joeahuerta

iTrader: (5)

my antenna went a few months ago so i finally decided to replace it today. When I went to put in the new one, I decided to check to make sure it would work before I put the handy-dandy annoying to remove silver cap back on, and voila, the antenna and gear wire thingy came right on out. Yes, I am very smooth, I know. I searched and read a bunch of posts but found nothing on taking the antenna apart to fix it. I tried several times to just slip the gear wire back in and catch the teeth but it didn't work. Anyone tried taking the cover off the motor and fixing it that way?

WaltL

It's pretty easy.
1) Turn radio on and run the mast out as far as it will go or untill you hear the motor stop (my motor will not run if there's a CD in my aftermarket head unit). Remove the silver lock ring from the antenna base with a set of snap ring pliers or needle nose. Pull off the rubber grommet below that and then pull the sheath out of the housing.
2) Remove the jack and then it's bracket. Three nuts
3) Remove the antenna motor retaining nuts, 2, and drop the motor assembly down. Now you can see the white elec. connector. Disconnect it from the motor housing and remove the motor.
4) There are 4-5 screws that hold the two halves of the housing together. Remove these with a good elec. drill and correct bit as they are tight and strip easily.
5) Separate the two halves and inspect the assembly. Not much to it:
drive gear and motor.
6) Remove and old antenna mast plastic bits, add some lithium lube and reassemble.

You can see how the antenna plastic drive piece needs to be positioning so it engages with the drive gear.

7) Assemble everything in reverse order. You wi'l put the motor back in place BEFORE you install the new mast. Don't put the jack bracket or lock ring on until you have successfully installed the mast. Do put the sheath in!

8) With the assembly back in the car, the plastic drive stem needs to face towards the rear of the car as it is being feed into the motor. This takes two people. When you feel it engage, have someone turn the radio to the off position. The stem and mast will retract in place to the fully down position (This may take a few tries).

9) Install the lock ring and jack bracket/jack and you're done.

If the motor is bad, mine was, you can go to a junk yard and get just about any Nissan elec. antenna of the appropriate vintage (I got an old Altima) and use the guts to rebuild your motor. Just make sure the elec. connection for the drive motor is the same.