radio/antenna problems

[jklckeller]

we just bought a 93 camry for our 16 year old daughter. There is a high pitched sound coming from the stereo receiver. The speakers don't crackle when adjusting the volume so we think the noise is from the receiver. Also the radio reception is terrible. We have learned that the cable to the power antenna mast is gone. We have found replacement masts, but shouldn't there be wires of some sort so that the antenna can provide reception? Or are all of those connected some other way, not on the mast? Our daughter wants to put a new stereo in it, (gotta have cd and mp3 capabilities you know), but before we do that, would just getting a new receiver and replacing the mast do it, or is there something else going on?

[eddie926]

Here's a link to a DIY on doing the s2000 antenna conversion. I know you're not asking about doing that, but there are some pics in this post of the power and antenna connections on the stock antenna. There's one cable that connects to it for the radio signals, and then there's a power connection for activating the power up/down. Hopefully the pics will help you out.

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t65507.html

[jklckeller]

Thanks! The link helped. Based on the photos, it seems that everything is still there. So hopefully, just replacing the mast will complete the connection again and she'll at least have the antenna. Does that make sense? I've never had a car with a power antenna, so I'm not sure what should be where.

[eddie926]

Is the existing mast broken? You never really said.

[Heat]

When you turn on the radio, can you hear the antenna motor running but the antenna just isn't going up?

And sure, replace the radio and at least a couple of the speakers. Check out www.crutchfield.com for radios / speakers, I was just pricing out the Kenwood MP438U and four new speakers for $185 (there are some rebates in effect through the end of June) for my Accord. On the Toyota you can easily replace the radio by yourself. Literally you just pop off the U-shaped trim piece, remove four 10mm bolts, and the radio is out. The speakers will be a little more work but definately a do-it-yourself type of job.

[Venom_5]

As long as the connections are made to the antenna, you should be squared away - its just signal & power, i believe ... so yeah, what u said makes sense

Also - you might consider replacing the stock headunit ... i know mine was garbage after about 10 years, and some others have had similar complaints -- nowadays you can get a new CD receiver (bought and installed - mine was at Circuit City) for just over $100, which isnt much for something i use every day, 2+ times a day ... just a consideration

you could always have your daughter pay for it, since its her car now

[MineralGray02K]

i just bought this for my 92

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...240504246&rd=1

[jklckeller]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. It's really appreciated!
Eddie926 asked if the mast was broken.

When we bought the car two weeks ago, the antenna didn't go up and down, but the motor worked. My husband disconnected the motor and then we noticed that the reception was terrible. Last weekend my daughter bought a replacement mast at AdvancedAuto. When we pulled out the old antenna, there was no cable attached & no evidence of cable in the antenna, it was hollow. After several minutes of fussing with the new one, we realized that it was not the right size. After further investigation online, we found replacement masts that are identical to the one we have now. However none of them have any wires, only the plastic cable that makes the antenna go up and down. That is what lead me to ask the question about the antenna in the first place. I can't figure out how the antenna does its job when I can't see any wires.

At this point, I'm pretty sure the receiver is bad, because today my daughter figured out how to use her mp3 player through the stereo and she says the speakers don't crackle, even when turned up. So now I guess the only question is, will replacing the mast get the antenna working correctly again, or is there something else going on that I should prepared to repair?

[islandboy57]

The replacement mast is just as you have, it has a white plastic cable with teeth. I'm assuming reception is related to some kind of ground to the metal around the inside of the antenna base? Not sure. I replaced the mast on my gen 3.5 and it took 10 minutes. You'll need a helper to turn the radio on and off on the inside.

It sure sounds like the radio itself is perhaps bad, because even with a non-functioning mast reception was just fine for me. For the price (I paid $20 shipped) definitely replace the mast and then the stereo.

Other than this, how is your daughter liking the Camry?

[jklckeller]

She loves it!! Its in really good shape and has been well maintained. It handles well and she is actually getting decent gas mileage, about 23 mpg. That was surprising considering its a 15 year old v6! And she's only been driving it locally, no highway miles yet. We did have to replace the front struts, mounts and brakes, but she only paid 800 for the car. This car has high mileage (235,000), but there are no oil leaks, hesitation, or funny sounds and the engine is clean. I think this is going to be a great first car for her. And I feel better with her being in a car thats a little larger.

[eyeball96]

Seems the cable has broken off the antenna and is twisted in the motor. U'll have to remove the motor and remove the cable before u can install a new one. Refer to the link eddie provided to remove it, its EZ to remove the broken cable, one nut in the middle u'll see it......Same thing happend to me...I repaired it, but it just broke again later....Thats the reason I have the S2000 conversion on both Coupes.

[eddie926]

Having the antenna break is common. The mast can get bent which prevents it from going up and down properly. The plastic "snake" that the motor pushes/pulls to raise/lower it can break. The motor can burn out. I had to replace the motor twice on my 95 LE, and the mast once. If it breaks again, I'll be doing the S2000 conversion on it (didn't know about the S2000 at the time or would have done it already ).

I was already leaning toward doing the s2000 conversion on my 95 V6 XLE when the mast got bent. Not only does the S2000 antenna look great, but once it's on, there are no parts to go bad unless the mast physically gets broken off. For me it was a no brainer.

A couple other things to consider. Living in the midwest, it's common during the winter for the antenna to ice up and stop working. Having a fixed antenna is a plus at that point. Also, a lot of aftermarket stereos don't differentiate between the radio/CD/MP3 when activating the antenna, so the minute you turn the stereo on, the antenna goes up whether you're using the radio or not. I hated that on mine becuase I seldom actually use the radio. I thought about putting in a switch to control it, then decided to go ahead with the 2000.

Anyway, the stock replacement mast is pretty cheap. If you have to replace the motor it's not that cheap. You may want to consider doing the S2000 conversion or other fixed mast antenna so that you fix it once and are done.

[islandboy57]

Originally Posted by eddie926

Also, a lot of aftermarket stereos don't differentiate between the radio/CD/MP3 when activating the antenna, so the minute you turn the stereo on, the antenna goes up whether you're using the radio or not. I hated that on mine becuase I seldom actually use the radio. I thought about putting in a switch to control it, then decided to go ahead with the 2000.

That's interesting. I don't know how Circuit City did the hook up, but my antenna only gets activated when the radio is turned on or off. There's usually a CD playing so the antenna is more often than not retracted. If it was constantly up I would definitely switch to a fixed antenna.

And I kind of like the power antenna! It's a classic gen 3 feature (no matter how problematic)

[islandboy57]

Originally Posted by jklckeller

She loves it!! Its in really good shape and has been well maintained. It handles well and she is actually getting decent gas mileage, about 23 mpg. That was surprising considering its a 15 year old v6! And she's only been driving it locally, no highway miles yet. We did have to replace the front struts, mounts and brakes, but she only paid 800 for the car. This car has high mileage (235,000), but there are no oil leaks, hesitation, or funny sounds and the engine is clean. I think this is going to be a great first car for her. And I feel better with her being in a car thats a little larger.

Awesome, I was wondering whether or not it was an I4 or V6. V6 is definitely nice! It should definitely last her through high school and probably most of college, if not all the way through. I agree that a slightly larger car is always a little more comfortable safety-wise for young drivers. Most young drivers have tiny Corollas or Civics but of all drivers, they're the ones that would benefit most from a bigger car due to their inexperience on the road.

You should post some pictures of the car. I'm sure we've all seen tons of Camrys but each one is unique. I love seeing pictures of other people's Camrys, new or old, doesn't matter