Replacing power antenna is a real pain...

G

Ghostrider

Registered User
Unfortunately a new mast and drive chain did not fix the problem so I went to junkyard and found a new motor. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being replacing the engine this is about a 6 if you follow the manual. If Toyota had made the antenna cable removable at the stalk it would be a 1. Instead you have to get the motor and cable out. The manual only says to remove the cable from 4 clips and doesn't mention that those clips are behind the ventilation ducts and passenger airbag. I was lucky at junkyard that someone had pulled those. I disassembled to radio dash to get one end of cable and got two of the clips. I finally gave up and just cut the cable to get it out. A five year old might be able to reach behind all the stuff for the other two but not me. Tried to run the new cable the same way and gave up. Even tried using some weedeater line to fish behind before deciding that the cable would work just fine going under the firewall carpet and up to radio instead of over the firewall and down. Took close to three hours. If there was a disconnect on the motor it would be 30 minutes max. The only way I can see installing the cable like it came from factory would be to pull airbag and disassemble to ductwork...
 
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Hate to tell you but i think you make it harder than needed. I just remived my power antenna and replaced with a flexible fixed antenna. It took me about 20 minutes to do the entire job. Remove trim and radio, unplug antenna from radio, fold down glive box and put antenna wire off the 3 clips which are now easy to get to, remove front right wheel, remove fender flair if applicable to remove inner fender guard, remove the round threaded coller fromthe top of the antenna along with the 6mm bolt holding the power motor in place, now pull the antenna wire out if the whole, install is basically the reverse.
 
I had the glove box out... Mine is a 2001 and those clips are not easy to get to. Especially the final 2 of 4. The first two can be reached through the radio hole. I don't know if they wired mine different or not but the glove box didn't matter. The cable was behind all the stuff that is behind the glove box. It comes in the firewall behind the kick panel and turns 90 degrees up to go behind the stuff. It would have been very easy if they ran it in front of the stuff. Then removing the glove box would have helped.

edit - went a looked at Toyota shop manual again and went out and pulled glove box. The manual has a diagram with 4 clips and says nothing a out removing air bags etc. Looking behind glove box there was nothing with clips - mine were much higher and above the radio. The factory install (I am only owner) came in by the footwell, went straight up, turned 90 to left and went over and then turned 90 again to go down to radio. Kinda like three sides of a box. I agree totally that install could be 20-30 minutes (about what it took) if you go a different direction....
I am going to another junkyard and try to get a spare motor. It was only 15 bucks and I would rather have a spare on the shelf. For some reason the first 4 I found in the yard did not have it or some idiot had cut the antenna wire. I will look closer to see how they ran it - the one I found was so open that all I did was pull it from the tire well side. However I still say that a removable cable end at the motor side would have been a huge improvement and eliminated anything inside
 
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When I replaced mine, I removed the glove box and the black piece behind it ( what the light mounts into). Those clips are clipped onto a horizontal bracket piece behind the duct. You just kind of squeeze the clip open and push the cable down and out. Once you have it unclipped and with the center dash trim removed, remove the radio. Now the trick is to securely tape a 6ft piece of 10g wire to the radio end of the antennae. With the motor already removed and dangling in the wheel well, pull the antennae cable through. Some wire lube (the kind they sell at HD for pulling wires through or just some Vaseline) might help. You might have to "help" it through when it gets to that place where it disappears above the passenger side kick panel. Might even have to pull it back the other way but it will eventually pull through to the wheel well. Once through, just reverse the process.
 
The idea of taping a pull wire to the old antenna end is a very good idea. I tried to fish a wire (weedeater line) after the removal and it didn't work. Again - my reaching could only get to 2 of the 4 clips not matter what. I doubt you could ever get the new wire back in all the clips but it doesn't matter - not going to mess anything up by being unclipped. Removing the kick panel is a big help in getting the wire thru the fender... My one fear was that the radio end of the wire was going to get hung up on someting behind those vents and I had no answer to how I would free it so I cut the end and pulled it thru from the fender
 
We replaced my fiance's 97 antenna recently with one from a Tacoma. Got all brand new parts from the dealer. It's not worth spending the money on the fragile power one IMO. The only hard part was snaking the new antenna wire under the dash, but we had it done in about an hour.
 
