Antenna Mast Replacement & Antenna Motor Cleaning
Problem – Your antenna mast will not move or will not extend/retract fully
Solution – Remove antenna mast, clean out any mast parts stuck in the motor, install new mast.
Parts
Antenna Mast – 86337-35111
Fender Liner Clips – 90189-06028 (quantity depends upon how many you break)
Tools & Supplies
Antenna wrench or hammer and flathead screwdriver
Anti-seize
Remove Antenna Mast
1) Remove antenna nut. If you don’t have an antenna wrench use a hammer and flathead screwdriver.
2) Extend the antenna mast and get ready to catch it. You may want to lay a towel or two on the hood and fender if you’re doing this by yourself in case you don’t grab it in time.
Factory stereo – The motor runs longer using this method. While holding down the AM and FM buttons, turn the ignition key from “Lock” to “ACC.” The antenna mast will now pop out.
Aftermarket stereo – Turn on the radio and the mast will pop out.
Remove Antenna Motor
There are two ways to remove the antenna motor: the easy way and the total pita way. If you have a SR5 or live in a rust-free state you will probably get to do this the easy way. If you have a live in road salt hell you may have to go the pita route.
Easy Way
I can’t remember if I removed the front passenger tire, turned the front wheels all the way to the right, or had the wheels straight.
Remove the fender liner clips. Some of them you can access from inside the engine bay and use a pliers or flathead screwdriver to push the clips out from the backside. I just broke off the one or two closer to the antenna motor that were not accessible through the engine bay. Here is what they look like:
Pull the fender liner back and disconnect the electrical connector. This picture is with the fender completely removed but shows where the connector is.
http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/h400/boootown/Antenna Mast and Motor Replacement/IMG_3928_25.jpg
Remove the single 10mm? antenna motor mounting bolt and slide the slide the motor out
Hard Way
I have a Limited and live in salt hell. My antenna motor mounting bolt was rusted on solid and the mounting bracket was bending a lot trying to turn the bolt. So I went the pita route: remove grille, bumper, corner light, filler, running board, and fender.
Remove Grille
Remove Front Bumper
Remove Running Board
Remove Fender
Take a wire wheel to the exposed threads of the mounting bolt and clean them up. Now that you have the fender off, you can easily hold the mounting bracket in place and remove the mounting bolt.
Clean Out Antenna Motor
You’re going to want to wear some disposable gloves for this part.
Remove the screws circled below and pull the cap off.
As you can see I had a good chunk of plastic teeth still in there.
Screw the cap back on. I had one screw that wouldn’t go back in and then noticed the nut for it came loose. Line that back up with the hole.
Replace the antenna motor. I put some anti-sieze on the mounting bracket bolt threads so that I hopefully won’t have to take the pita route when the next mast breaks. Replace the fender, running board, corner light, filler, bumper, and grille.
Install New Antenna Mast
If you have a factory stereo installed you may have to hold down the AM and FM buttons, turn the ignition key from “Lock” to “ACC.” Let the motor finish running. Leave the key in the "ACC" position.
Take the new antenna and insert the plastic teeth about 11 ¾” into the hole with the teeth facing the front of the vehicle (the FSM says to have the teeth facing the rear of the vehicle).
While applying some downward force to the mast teeth, turn the key back to “Lock.” The new mast should fully retract.
Screw the antenna nut back on.
