How Do I Access Antenna Motor?

[hawaiilex]

My antenna mast is broken and the plastic part is coiled inside the motor. How do I access the motor to remove it?? (and I thought this would be easy...) Thanks for any input!

[rockriv]

My antenna mast is broken and the plastic part is coiled inside the motor. How do I access the motor to remove it?? (and I thought this would be easy...) Thanks for any input!

My antenna appears to be broken too. Any insight to repair and replace the antenna motor will be appreciated!

Thanks,

-Rich

[tkelly1250]

DON'T open the motor up! Not needed and requires tearing the trunk apart. Go to eBay and buy the replacement MAST assembly. Its less than $50. You take the tubular mast out as well as the plastic notched riser. The new replacement system then gets fed into the mast/motor and it automatically establishes full up and full down somehow. I've replaced whole motor assemblies and this replacement mast is MUCH easier. good luck. Tim ;)

[rockriv]

DON'T open the motor up! Not needed and requires tearing the trunk apart. Go to eBay and buy the replacement MAST assembly. Its less than $50. You take the tubular mast out as well as the plastic notched riser. The new replacement system then gets fed into the mast/motor and it automatically establishes full up and full down somehow. I've replaced whole motor assemblies and this replacement mast is MUCH easier. good luck. Tim ;)

I did buy a mast assembly from the Lexus dealer at $80. They want $150 to install it and they claim you need to open the motor to install it. Looks like you're approach is different. How do you take out the tubular mast and the notched riser?

Do you ever need to get to the antenna motor, or do only need to unscrew the outer notched ring to pull out the broken mast and replace it with the new one without taking the trunk apart??

Many thanks,

-Rich

[hawaiilex]

My antenna mast is broken and the plastic part is coiled inside the motor. How do I access the motor to remove it?? (and I thought this would be easy...) Thanks for any input!

Hi Rich:

I did buy the mast assembly, but when I disconnected the antenna, the plastic coil part is separated from the antenna. Don't I need to retrieve the coiled plastic from the motor first?

[Belle]

My antenna mast is broken and the plastic part is coiled inside the motor. How do I access the motor to remove it?? (and I thought this would be easy...) Thanks for any input!

Hi Rich:

I did buy the mast assembly, but when I disconnected the antenna, the plastic coil part is separated from the antenna. Don't I need to retrieve the coiled plastic from the motor first?

If the plastic gear coil is broken, you will need to access the motor to remove the broken portion before installing a new mast.

Here is a link to the instructions: http://www.antennamastsrus.com/instructions.htm

The original question still remains, How do you access the motor??

PS I found the replacement mast on E-bay for about $18 but haven't installed it yet

Can anyone offer any advise about removing and replacing the trunk panels to access the motor?????

[rockriv]

My antenna mast is broken and the plastic part is coiled inside the motor. How do I access the motor to remove it?? (and I thought this would be easy...) Thanks for any input!

Hi Rich:

I did buy the mast assembly, but when I disconnected the antenna, the plastic coil part is separated from the antenna. Don't I need to retrieve the coiled plastic from the motor first?

If the plastic gear coil is broken, you will need to access the motor to remove the broken portion before installing a new mast.

Here is a link to the instructions: http://www.antennamastsrus.com/instructions.htm

The original question still remains, How do you access the motor??

PS I found the replacement mast on E-bay for about $18 but haven't installed it yet

Can anyone offer any advise about removing and replacing the trunk panels to access the motor?????

Thanks, but yes, the original question, how do you access the motor???

[Belle]

My antenna mast is broken and the plastic part is coiled inside the motor. How do I access the motor to remove it?? (and I thought this would be easy...) Thanks for any input!

Hi Rich:

I did buy the mast assembly, but when I disconnected the antenna, the plastic coil part is separated from the antenna. Don't I need to retrieve the coiled plastic from the motor first?

If the plastic gear coil is broken, you will need to access the motor to remove the broken portion before installing a new mast.

Here is a link to the instructions: http://www.antennamastsrus.com/instructions.htm

The original question still remains, How do you access the motor??

PS I found the replacement mast on E-bay for about $18 but haven't installed it yet

Can anyone offer any advise about removing and replacing the trunk panels to access the motor?????

Thanks, but yes, the original question, how do you access the motor???

OK I did the deed.

