Antenna Removal/Replacement

['89AccordLX(Rus)]

Hello everyone,

I have recently aquired a 1989 Accord LX and have already found something that I can't resist messing with. When I got the car, the antenna mast was kinked but not broken right where it exits the housing. I found a proper replacement mast at the local Automotive supply store but I found that I could not remove the old antenna. Once I remove the two screws that secure the top cover of the assembly, I can pull the antenna and it's housing out for about an inch, beyond that it will not move. I have not had a chance yet to get to the antenna motor but will try that soon. Is the antenna secured to the motor and therefore is impossible to remove without messing with the linkage down there under the dash? Can someone explain how and where the antenna is mounted to the body/car/dash? I have searched this board for an explanation and haven't found anything regarding this problem. I have also looked at the shop manual and that only explains motor and switch testing. Any help regarding this problem is apreciated. Thanks in advance.

The RUS. :pimp:

[ACCORD EX]

well here is all what i could find on antenna ! maybe you missed somethin !







MIKE

[88 Accord DX]

mine has never worked but i never listen to the radio so i guess it doesnt really matter

['89AccordLX(Rus)]

Thanks Accord EX,

That was exactly what I was looking for. My shop manual is probably older than yours and doesn't have anything beyond the testing of the switch and motor. Now only to get under that dash and start "fixing" the antenna. :smokin: Thanks again for the helpfull replies.

The RUS.

[ACCORD EX]

tell me what happens , because mine is not working too ! and i intend to fix it !

MIKE

['89AccordLX(Rus)]

Hello again,

Well, I managed to get the antenna out(not completely since I didn't want to mess with the wiring and feeding it back in through the pillar) following the instructions from the pages Accord EX posted however I realized that I got the wrong antenna . Turns out the Civic antennas were longer and had a totally different mounting plate(Besides being non-power). I also checked with the local dealers and purchasing from them is completely outta the question. They want upwards of $90 for the antenna assembly. So now I am down to two feasable options:

1.) Get an antenna from a junkyard.(Assuming the junkyard has the parts )

or

2.) Replace the bottom section of the antenna mast(the kinked one) with one of a suitable diameter and length through a process of a complete teardown of the antenna assembly.

And if worse comes to worst I can always just stick a manual antenna in there and stop worrying about it. However that would still be bugging the hell outta me cause I have this nifty little switch right by the gear stick and this perfectly good motor near my left foot that really don't do anything anymore.

I will probably be able to visit the junkyard in the next couple of weeks(School sucks, takes up so much time) to see whether they have anything I can salvage and adopt to my car.

Well, this seems to be all for the update. So much work to be done to the car and so little time.

The RUS. :pimp:

[Auzreal189]

My motor wont pull it in or out. But my antennae is not broken. Any ideas. I couldn't find it at fortunecity. Wisdom is appreciated.

Matt
89 LX-I

[ACCORD EX]

does it do any sound at all !

MIKE

['89AccordLX(Rus)]

Auzreal189,

There may be several things that could result in the way your motor operates. One may be that the antenna is binding and it simply doesn't have the strength to pull it (notice: the motor will make a clicking/spinning sound when you try to move the antenna or just struggle and heat up <<touch your hand on it and see if it produces too much heat>> ). If the motor spins freely/freewheels, then it may be that your notched, plastic antenna chord is broken and therefore the motor is not even engaged to the antenna. Try to move the antenna by hand. If you can't move the antenna, try removing the motor and taking the notched chord out of it so that it would be possible to check for free movement of the mast. If on the contrary the antenna can be pushed in and pulled out without much force, then most probably it is the chord or the gearing(I assume it is geared) in the motor that is malfunctioning/broken. When I try to raise or lower my antenna, all the motor does is make a clicking sound so I assume that the antenna is bound up by the kinked mast and the motor has probably stripped the chord (haven't checked on that, but I will once I get a replacement antenna that fits)

Also check out Paul's scanned shop manual on his site at:

http://www.pauldesign.ru/honda/shopmanual.html

It shows how to test the switch and the motor. Also look at what Accord EX posted earlier in this thread. His is a more complete shop manual which actually guides you through the removal of the antenna and motor.

I hope this helps.


The RUS. :pimp:

[offthahook]

Good luck finding a used one that works. They are RARE!

[ACCORD EX]

i know i am the one who posted the pics ! but guess what i can't get to it !
anyway my fuse box is so low ( my dash was replaced by the previous owner ) so when i remove the fuses cover ( the one with the fuses locations and what each fuse does label )
i can't see a thing ! can somebody post real pictures of the motor place when you look through it ???

and my motor just stopped working one day ! it does make a sound once you press the switch but not continious sound just like a knock !

i was thinking may be the ground to the motor is loose or something ! i checked the switch and the power the getting to it and goes out of it !

any ideas pleeease !?

