Car Antenna!

C-BLACKS_SSS · May 1, 2006

hey guys i have a 1993 es 300 i was wondering if there is a button for the antenna or is it suppose to go up on its own when you turn on the radio.

let me know cause mines always down

thanks guys

eman_be_lexin · May 1, 2006

I believe it only goes up when the Stereo is on. If you are playing a CD or tape it will go down.

abrarcool · May 1, 2006

replace the mast its 20 $ on ebay comes with instructions, that also only if the motor is good

GM1995ES · May 2, 2006

hey guys i have a 1993 es 300 i was wondering if there is a button for the antenna or is it suppose to go up on its own when you turn on the radio.

let me know cause mines always down

thanks guys

Can you pull up the mast by hand? After gaining access to the motor assembly by pulling back the trunk lining, can you see/hear the motor run when someone pushes the radio on/off button? Is the wiring and plugs intact? If so, then the cogged plastic pigtail that drives the mast may be broken. Only option then is to replace the mast as someone suggested. If the motor is shot then a complete assembly is needed, about $150 if I recall correctly. :blink:

If the pigtail is broken, you will need to take the housing apart to get the old one out, not difficult but probably messy. On my 95, the housing halves were put together with a black, gooey mastic that gets on EVERYTHING, including the internal cogs. I took it all apart, cleaned everything with mineral spirits, and reassembled, packing the cogs with white lithium grease and running a bead of silicone around the perimeter. The replacement mast came with very easy to follow instructions (you rewind the new pigtail after reinstalling the motor unit by feeding it in as someone turns the radio off).

On mine, the old mast had been bent so would not extend fully. Ordered the OEM replacement (NOTE: this is similar but not exactly the same as the original) from that eBay source. The new pigtail was about a foot longer that the old one and the instructions said that means the housing could contain pieces that need to be removed, which is why I took the thing apart. As it turned out, there were no pieces in it - the new one was just longer. I called the supplier and he said it would be O.K. to cut off 6 inches or so, which I did before installation. It works perfectly.