Accessing the motor is not easy. You will end up taking out most of the trunk panels to remove the right side panel. You will need a star shaped dirver bit to remove the screw under the bumper stop for the trunk lid. This piece is set with lock tight so it may be a little tuff to remove( work it in and out) and you will need to lock tight it back when you are done. Other tools are 10 mm wrenches and screw drivers. You need to remove the lower corner panels, the tool kit and tire well ( black plasic), the bottom pannel and loosen the front and back to remove the side panel. You also have to remove the plactic molded corner in the upper right corner of the trunk to set the side panel out. NOTE: this piece catches water off the back window and has a drain hose connected to carry rain water through the trunk and out of the car....don't forget to reconnect this in the replacement phase, our you will have to do it all over again.

There is also a drain hose on the motor that needs to be recommected

The motor and antenna replacement are pretty straight foward,.. just follow the instructions in the link in my previous post.

Three tips:

1. Digital photo each step in the panel removal process so you have a reference of the order when you reinstall

2. Unplug the motor and remove it completely from the car when you take it apart to get out the old nylon gear coil ,and ,

3. Don't forget to reconnect the drain hoses for the trunk and the motor

Set aside time with plenty of light to do this job. I started near sunset thinking it would go pretty fast and ended up well after dark with my wife holding a big flashlight

Hope this helps

[hawaiilex]

Hi Belle:

Thank you for your post. I will give it a shot--In daylight!

Aloha, Hawaiilex

My antenna mast is broken and the plastic part is coiled inside the motor. How do I access the motor to remove it?? (and I thought this would be easy...) Thanks for any input!

Hi Rich:

I did buy the mast assembly, but when I disconnected the antenna, the plastic coil part is separated from the antenna. Don't I need to retrieve the coiled plastic from the motor first?

If the plastic gear coil is broken, you will need to access the motor to remove the broken portion before installing a new mast.

Here is a link to the instructions: http://www.antennamastsrus.com/instructions.htm

The original question still remains, How do you access the motor??

PS I found the replacement mast on E-bay for about $18 but haven't installed it yet

Can anyone offer any advise about removing and replacing the trunk panels to access the motor?????

Thanks, but yes, the original question, how do you access the motor???

[daveoman]

Awesome help in this forum. I just went through it all and thought I'd give my experience.

Antenna motor and mast replacement of a 2000 Lexus RX300 (for search engines)

- Get your new mast. You can find many places. I think mine was $25 via ebay.

- See this information http://antennamastsrus.com/Lexus/RX%20300/...nstructions.htm

- That locking collar can be a bear. A small flathead with some gentle rubber mallet taps got it spinning.

- Of course, when my mast came out, it was way shorter than the replacement. Don't think that you're supposed to cut the new one. It's broken and inside the motor. Don't worry; you can get it out.

- You'll need a phillips, 10mm socket, and a couple of flat head screwdrivers to pry the little black clips out. Get a little plastic cup to put your screws/clips/bolts in.

- Take everything out of the back.

- Fold the rear seats forward.

- Open the spare tire hatch and fold all the way forward.

- Open the little hatch on the passenger side and take out the little kit in there along with anything else.

- Pull the little fabric covered lid off the small storage area on the right side.

- Take out the plastic spare cover and the tray to the right of it.

- Pop the little hard liner piece off the front part of the wheel well. It's just a bit behind the side door and sits flat on the fabric liner covering the antenna motor. A flat head under it will pop it off. Watch out for two metal clips against the side wall that may fly off. You need to put them back on if they fly off.

- Pop the 3 black clips out of the right side storage bin by the spare tire. There is also a little nut in the bottom of it you twist off. Remove that piece.

- Using the 10mm socket, remove the 2 luggage rings you see on the right side. One is near the rear seat fold point and one is in the back corner.

- In order to fold back the fabric liner to get access to the motor, you need to remove the hard liner on the right near the hatch. But, in order to remove that, you have to remove the hard liner spanning the length of the back edge. Pop the black clips off this thing and take it off.

- You can now see a new black clip for this other liner piece. Pop it off.

- You can now grab the fabric liner piece covering the antenna motor and bend it backwards to see the motor. Don't bend it too far; just enough to get to the motor.

- Disconnect the antenna connector from the top of the antenna sleeve. It comes straight down.

- Using the 10mm socket, take the two nuts off the mounting bracket of the motor.

- With it loose, you can now rotate the motor and see the electrical connector. It's a pain. On the side away from you, you insert a small flathead screwdriver and fold down the little plastic locking piece. You can then pull off the connector. Don't pull it by the wires.

- There is a drain tube on the bottom, but I didn't have to remove it. The motor now can be rotated out of the wheel well, under the fabric liner, and laid down flat.

- You can now access the 6 screws holding the motor cover on. Before you take it off, notice the orientation of the top of the antenna sleeve. That little piece ends up back against the frame, and it can rotate once you take off the motor cover.

