how do you remove the power antenna?

Those involved in street crime simply snap it off and scratch the car with it.

Usually these are held in place with a fancy nut with a large washer under the fender/wing.

Where have you been for the last 20 years or even 40 years?

Unscrew the ring on the top, then two screws underneath will remove the motor assembly. Throw the whole assemblage away and install a fixed antenna.

--scott

On the roof where an aerial should be. ;-)

Well it was a very stubborn screw and the mast was stuck in the up position about a foot and the rubber grommet thing was hideously perished and also the sun was in my eyes quite a bit on this occasion so it was not as easy as one would suppose. The motor assembly smelled god awful and I found the circuit board inside the case burnt to a molten, blackened gob. I straightened the antenna and lubed it up. By discarding the board and fishing the motor wires into the trunk space I can now make it motor up and down if I want using the car battery, which was somewhat satisfying. I just left it up so I can get KPLU for now, the purpose of this exercise. Maybe no one will snap it off just out of spite or malice or whatever provokes snappers to attack lone BMW's. I think the areal gets whacked in the car wash and the motor smokes itself trying to move a stuck object. The power antenna was also previously identified by a BMW mechanic as the source of a battery drain that would leave the car unstartable over the course of a few days. Thanks everyone, another 10 minute job done,..

^^^^^

Oooohhh! Irony!

-- Larry

^^^^^ Oooohhh! Compounded irony!

-- Larry (pass the popcorn, please...)

It's not just the aerial that gets damaged in an automatic car wash it's the paint. They all scratch it.