Low profile XM (shark fin) antenna swap
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mynameistory
New member
nglayton
Senior Member
Damn! Did they just tear the thing loose and yank the nut through the hole?
If you don't subscribe then there is no reason to spend a fortune... probably some like this to seal the hole might be more practical.
Amazon.com: Scanstrut DS-Multi Multi Deck Seal : Electronics
or since you are not hooking it up a used antenna...
TOYOTA SIENNA 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 MATTE BLACK SATELLITE RADIO ANTENNA | eBay
Something to seal the water out at least.....
mynameistory
New member
I've had mine for a few months now, but with very little rain in socal (until LOTS today). I will check my headliner etc. in the morning for you.
Mudhorn
New member
Yes, very minimal. I wonder if I tightened it too much inside. Maybe that is why they suggest cutting the shark fin off vs removing it, not sure. But some silicone around the base and on the inside fixed it.
mynameistory
New member
Checked this morning, dry as a bone. The normal seal is retained just fine, but without the outer curtain seal it might let more dust/debris accumulate over time. We'll see.
JAXJeremy
New member
So you took your head liner down and removed from the inside? I wasn't planning on doing that..was going to cut it and remove the cover from the top.
That's helpful. How long have you had yours and has it been through any big storms?
Mudhorn
New member
Yes, to keep the shark fin for a just in case in the future. I’m a parts hoarder.
Very simple and fast.
JAXJeremy
New member
I hear you..I know if I take it off it's never going back on..
mynameistory
New member
Looks like since July of last year. We don't get a lot of rain but we had a big system on new Year's and one that came through just this Monday. No leaks.
JAXJeremy
New member
We get pretty heavy rains here in NE Florida so that's good to know.
So I took my 2019 4runner through an auto car wash the other day, which was a mistake on multiple fronts. But afterwards the fm/am radio completely cut out (like there’s zero reception, not even static) but the xm is fine.
I pulled down the headliner and the shark fin antenna connections all looked fine. Checked my fuse box, nothing out of the ordinary. One thing I did notice is that my shark fin antenna doesn’t look like it’s sealing well at all - there was definitely a bit of trapped water.
Any thoughts on why the am/fm doesn’t work but the xm still does? TIA
I pulled down the headliner and the shark fin antenna connections all looked fine. Checked my fuse box, nothing out of the ordinary. One thing I did notice is that my shark fin antenna doesn’t look like it’s sealing well at all - there was definitely a bit of trapped water.
Any thoughts on why the am/fm doesn’t work but the xm still does? TIA
mynameistory
New member
Can't offer any advice on the AM/FM radio. Where was the water on the sharkfin? Did it leak inside the headliner? Remember there are two seals- the inner primary seal is an o-ring that is just larger than the hole in the roof, and then there is a secondary dust curtain around the outer perimeter of the whole sharkfin. I'm assuming its purpose is to keep dust away from the primary o-ring seal inside.
Old Tanker
Member
I thought the AM/FM antenna was built into the left rear window, not the shark fin.
It seemed like the antenna itself was torqued down tightly. Pushing down gently on the antenna would produce water that was trapped underneath it. It wasn’t bad enough to cause visible staining or mold on the headliner, but it would smell musty after each rain. I solved that with some silicone but I’m still without the am/fm.
Interesting…I hadn’t heard of that. But now I will do some hunting for info, or maybe start taking plastic paneling off near the window.
Old Tanker
Member
Check the various installation write-ups on the Velox Gullwings - there are AM/FM antennas in the glass on both sides (2014+). Wires are visible in the glass.