- Take the motor cover off. Look carefully inside and remove the plastic housing and you'll see your piece of antenna in there. Take it out. I didn't regrease anything in my motor, as there was a bunch of it in there already.

- Put the motor back together. Make sure the antenna sleeve didn't rotate or when you put it back in the wheel well, it won't line up with the opening in the frame.

- Put the motor back in the wheel well. Do this before putting the connectors back on.

- Put the electrical connector back on and fold the locking piece up.

- Put the antenna connector back on.

- Get the bolts back through frame and secure the motor using the 10mm nuts. Of course, you've noticed that the antenna sleeve fits correctly in the frame hole.

- At this point, put the new antenna mast in. Turn the radio on and the motor will spin for a bit.

- You'll grab that little plastic cover piece that covers the antenna hole and put if over the antenna. Note you don't need to put the locking nut back on the assembly yet.

- Feed the nylon piece down the hole. The teeth must face the front of the vehicle. Make sure you feed it as far as possible.

- Turn off the radio (you need two people now.) When it turns off, you may have to bounce the cable in the hole to get it to grab. It may take a couple of tries.

- After it's in, turn the radio back on and extend the antenna, holding on to the base to make sure the entire assembly doesn't come out.

- There is a little rubber washer that goes inside the locking nut. Make sure you push it all the way inside the locking nut.

- You now take the locking nut and thread it over the antenna. Put your other hand in the wheel well, and push the motor up as far as it can go. This will allow you to screw it down easier. Do so.

- Test it out.

- Reassemble the other pieces and you're done.

Took about 30 minutes. You may think you're going to break those little black clips, but you won't. Use the two flat head screwdrivers under both side of the clip and rock them up.

Have fun!

[hawaiilex]

My thanks to Belle and Daveoman for their posts. Between Belle, Daveoman and Antenna masts r us directions, accessing the antenna motor was painless. Everything is so well engineered. The whole experience was fun, actually, after I got over the initial fear of taking the whole trunk apart. My husband was a fantastic help, putting up with me the whole time. We made a good team! So, go for it, you'll see it's not that difficult.

Aloha!

[dggeorge]

I followed your instructions. In addition to the flat head screwdriver and the 10mm socket, the star shaped driver size is T40. They can be purchased for less than $5 at any auto parts or home improvement store.

My antenna mast is broken and the plastic part is coiled inside the motor. How do I access the motor to remove it?? (and I thought this would be easy...) Thanks for any input!

Hi Rich:

I did buy the mast assembly, but when I disconnected the antenna, the plastic coil part is separated from the antenna. Don't I need to retrieve the coiled plastic from the motor first?

If the plastic gear coil is broken, you will need to access the motor to remove the broken portion before installing a new mast.

Here is a link to the instructions: http://www.antennamastsrus.com/instructions.htm

The original question still remains, How do you access the motor??

PS I found the replacement mast on E-bay for about $18 but haven't installed it yet

Can anyone offer any advise about removing and replacing the trunk panels to access the motor?????

Thanks, but yes, the original question, how do you access the motor???

OK I did the deed.

Accessing the motor is not easy. You will end up taking out most of the trunk panels to remove the right side panel. You will need a star shaped dirver bit to remove the screw under the bumper stop for the trunk lid. This piece is set with lock tight so it may be a little tuff to remove( work it in and out) and you will need to lock tight it back when you are done. Other tools are 10 mm wrenches and screw drivers. You need to remove the lower corner panels, the tool kit and tire well ( black plasic), the bottom pannel and loosen the front and back to remove the side panel. You also have to remove the plactic molded corner in the upper right corner of the trunk to set the side panel out. NOTE: this piece catches water off the back window and has a drain hose connected to carry rain water through the trunk and out of the car....don't forget to reconnect this in the replacement phase, our you will have to do it all over again.

There is also a drain hose on the motor that needs to be recommected

The motor and antenna replacement are pretty straight foward,.. just follow the instructions in the link in my previous post.

Three tips:

1. Digital photo each step in the panel removal process so you have a reference of the order when you reinstall

2. Unplug the motor and remove it completely from the car when you take it apart to get out the old nylon gear coil ,and ,

3. Don't forget to reconnect the drain hoses for the trunk and the motor

Set aside time with plenty of light to do this job. I started near sunset thinking it would go pretty fast and ended up well after dark with my wife holding a big flashlight

Hope this helps

[PDube]

I know this thread is dated, but I wanted to thank Daveo for his detailed post above in how to access the antenna motor. I had previously replaced only the antenna mast, but it would not retract all the way. So I knew that I had to get to the motor to remove the broken piece in there. Daves post was invaluable! It was not totally easy but it was doable, and now I have an antenna that works again!