Stuck and having trouble with the Tacoma whip mod.

[Road Bull]

Hey guys, I have been running into a series of small problems with my Tacoma whip mod. So far I've managed to take off the old broken antenna mast and remove the 10 millimeter bolt anchoring the Mast assembly to the body. But that's where things get murky. In all the write-ups they talk about removing cable # 2.

Looking at the back of the standard two Din stock unit, is proving to be difficult. I have the center console pulled out from its mounts. But the auto shifter position is making myour task difficult. I can only see one item plugged into the back of the stereo so far. I had been trying to disconnect the various plugs from the other items in the center console, but the damned ETC doesn't want to comply, and I don't want to break anything.

What am I missing?

 

[alumarine]

Put gear selector in L or 1 or whatever it's called.
Might have to remove plastic around shifter and just below console.

Should be two antenna leads going into the back of unit.
They are side by side and may be held in place with a small bracket and machine screw.

 

[Road Bull]

Ok... I think I found #2... using logic, the second one in, moving to centerun, from driver's side.

On thing I remember stumbling upon in my research was reading that someone tied small piece of string around the disconnected cable before they started pulling it towards the assembly on the fender well. This way wants you get the math sorted out you can untie the string and tie it to the new plug in order to help guide it through to the correct area. Anyway that's what I read, we'll see if I'm smart enough or skillful enough or perhaps just lucky enough to pull that kind of crap off.

I feel like I should have started my little project a little earlier in the day. LOL.

 

[Road Bull]

Put gear selector in L or 1 or whatever it's called.
Might have to remove plastic around shifter and just below console.

Should be two antenna leads going into the back of unit.
They are side by side and may be held in place with a small bracket and machine screw.

Thanks, I disconnect the second one in. I thought I read that the first is power to the head unit.

 

[Unner]

Put your key in the ignition, turn it to on and pull the gear selector down to L so you can disconnect the other plugs on the center console piece and get that out of the way. You will want/need more room to work around there. I don't think the rope on the antenna cable is necessary, but you can try that. I pulled my old one out, and then just kinda forced the new cable into the hole and started pushing it and looking for it on the inside. The cable doesn't have to follow a certain path or anything like that back there.

 

[alumarine]

In your picture both of those round black cables are antenna cables.
One in the fender and one in rear side window.

 

[Road Bull]

In your picture both of those round black cables are antenna cables.
One in the fender and one in rear side window.

So do I need to disco both, or just the second one in? It doesn't seem like the write ups that I have found go over that very much. I do remember reading about the rear widow antenna somewhere, but isn't that what the line that wraps around the Tacoma whip antenna is for?

 

[Road Bull]

Put your key in the ignition, turn it to on and pull the gear selector down to L so you can disconnect the other plugs on the center console piece and get that out of the way. You will want/need more room to work around there. I don't think the rope on the antenna cable is necessary, but you can try that. I pulled my old one out, and then just kinda forced the new cable into the hole and started pushing it and looking for it on the inside. The cable doesn't have to follow a certain path or anything like that back there.

So when you removed your antenna cable from the back of the stereo unit, did you go through and unclip the cable from the cable ties, or did you do like some and just leave it in place after snipping the wires on the mast end?

 

[UnderFire]

Pulling the old cable out is easy, and running the new one through the same path is also easy, our dashes are very open on the inside. I unclipped mine and re-ran it without any real issue, the only difficult part is getting the new cable back up from the kickpanel area to the dash support bar, the rest is cake. Don't be afraid to unplug and move things out of the way, our electrical connectors are solid and easy to use, they don't break like other manufacturer's stuff. I'd definitely unplug the rest on the center dash pieces and pull that thing outta there, it's quick and easy and gives you all the room in the world.

 

[Road Bull]

Pulling the old cable out is easy, and running the new one through the same path is also easy, our dashes are very open on the inside. I unclipped mine and re-ran it without any real issue, the only difficult part is getting the new cable back up from the kickpanel area to the dash support bar, the rest is cake. Don't be afraid to unplug and move things out of the way, our electrical connectors are solid and easy to use, they don't break like other manufacturer's stuff. I'd definitely unplug the rest on the center dash pieces and pull that thing outta there, it's quick and easy and gives you all the room in the world.

So, when you did this, did you remove the whole front dash, or just the center console?

 

[csp]

Holy cow, you're making this more difficult than it needs to be. Unplug the larger of the two antenna cables. Pull it out from the outside. Push the new one in. Grab the end of it once inside and route it to the head unit. Plug it in and put things back together.

Quit worrying about how everyone else did it.

 

[MStudt]

Holy cow, you're making this more difficult than it needs to be. Unplug the larger of the two antenna cables. Pull it out from the outside. Push the new one in. Grab the end of it once inside and route it to the head unit. Plug it in and put things back together.

Quit worrying about how everyone else did it.

This is how I did mine. Took me about 30 minutes for the entire swap.

 

[UnderFire]

So, when you did this, did you remove the whole front dash, or just the center console?

Shifter surround, center dash panel, glove box and kickpanel is all I had to remove.

 

[Road Bull]

Shifter surround, center dash panel, glove box and kickpanel is all I had to remove.

OK, I had most of that done except I didn't fully disconnect the center console and I didn't remove the shifter surround. I saw the two screws on the side of the center surround, but it looked like I was missing something that prevented me from removing this piece. What do I need to do in order to remove the shifter surround?

Thanks for the input guys!

 

[UnderFire]

OK, I had most of that done except I didn't fully disconnect the center console and I didn't remove the shifter surround. I saw the two screws on the side of the center surround, but it looked like I was missing something that prevented me from removing this piece. What do I need to do in order to remove the shifter surround?





Thanks for the input guys!

Just the black piece around the shifter, it snaps up and off without removing anything else. They fit tight, start at the back.

 

[Road Bull]

Just the black piece around the shifter, it snaps up and off without removing anything else. They fit tight, start at the back.

Fantastic, thanks!

I just didn't want to start snapping old plastic pieces in frustration.