i used to hear the motor grinding at the end of the extension and retraction of the power antenna...but it used to go up and down completely everytime....

After reading the fix on 4dsc.com i got the needle nose pliers and turned on the radio to get the mast out and got the first ring out...the mast extended nicely BUT even after pulling as the antenna came out...it WONT come out....and now i dont hear the motor grinding anymore either....but i can clearly hear the whirring sound as the motor turns...

I cant get the mast out....i tried to push it back in while a friend turned the radio off...but now it wont even go down....its just hits a stop either way pushing up or down...the motor runs perfectly though...there IS a one inch play in the mast though...i can move it freely within an inch ??

I HAVE searched but got no real solution...ALL the answers say go to 4dsc.com or another site but it doesnt help me in this situation.

 

You probably need a new antenna mast.

usually the nylon zip cord breaks, and some of it is left inside the motor assembly. You need to remove the motor assembly and clean it up, basically remove the old nylon cord remaining.

 

i went through that whole write-up without fixing the antenna. there was no broken piece, so now it looks like most maximas on the road--with the antenna half way up.

 

Yeah thats what i was doing....replacing the antenna mast, i already know mine's busted....BUT...in order to replace it....i have to get the OLD one out...i CANT get the old one out, it just hits a stop and WONT come out...i tried taking out the motor assembly but it wont come out of the little space in the trunk with the mast FULLY extended and locked in that position...

does anyone know how to get the mast out in this situation? thanks

 

but they didn't help me. They did to an extent, knowing there was nylon in the motor assembly. But I couldn't just slide the antenna out and slide a new one in which frustrated me at first. I had to take the motor out to get the remaining nylon thread and remaining mast out. It's tight, had to play with it to get it out. My mast wouldn't go all the way down, I had to push it to get it flat with the trunk and maneuvarable.....

 

JD,

so should i try forcing the mast down?? like i said its fully extended and it hardly moves down but an inch....did u force yours down with the antenna motor running or off? would it ruin the motor? thanks