Telescoping antenna maintenance (do it!)

[Heat]

You really need to be doing maintenance on your telescoping antenna, once a year or so, to prevent segments within it from locking up.


Take a paper towel and a can of WD-40. With the antenna extended, spray the entire antenna while holding the paper town right behind it to keep the spray from getting on the car. Now go and give a quick squirt at each of the joints.


Let it sit for a few seconds, then wipe it down with the paper towel, taking off as much of the WD-40 that you can. Retract the antenna (turn off the radio). Extend it again (turn on radio), wipe it down again. Retract it, extend it, wipe it again. Keep doing this until it's clean when it extends.
You'll be suprised at how much gunk is on it.


For what it's worth, this isn't something that I came up with out of the blue, this is from the owner's manual of a different car that I own (a Volvo wagon).

[Blackhawk3D]

WD-40=the devil... Gum gum gum. Use Triflow. Then you're good. Or, do what I plan to do and do the S2000/Celica conversion.

[Heat]

I always use WD-40 and have never had any problems. And the owner's manual for my Volvo specifies WD-40 by name.

[Mike Gerber]

Originally Posted by Heat

I always use WD-40 and have never had any problems. And the owner's manual for my Volvo specifies WD-40 by name.

I agree with Heat. I have always used WD-40 over the years to clean and lubricate my antenna with no problems.

Mike

[Eye8Pussies]

^

same here....still on my original antenna from 13 years ago

goes up and down a bit slow, but it still goes up and down all the way

[Blackhawk3D]

Sorry, I come from the Cycling world, and there, with the more complicated high wear stuff WD40 breaks down and causes things to get nasty.

[touringcamry]

Originally Posted by Blackhawk3D

Sorry, I come from the Cycling world, and there, with the more complicated high wear stuff WD40 breaks down and causes things to get nasty.

Yeah, WD-40 is a big no-no on bikes. But here it seems like it's used for cleaning more than lubrication. WD-40 is nice for cleaning but horrible as a lubricant in my experience.

[midnightmach]

I wish i knew this before mine ceized and broke...its still broken today

[Mike Gerber]

Originally Posted by midnightmach

I wish i knew this before mine ceized and broke...its still broken today

If the motor still works and if you have Pep Boys in your area and your car is a generation 3 Camry, you can buy an aftermarket replacement mast for around $17 US.

Mike

[EvoFire]

My antenna just got owned by a tree today.....

[Mike Gerber]

Originally Posted by EvoFire

My antenna just got owned by a tree today.....

Yeah, I hate it when you are just driving along, minding your own business, and those trees jump out and bite your car. A garage door did the same thing to my antenna one time.

Mike

[EvoFire]

lol... When it was my dad's car, he swiped the garage door with the antenna too. We've replaced it like 4 times in 4 years of owning the car.

[mox]

This thing always break...

Mine is broken.. I disconnected the motor and it's working fine like that..

Ok.. 99% of the time I listen to the iPod