Help! I did something stupid. While fooling around with my replacement antenna, I pushed it so hard that the retaining nut pulled right through the opening. ARRRRGGGHHHH!!!! It obviously will not go back through the top. [attachmentid=11509] I will need to remove the base, cut the wire and resolder. So how do I get the base off? Can it be pryed off, or is it screwed on with threads or is it hopeless?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Doc Willie @ Sep 17 2007, 06:05 PM) [snapback]513962[/snapback]</div> WOW time to order a white sharkfin and cover it up
Hi Doc, There is another post which shows the large nut on the underside of the roof. You will have to remove the inside covering to get to the nut. Most likely there is a large hole which a threaded bushing goes through. The hold is either D-shaped, or there is a second smaller hole which a molded key pin on the antenna base fits into. So, you wont be able to turn the antenna base without breaking it.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pingman @ Sep 17 2007, 07:08 PM) [snapback]513964[/snapback]</div> I thought about that. It may end up being cheaper in the end although it will make my marginal reception even worse. Smiley not necessary. This is serious. I f***ed up.
This will probably offer no comfort at all, but I've been running around without the antenna mast for, what, like 2 years now. I unscrewed it once when parking in a sketchy neighborhood, and just never put it back on. The base seems to have enough metal in the air to received the local clear-channel AM news station which is about all I ever use the radio for and that's rare anyways. If you don't particularly care about the radio, there's no harm in running around with the stub; you might find a tidy way of taping down the broken-out metal piece in the meantime. . There are threads about pulling down the rear part of the headliner; those will probably help but you'll still have to fix or replace the antenna fitting because it looks like you ripped the metal part right out of where it was molded or glued in or whatever. I defer to the antenna-replacement wizards for the real info here.. . _H*
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ Sep 17 2007, 08:39 PM) [snapback]514017[/snapback]</div> I actually pulled the fitting through the hole in the base. It was held in by the fact that the hole is smaller than the fitting. That is, until I stretched it. And like a baby being born, it won't go back in. Does the shark fin care if the metal fitting is loose? And should I get black or white for the Zhang Heng? I am thinking black.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Doc Willie @ Sep 17 2007, 09:27 PM) [snapback]514067[/snapback]</div> if the metal stub with the threads in it are still attached to the wire the shark fin will work . the fin has a wire lead serpentined inside and comes with two diff sized screws to go in that metal piece. I have XM so my fin is for looks anyways
There is a thread about removing the headliner and accessing the nut for the antenna base. I found it after I already did it. 1. remove the three plugs above the rear seat. I used a door panel tool to safely pry it out. 2. pry the rear dome out. I think there's a trick but I don't remember if one side was fixed and the other side allows you to release it. 3. carefully remove the plugs from the handles in the headliner. The plugs retain the metal clasps holding the handle to the roof. Repeat on the other side of the car. 4. I slowly pulled one corner of the headliner out of the c-pillar panel, then out the side. Be careful that the headliner does not cut into rubber seal. 5. with one side free, work the headliner free of the other c-pillar panel. 6. with the rear half of the headliner free to peel down, you can see the wiring for the antenna and mount. 7. from the passenger side, you can unplug the antenna and the antenna power lead. 8. using the door panel tool, you can separate the wire harness from the roof. 9. using a 21mm or 22mm open-end box wrench, you can break the nut loose. Once loosened, you can unthread the rest by hand. I can't remember the size as I took both out to the car. 10. there are two brass clasps securing the antenna to the sheet metal. Squeeze the sides together until it is loose. 11. feed the wiring through the roof. 12. once removed from the car, there are three screws in the base of the antenna mount. 13. removing the screws will expose the circuit board and single black lead to the antenna. I found this picture on priuschat from another user who installed sound deadener but the picture is reversed. The picture appears as if from the left (driver) side of the car because the antenna lead goes towards the rear of the car. But on my car, I would see the wire from the right (passenger) side of the car with the antenna lead going towards the rear of the car. While you have the antenna base removed from the car, you might as well clean that area of the roof. [attachmentid=11623] I hope I rembered everything I need to tell you about this.
Thanks for the info. Right now, that looks like more than I want to tackle, not being familiar with working on the innards of car bodies. I am going to give the shark fin a try. If the reception is acceptable, I will stick with that. If not, I will be back here to follow the above excellent illustrated directions. Prius Chat ROOOLS.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Doc Willie @ Sep 17 2007, 07:27 PM) [snapback]514067[/snapback]</div> My vote is white (and I've seen the pictures of your modded 1701 prius). I think if you can match the color of the car it will look much more professional.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sean Blumenthal @ Sep 23 2007, 02:32 AM) [snapback]516467[/snapback]</div> Done.
If you decide to get the shark fin......get the white! Because the car is white and getting the white will make the car top look more uniform and therefore look more "classy".