MIKE

[anchovies]

You really need to get under the dash to even get a glimpse of it. Literally having your head in between clutch and brake pedals. It's located at the further end of the wall. It's big, so you won't miss it. But all the wires, relays, fuses, what not under there and the position your body has to be to get to it, it's really difficult. Maybe take off the whole dash??

[ACCORD EX]

ok i finall found it and it got the shit out of me laying down in that position !

anyway i put my hand on the antenna motor while my brother was pressing the switch ! anyway when he presses it i can hear a feel a knock on the motor !
now i want to understand a thing >
there are 2 wires in the harnesss right ! so the switch just changes between them ( GND & + ) and reverse ! right ! ?

so what could be my problem !
no way i am getting the dash out !
and there are 2 hoses connected to the motor ! what are they for ! ?( one if for the antenna drive cable ! and the other ?

thnx

MIKE

['89AccordLX(Rus)]

Accord EX,

The reason your motor is clicking probably lies in its engagement with the antenna drive cable/chord. The cable may be missing a few teeth or may be misaligned in the motor itself which causes it to bind. If I am not mistaken (guessing ), the motor has a tension mechanism that doesn't allow the motor to push or pull on the antenna cable beyond the full extension or retraction points of the antenna mast even if the motor continues to run. Basically this is because the motor doesn't have any type of electrical limiter that stops it so it must rely on a mechnical solution. The antenna may be binding, or something else may be wrong which causes the mechanism to act prematurely or not as intended resulting in a improper operation of the antenna. The best way to inspect it would be to follow the instructions in the service/shop manual and get the motor out. It is probably going to be a pain to get to it with all the wires around it. The two tubes that attach to the motor are the antenna tube and the drain tube that is fed into a hole in the floor to allow drainage of condensation, or water that may collect inside the motor.

Hope this helps.

P.S.: The switch probably does work as you described by simply switching polarity. This is supported by the testing instructions in the shop manual where you are told to just use a 9v battery and hook it up to the terminals on the motor.

The RUS. :pimp:

[Nate2310]

can you buy replacement attenas cause mine is bent and I have help the motor move it up and down w/ my hand

['89AccordLX(Rus)]

Nate2310,

Yes, you can buy new replacement antennas, however they are VERY expensive.

here is a link to an antenna I found on the net:

http://www.slhondaparts.com/browse.a...=39158-SE0-A11

it is around 80 bucks for the whole assembly. Rather pricy for such a small item.

The RUS. :pimp:

[ACCORD EX]

thanks for the useful reply '89AccordLX(Rus) .
so to get the antenna out remove the mount bolt ( unhook the drain hose ) remove the harness !
but how is the antenna connected to the motor how can i disconnect them from each other ! ?

sorry to bother you with so many questions !but thanx a lot !

MIKE

['89AccordLX(Rus)]

Accord EX,

In order to separate the antenna from the motor you have to remove an E-Clip (horseshoe-like clip) at the point where the antenna cable tube(the plastic tube that surrounds the cable as it is routed through the pillar) is attached to the motor. Once that is done you can eaither gently pull on the antenna drive cable to remove it from the motor or have someone push the switch into the "raise" position to get the motor to force the cable out. The drain hose should just be removed from it's hole in the floor so it is easier to work with it (I guess it can be a pain to put it back on the motor in the extremely cramped position under the dash). Also to get better access to the motor you may want to detach the fuse box from it's mount. That way you would actually be able to get through all the wiring and obstructions under the dash. Also if you are removing the antenna, feed one or two nylon ropes (thin ones) through the pillar as you pull the antenna out. These are extremely useful if you try to put the antenna and it's wiring back through the pillar (but why would you want to do that ??? ) I also tried to remove the fuse box under the panel and the mounting bolt closest to the pillar needs a very long ratchet extension to get to. Anyone know if there is another way to get to it besides the fuse door in the dash?

Glad I can help you out Accord EX, the more questions you ask the more helpfull this thread can be to others.(Including myself )

The RUS. :pimp:

['89AccordLX(Rus)]

Well, after spending a whole day rampaging through the wiring under the dash I finally got it working.

Now I must correct myself from the previous posts. The antennadrive cable is NOT notched, it is actually completely smooth with a plastic cap at one end which the motor grabs on too.

Now for the actual explanation...