JBecker said:
We replaced my fiance's 97 antenna recently with one from a Tacoma. Got all brand new parts from the dealer. It's not worth spending the money on the fragile power one IMO. The only hard part was snaking the new antenna wire under the dash, but we had it done in about an hour.
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We means she helped you? No arguing etc?
 
I've been reading the past post on here on how to replace the power antenna and you guys make it seem so simple. I too am having a hard time. Mine is a 00 with the painted sr5/Limited flairs. Im figuring after I drill out the 2 metal rivits, and break off the 12 plastic 90189-06212 grommets I should be able to pull the flares off.

I'm thinking it would be a better just to pull off the whole fender to get at the antenna. Don't know if the flairs can take the pulling force without cracking.

Am I over thinking this thing?
 
I will be hopefully tackling this job this weekend. I had a broken mast. And bought a new one from Amazon. However I was not able to remove all the track out. So st the very least I need to gain enough access to take the housing apart and get the broken pieces out.
 
HiLife said:
I've been reading the past post on here on how to replace the power antenna and you guys make it seem so simple. I too am having a hard time. Mine is a 00 with the painted sr5/Limited flairs. Im figuring after I drill out the 2 metal rivits, and break off the 12 plastic 90189-06212 grommets I should be able to pull the flares off.

I'm thinking it would be a better just to pull off the whole fender to get at the antenna. Don't know if the flairs can take the pulling force without cracking.

Am I over thinking this thing?
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I have the same vehicle, same flairs. I didn't remove the flairs. Just loosen most of the inner wheel well, the back part where the antennae mast is and bend it out of the way. There's probably about eight screws that need to be removed.(and a couple of plastic pop rivets) It is quite flexible so don't worry about breaking it. You should have a pretty good view of the mast. Just undo the trim piece that comes through the top and disconnect the electrical connection (not the antennae). There's a very flimsy bracket with a nut that goes on a stud on the mast housing. Spray that with some WD-40 and carefully remove the nut. If you twist too hard you may break off the weak-ass bracket. Once it's free, you can pull the freed antennae cable through with the wire attached as I described before. Good Luck!
 
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Not sure if the flares on limited are the same as my SR5 but I did not remove flares. I had one bolt the went thru the liner and the flare at the bottom and then two bolts on the inside next to the flare. I had already replaced the push pins with screws from the earlier mast repair but I only removed three of them on the side next to the engine and pulled back the liner. You don't have to remove the entire liner - just enough to reach a socket in to undo the single bolt holding the motor. It will then hang down in tire opening enough to open it to remove broken mast pieces.
Not sure what metal rivets you have - my flares were installed by the distributor with bolts...
 
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It's stupid hard to change out haha. Mine quit working about a week a go so i ordered a new motor without thinking to check first :rockthrow: turns out when I pull back the piece of plastic and take the motor out it was just disconnected and my mast was broken haha what a waste
 
I was unsuccessful in my attempt to simply remove the inner fender skirt and fender flare.

Is there a tool that slips over the back side and releases the inserts? I found a 11mm deep socket will work.....kind of. Buy shy of ripping the holes removing the inner fender I don't see how those black plastic inserts come out.
 
Happily I did get the antenna insert installed and working. The instructions said to have the teeth facing the rear of vehicle. I faced them front and it pulled the antenna mast right in. After a few up and downs and some grease on the plastic teeth it's pulling all the way down.
 
19963.4lsr5 said:
I was unsuccessful in my attempt to simply remove the inner fender skirt and fender flare.

Is there a tool that slips over the back side and releases the inserts? I found a 11mm deep socket will work.....kind of. Buy shy of ripping the holes removing the inner fender I don't see how those black plastic inserts come out.
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It was a few years ago but I think I removed the bolt at the bottom on the flare which allowed just enough room to reach inside with needle nose pliers and squeeze from inside the well. I replaced those push pins with a new insert that lets you put a real screw in it.

I also saw the incorrect instructions on having the teeth face backward. they should say to remember which way the old one came out
 
Ghostrider said:
It was a few years ago but I think I removed the bolt at the bottom on the flare which allowed just enough room to reach inside with needle nose pliers and squeeze from inside the well. I replaced those push pins with a new insert that lets you put a real screw in it.



I also saw the incorrect instructions on having the teeth face backward. they should say to remember which way the old one came out
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Yes I didn't pay attention to how it came out.
 
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