Electric Antenna?

[Princess2000]

Ok When I shut my 2000 4 Runner off the electric antenna will not go down into the fender as it is suppose to do. And it will not go up when i start the vehicle. Is there a fuse I can pull to fix the problem. Because it makes this huge buzzing sound from the motor everytime and it anoying. Or does the antenna have a plug on the motor somewhere i can unplug? If I unplug the electric motor going to the antenna will the radio in the car still work? I dont care if the antena doesnt go up and down I just hate the anoying buzzing sound.

 

[sonjason]

You need to replace your antenna mast. The noise you hear is likely the antenna motor trying to retract and extend the antenna, but the mast is probably broken.

You can buy replacements on eBay for like $13.

 

[jspagna1]

The op does not want to replace the mast, just disconnect the power. Everything I've read about those ebay replacements is that they break easily.

For the op, I believe all you have to do is disconnect a connector at the antenna motor behind the fender (access through the wheel well). My mast doesn't work either and that motor does get annoying. If I get around to disconnecting mine soon I'll let you know how it goes. The fuse for the antenna is also for the stereo and clock I think so you don't want to go that route.

Right on. Now I have a manual antenna. Usually stays in the up position.

 

[Princess2000]

The op does not want to replace the mast, just disconnect the power. Everything I've read about those ebay replacements is that they break easily.

For the op, I believe all you have to do is disconnect a connector at the antenna motor behind the fender (access through the wheel well). My mast doesn't work either and that motor does get annoying. If I get around to disconnecting mine soon I'll let you know how it goes. The fuse for the antenna is also for the stereo and clock I think so you don't want to go that route.

Thanks I will give it a try. Is the inner fender on clips or bolts? I cant tell

 

[Hepar]

Thanks I will give it a try. Is the inner fender on clips or bolts? I cant tell

Clips.

 

[K092084]

Thanks I will give it a try. Is the inner fender on clips or bolts? I cant tell

Its allen screws with 1 or 2 clips, I think, that you need to remove to bend the plastic fender guard back to unplug the antenna. I had the same problem, took my motor out because my new mast wouldn't feed and turn out the plastic teeth from the 2 previous antenna's were in the motor.
I just unplugged it because the plastic wheel in side the motor that pulls/pushes the antenna was broke in half. Too cheap spend the money on a new motor.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Don't waste your time with the crap masts/units you will find on Ebay. They are generic junk.

I spent $60 on a "full factory replacement" antenna on Ebay and after 3 hours of trying to get all the straps, incorrect screws and such to work threw it against my garage wall in a fit of rare anger and then threw its carcass into the trash. Never again.

Went to Toyota and bought a factory replacement for $110 and it fit perfectly and is what I should have done from the get-go.

If you want to go cheap just unplug the power to your broken unit.

You get what you pay for. ;-)

 

[rajuncajun]

Just be prepared to never go through a drive-thru car wash again, once that sucker is bent she's done.

 

[Hepar]

Another option that a lot of people do is the Tacoma whip mod. Basically it's swapping out the electric antenna with the non-electrical antenna found on Tacoma's.

The "Taco" Whip Antenna Mod

 

[Elton H]

ya i did the taco whip best 10 dollars ive spent

 

[smallfry]

x2 on the Tacoma whip antenna mod

 

[MTDewX8]

there was a member I think CY--- something put a switch on his so he can bring it down when he was using CD's and such. he put the switch down by the feet area by the gas pedal. cool Idea and when I fix mine I think i will go that route. having some control over it would be nice.

 

[Princess2000]

SR5, Sport, or Limited? All versions are probably clips. On the Limiteds some of the clips holding the inner fender liner in place are behind the fender flare and can't be pulled. You can pull the ones closer to the inside and bend the liner outwards to reach inside.

Found an old pic here. You can see where the electrical connectors are located. Not sure what the other white tube/wire is for though.

Thank you for the picture.

 

[Scotty_T]

My antenna was doing the same, I got a replacement mast for under $20 and fixed it, not bad at all, here's a link to a new mast for $18.00 shipped.
Replacement 4Runner Antenna Mast

 

[Hepar]

there was a member I think CY--- something put a switch on his so he can bring it down when he was using CD's and such. he put the switch down by the feet area by the gas pedal. cool Idea and when I fix mine I think i will go that route. having some control over it would be nice.

Wow. That's a really great idea. I think I'm going to have to do something like that. I just changed decks not too long ago and my old deck would only power the antenna up when the radio was on, otherwise for cd's, dvd's and my ipod, it was down. The new deck keeps it up whenever the unit is on. Would be nice to be able to drop it down when on trails and still be able to listen to my tunes.

 

[MGP]

there was a member I think CY--- something put a switch on his so he can bring it down when he was using CD's and such. he put the switch down by the feet area by the gas pedal. cool Idea and when I fix mine I think i will go that route. having some control over it would be nice.

I put a switch in series with the blue antenna wire on the harness from my JVC KW-NX7000 in-dash DVD/Nav unit when I installed it. I spliced into the harness and ran a pair of wires to the switch. I used a Toyota rocker switch and mounted it in a free slot next to my fog light switch on the dash, to the left of the steering wheel.

I got tired of the antenna going up every time I turned on the DVD/Nav unit. A lot of in-dash units turn the antenna signal on ANY time they are on -- even if you are just using GPS, listening to a CD or MP3.

Now I can raise or lower the antenna with the flip of a switch!

It's an easy mod if you already have the center console disassembled and can get at the radio wire harness.

 

[Hepar]

I put a switch in series with the blue antenna wire on the harness from my JVC KW-NX7000 in-dash DVD/Nav unit when I installed it. I spliced into the harness and ran a pair of wires to the switch. I used a Toyota rocker switch and mounted it in a free slot next to my fog light switch on the dash, to the left of the steering wheel.

I got tired of the antenna going up every time I turned on the DVD/Nav unit. A lot of in-dash units turn the antenna signal on ANY time they are on -- even if you are just using GPS, listening to a CD or MP3.

Now I can raise or lower the antenna with the flip of a switch!

It's an easy mod if you already have the center console disassembled and can get at the radio wire harness.

What kind of switch did you use?

 

[MGP]

What kind of switch did you use?

One like this:

SCION-TOYOTA-OEM-STYLE-ROCKER-SWITCH

It will snap right into one of the in-dash switch cutouts on a 96-02 4Runner. They have some pictures of installations on the ebay listing.

 

[Hepar]

One like this:

SCION-TOYOTA-OEM-STYLE-ROCKER-SWITCH

It will snap right into one of the in-dash switch cutouts on a 96-02 4Runner. They have some pictures of installations on the ebay listing.

Thanks! Is it a two prong switch or does it have a line that needs to be wired into the ignition?

 

[MGP]

It's a two pin switch (SPST).

If you want to manually control the antenna up/down you would split the antenna control wire (it's blue on most head units) in the radio harness and insert the switch in between. You run one wire from the radio/head unit antenna control wire to one pole of the switch and another wire from the other pole of the switch back to the other end of the antenna control wire that goes to the power antenna relay.

That hookup controls whether the antenna up +12V signal from the head unit goes to the antenna relay (switch closed, antenna UP/DOWN controlled by head unit) or not (switch open, antenna DOWN regardless of head unit signal).

You don't need to do anything except cut the existing antenna wire and splice the switch in between the cut ends.