My antenna was bent back while extended, and then the radio powered off, causing the motor to try to retract the antenna which of course caused the cable to break off inside the mast, rendering the mast stuck open and bent back.
So, I went and bought an OEM antenna Mast with cable for my GC (93 ZJ) and subsequently began dissasembly of the antenna folling te Haynes instructions.
Well, I took off the pas side splash guard in the wheel weel, and the passenger side of the dashboard (the part the comprises the glove compartment) and managed to disconnect the power harness and the antenna lead halves (the metal tubes) from the inside. I got off the cap nut (nearly impossible it was so locked on-- the actual "tube was turning with the nut for quite a while until I pryed it up a little where I could lock a vice grip on it and turn the nut with another-- causing damage to the nut as well), but now I've reached an impass.
I CANNOT for the life of me figure out how to pull the antenna power and coax leads through the grommet. They are in there so tight, there is no play, and I can *barely* grip the grommet with the tips of my "medium to small" hand fingers-- and ONLY from the wheel weel outside-- forget about any access to the grommet from the inside under the passenger area.
I feel like I might be able to pry off the grommet from the outside but there's barely any room to manipulate my hands in the wheel well, and I may very well not have success.
I'd cut the damn grommet out if I could get some tools in there, I don't care at this point.
Is theresome way to get these antenna wires and cable out that I'm missing? Some trick perhaps?
It is a pain in the ass isn't it. :) You have to work them quite a bit to get the ends through the grommet.
Can you still get a hold on the antenna cable and power feed? If so put some tape around them to get rid of the square edges. Also just pull the antenna through first, then the power.
You did put a string on them so you can pull them back in? If not you might need a bit of stiff wire (like 12ga house wire) to fish them back in.
I want to say, "You have no idea", but I know you do ;)
Excuse my "doubtingness" but, I can't, for the life of me, see how the ends could ever go through that grommet, and this is why I say that.
1) The grommet is in no way at all accessible from the inside from the pas side, and I took off the entire pas side panel (I'm not sure if that's what the Haynes book refers to as the pas side kick panel-- I took off what I call the pas side paneling-- which includes the two vents, and the glove box-- it's one piece-- AND that wasn't easy to remove by itself becaue I had to take off the center bezel, and "lift/pry up a few inches" the top of the dash panel to access some hidden screws just to be able to take off that pas side panel).
Even with the pas side paneling off, it yields practically no extra "entry" openings into the area which contains the ant lead and power harness-- In fact, after all that was done in the hopes of being able to get "frontal" access to the lead and harness to disconnect them, I STILL had to do it from underneath, and the bundle of wire going to the pas side fuse panel barely moves out of the way at all. The only positive for taking off the panel was that it opened a tiny space that I could shine more light into that area from.
2) Again from the inside, I can simply see no way of reaching that grommet to push it out, or push the wires through them. You can't see the grommet at all, because it's sort of, "around a corner". Plus, I have skinny arms and medium to small hands and I could NOT get even the tips of my fingers to touch the grommet from the inside, so any manipulations from the inside are impossible.
3) From the outside, looking into the wheel well, the wires again disappear "around a corner", or a bend, and the grommet is not visible. I can just barely get the tips of my fingers on the grommet, but it's very hard, and I'm not sure if I can pry it out of its' hole.
I'm going to spend at least a considerable amount of time trying that or some variation of that tomorrow. Others have mentioned that the grommet itself and the wires it contains come out as "one piece", so we'll see.
4) As for the wires themselves, they are tightly/snuggly "selaed" into that grommet. There's no play what so ever. I pulled on the coax antenna cable as hard as I could (and even tried pushing it inwards) and there was absolutely no movement. There's just no slack. The power wire does slip a little, but even with that, I can't see any way that the harness could possibly fit through the grommet--- without of course, removing the grommet and the wires it contains.
I see that as the only viable option- Remove the f'in grommet.
Please tell me I'm wrong, Please tell me there's some other way, or that I'm missing something. I'd cut the grommet out if I could get some tools up in there-- if only my fingers were razors..
The only way I could see this being remotely "easy" is if the fender were entirely removed, which would require the door removal. Then you'd be directly infront of the grommet and you could rip that piece of s*it right out, but there's no way I want to do all that.
Sure, they're available on the inside, and on the outside since I haven't yet been able to remove them.
I assume you mean tape around the power harness itself, since the wires themselves are all round.
I will try pulling/yanking again in the morning. I'd tie the damn wires to a tow if I could ;).
Again the issue is there's simply no room to operate up in that wheel well. There's what like 2 inches? if that? You can't get much "pulling" torque in that kind of space, know what I mean?
I have not yet, so I could still do that, but then again, I just can't envision how this would be viable, since from my point of view right now, this grommet is like a think cement wall, with two wires that are encased within it, that were passed through it when it was formed.
Maybe a coat hanger somehow from the inside to push them out?? I just don't know..
Even when I eventually get this POS out, I then have to see if I can get the motor itself apart to put in a new mast and cable which I bought at az (it was described as OEM equipment for my make/model-- a mast and cable-- and upon inspection/comparison to the old, it's identical).
If that's a bust, I get a whole new motor with antenna assmebly-- which at this point if I have to do, I don't really give a damn.
Has my complete frustration come through in this topic yet? :)
Yup they are, and they're off-- the car sits on stands for the night. I gotta put new pads in the front tomorrow anyway.
Hmm.. it's been about ten years since I replaced my antenna. I might have taken the grommet out by using a pair of needle nose pliers and twisting it free. Don't remember the details and that was way before I had a digital camera.
I do remember cursing and contorting myself while doing the removal. Might have even taken the wheel off so I could get in there. Remember doing it with my left hand while having my face pushed into the wheel well and my legs under the vehicle. It was the only way I could get to the gromet and the worst possible position to put any strength on it.
I'm beginning to think they are right and I'm wrong about that grommet being separate.
Dunno any other way to do it. When I had the thing out it looked like I could have pulled the old antenna all the way out and fed the new one in from the top but that's only if that plastic push/cog thing is in one piece. Mine broke in the spool down in the power antenna body.
(9) Remove the antenna wire harness and coaxial cable by pulling the grommet out of the cowl side panel from inside the right front fender wheel hous-ing. Then pull the wiring and cable through the hole in the cowl side panel.
Wow. I can't believe you could actually get a tool up in there and then manipulate that tool with such little space.
...
It may be possible that mine is broke in there too.. I have to have a look closely.
If not, I read that with a new mast/cable one can simply seat the new mast in the motor shaft taking care to feed the cable in properly, and then have someone turn off the radio so the motor will grab hold the cable and pull the antenna in.
Problems may be that I cant get the little bit of old mast thats left (about
1/8 inch or less) out, and/or there is broken cable left over in the motor.
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