so I could get to the motor. Really easy, just need a bit of finnesse.
Click Here to see a good mast supplier

keisur

probably not. I think his zip is stripped in there to, so if you bought it you'd have to replace the mast anyway when you got it. the motor runs then you would just need to replace the mast in yours. easy job if you know how to work a screwdriver and wrench.

TDiddy

Good catch George! Chuckd, you should probably clarify with Brian to see if the motor assembly includes the mast. Brian went to a Taco mast so I'd imagine it does. In any case, the mast is all you need.

SkyRat

When mine broke, I spoke with Brian, and if I remember correctly, he does not have the mast, just the motor assembly...

Rayday81

My roomate just replaced his morized unit with a replacement stationary unit he bought for like $10 at Walmart. It's a short antenae and comes with everything you need and instructions to replace the motorized version. Took about an 1hr only 'cause we had no idea how to get the wheel well liner off. Looks good.
~Ray

puppyred

thank you for the link, i have been trying different ones and none work.

habanero

You got all the old pieces out? What masts have you tried and what's your symptoms of non-workingness?

puppyred

Yes old pieces out, just ones that my husband ordered on amazon, they just didn't fit right, they would go in but then they would shoot out when turned on. the symptoms are my husband should drive my truck through a car wash with the radio on bent it all out of whack.

habanero

Shooting out when turned on....you've got the antenna bevel nut on and it's still doing that? As in, you unscrewed the nut, removed old antenna, put in new antenna, then screwed nut back on after the antenna was sucked in? Oh, and when the bezel nut was screwed back on it was threading onto the antenna motor so it was able to be securely tightened?

Hahaha, husband fail. They make kids and puppies cute so's you don't kill 'em. Husbands survive on sheer amounts of our patience some days. Well, except mine. He's perfect.

I replaced the one in my 96 with an oem Toyota antenna from the dealership, the one in the 99 we used a mast off ebay, http://www.ebay.com/itm/230369823100...84.m1497.l2649
both are working well. Maybe some pics will help?
posts 332-335
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