Basically I had to remove the fuse box comletely. When doing this, disconnect all the wiring from it and label it as you remove it from the box.(for example label one connector "1" and the coressponding connector "1" as well so they can be matched up). Once the fuse box is removed, you can get to the antenna motor. It is best to detach the motor from the stud it is mounted on and lower it for ease of servicing. Also remove the drain tube and note where it was positioned prior to removal.(I had a hard time finding the drain whole after I removed everything.) Now remove the clip that is positioned at the junction of the antenna tube and the motor. This is accomplished with needle nose pliers. Next the top two screws on the antenna can be removed and the whole assembly can be pulled up (NOTE: you must disconnect the antenna signal cable from your stereo, and pull it completely out fron the dash before removal of the antenna <You may need to remove the dashboard hood and instrument cluster in order to pass the cable through properly>). Also before removing the antenna, tie one nylon rope to the antenna drive cable, and another rope to the antenna signal cable. When removing the antenna, it may get stuck in the pillar. If that happens simply try to turn the assembly or back up slightly, turn, and try to pull again. Don't try to force it. If all fails, use the ropes to pull everything back to normal positions and restart. Once you get the assembly out completely, untie the ropes and leave them in the pillar. You may now replace or service the antenna as it best suits you. The installation is basically the reverse of the dismantling. Make sure the the signal cable doesn't get caught anywhere in the pillar during the reinstallation. In order to get the motor to wind the drive cable up, you will need to reattach the connectors to the fuse box but leave the box hanging on the wires. Then turn the key to the "I" position and proceed to feed the cable into the motor as a helper presses the antenna switch to the "retract" position. Wind up the cable in this fashion until you can easily place the motor back in it's place. Reattach the motor to its stud using the nut removed earlier, and feed the drain hose into it's respective hole. Then reattach all wiring to the fuse box, and mount the fuse box back in its original position. Test all the electrical accesories before you attach the bottom cover to the dash. Finally route the antenna signal cable to the stereo. At this point all that is left it attachment of the bottom cover to the dash.

P.S.: I had to comletely dissasemble the antenna and cut off the kinked portion of the bottom mast section. Then I fabricated a stopper and glued it to the antenna in the same location as it was on the now cut-off section. Next I reassembled the antenna and found that my contraption actually works! Overall the whole disassembly/reassembly took roughly about five hours for me.

Did I just type that essay? Woa

Hope this helps.

The RUS. :pimp:

[ACCORD EX]

wow ! that 's great thanx ! just small question > hot to pull the antenna out if it the motor doesn't work ? should i pull it by hand ! ? i don't want anything for the antenna it self can i leave it in place and pull the motor out ??

thanx a lot man !


MIKE

['89AccordLX(Rus)]

Accord EX,

To remove just the motor, disconnect the clip the connects it to the antenna tube, remove the drain hose from its hole in the floor, and remove the nut that holds the whole motor assembly to the body. Now pull the motor assembly down off of the stud and gently pull on the now exposed antenna drive cable. It should come out (resist the urge to yank on it because it may damage the motor itself). The motor also has a skip/tension type mechanism that governs the pulling on the antenna and which makes that clicking sound once the antenna retracts or raises completely. By gently pulling on the antenna drive cable you are actually simulating the fully extended/retracted position of the antenna and the mechanism will release the antenna and click when you pull on the antenna drive cable. At least this is how I managed to slide my cable out of the motor. The antenna doesn't have to be removed if you just need to work on the motor (and it is a PITA to put back in once you manage to get it out ).

P.S.: Once you get the motor off test it with a 9 volt battery. If it works, then it may be a wiring/electrical problem in the car.

Hope this helps. Post back with any more questions, I am more than willing to help. (or better yet send me money )

The RUS. :pimp:

[ACCORD EX]

thanx man ! i am goin to do it this weekend ! i 'll try to get some pictures too to help people out here who need help with their antenna !

MIKE

['89AccordLX(Rus)]

By the way,

Since in one of your previous posts you said that the motor makes a knocking/clicking sound, you may want to check that your antenna is moving freely once you remove the motor. If it is not, the motor will not be able to operate it. Once I reinstalled my antenna it would get bound up in a half retracted position and it took quite a bit of oil and aligning to get it to retract all the way (the motor is not all that powerfull and got stalled rather easily). If the antenna is oiled but still binds, try to rotate the mast sections slightly to see if that helps to get rid of the binding. If the antenna has been extended for long periods of time, it may have gotten slightly bent, this is sufficient to stall the motor. You may want to try and bend the antenna gently into its original shape. Be carefull though cause it is not very hard to kink it.

The RUS. :pimp:

[ACCORD EX]

thanx a lot man !

MIKE

[1987HondaAccord]

do all models of our car have power antennas? mine has never moved and i dont get any reception. Is there anything i can do?