1995 Camry power antenna - doesn't retract, makes "noise"

[rickgraves]

Hi,

My daughter has a 1995 toyota Camry station wagon and the power antenna doesn't work. When I have the radio on and turn the engine off, I can hear a noise at the antenna (sounds like the motor is attempting to retract the antenna). Any thoughts on this? Should I just leave it alone (the antenna reception works), or is it a simple fix (assuming I can source the parts).

Thanks,

Rick

[davemac2]

Go to the dealer and get a replacement antenna whip. cost is around $50 these days I think. The plastic retraction cable attached to the whip has broken, so the motor will cycle, attempting to retract the whip but then give up. 50% of the time, depending upon where the plastic cable broke, you can usually just remove the whip and remaining cable attached by removing the top nut from the antenna base using a special wrench. You install the new whip by having someone turn on the ignition power and when the antenna motor kicks in, you should be ready to feed in the new whip's plastic cable. The antenna base should suck the new cable in fully. The other 50% of the time, there may be too much of the old cable still in the antenna base. In that case, you need to remove the whole antenna, remove the cover plate (it is sealed with a black rubber like sealant), and take all the old plastic cable out, maybe add a bit of additional lube in there, then put the plate back on with a bit of RTV silicon on the edges to seal it back up. After doing this, just re-install the antenna base and follow the same procedure described at the beginning of this explanation to install the new whip.

cheers,

dave mc

[Mike Gerber]

If the wagon uses the same antenna setup as the sedan, you can get a replacement mast at Pep Boys for $20. Follow the procedure davemac2 recommended or go over to the top of the Camry forum at AutomotiveForums.com and download the generation 3 Toyota factory service manual. They are stickied there at the top.

Mike

[rickgraves]

I purchased an exact replacement antenna mast and cable. I removed the old one easy enough, however the plastic cable broke about 6 inches from the base of the antenna. When I turn on the radio and hear the motor, it doesn't push the rest of the old cable up (so I can grab it). Any options from here? Do I need to remove the entire unit?, and if so, does anyone have instructions or advise on how to do that.

Thanks again,

Rick

[ASG14]

Mike, the Wagon and Sedan masts are different. I learned that the hard way on my dad's wagon, ugh.

Rick, it's simple on the Sedan and coupe, but a bitch on the wagon. You need to remove the lower side panel to get it out. Is your daughters the 7 seater (seats that face out rear hatch) or the normal 5? If it;s the 5, I can look at my dad's on Monday and tell you what to do.

[rickgraves]

Hers is the 7 seater (with the seat that faces the back). Any idea on how to access the power antenna unit?, or where I might find out this information?


Thanks again,

Rick