The ups and downs of life with a telescopic aerial

[DSdriver]

Our Saab 9.3 floppytop has an automatically retracting and extending aerial. Except the top section is a bit bent and doesn't retract and the next to bottom section is stuck in the bottom tube.

I have tried brute force, lithium grease and brake cleaner in that order but it is set in its ways.

I am expecting to be told that these are made hydraulically operated especially for just this model and are now gold dust.

Should I just replace it with a flexible stubby or is there some special revitalising potion?

[Bren]

 

Job done. Doubles as washing line for star wars figures.

[dave21478]

Once they are bent, thats it pretty much fucked forever. Replace. Have a look underneath to see how much room there is to know if it will take a universal electric job from ebay.

[Vantman]

This is the supplier you need,complete with a 'how to fit' video---

 

http://www.stevelewissaab.com/apps/webstore/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&sort=newest&query=aerial

 

 

 

 

[DSdriver]

Absolutely brilliant, Vantman is a hero. The only problem that i can foresee is that there is a crack in the black plastic base under the nut. Hopefully a bit of superglue will sort it.

Anyway I am ordering one now and after that I will have a gander at the rest of that website.

[pshome]

Very likely it's a Hirschmann Auta antenna.

 

Man from Poland has spares, be quick price will triple after Brexit.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm//252721054509

[DSdriver]

I've been effing around with trying to get the old aerial out for about a fortnight, its had enough penetrating oil in it to penetrate an unpenetrateable thing but the sleeve bit that the aerial slides up and down in is not shifting.

I need to go to the advanced level of aerial mast removal but don't know which university I need to apply to. 

Any helpful advise will be welcomed, having spent good money on a new mast I am now reluctant to go and buy a complete replacement - I hate being beaten.

[MorrisItalSLX]

My Hyundai rocked a coat hanger when the electric job snapped off.

 

This is compulsory in Australia if you are coat hanger-ing:

 

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

I've been effing around with trying to get the old aerial out for about a fortnight, its had enough penetrating oil in it to penetrate an unpenetrateable thing but the sleeve bit that the aerial slides up and down in is not shifting.

I need to go to the advanced level of aerial mast removal but don't know which university I need to apply to. 

Any helpful advise will be welcomed, having spent good money on a new mast I am now reluctant to go and buy a complete replacement - I hate being beaten.

 

The video link misses the last bit - it should be  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQMBmJ7OJCM

 

Can you just yank it out by pulling up really hard? My aerial is a Hirschmann one and it's just pushed out along with the cable so is really easy. Maybe yours is corroded, or perhaps it is bent. If it is bent, then I suspect you will have to pull it quite hard!

[warren t claim]

My old W124 had an automatic electric aerial. No problems until I did a 20 mile journey in sub zero temperatures which caused it to look like an ice pop and refuse to retract.

[Broadsword]

I've been through this with my 9-3 hatchback. I got spare aeriel unit from a scrap car, which was slightly better than the original, but still a bit bent. I became obsessed about having the stupid thing work perfectly. I used a pair or vice grips right at the base of the mast and pulled very hard with the mast extended and whilst still on the car. I will give up eventually. If it doesn't then take the whole unit off the car and open it up. You will see the nylon toothed cord wrap around the pulley thing, which is operated by the dinky electric motor. You should be able to get more penetrating oil in to free the mast. While you are in there you can clean up the innards properly. It will probably by nasty in there after years of water ingress. eBay and Amazon will also have the replacement mast for a similar price I suspect (I got it from one of the two).

 

Strange that Saabs of this era used the electric antenna. I always associated it with being quite old-fashioned. Ok my XJ6 has it two, but it seems somewhat more suitable. What with Saab supposedly being a sophisticated alternative to Volvo, at the time Volvo would hide the antenna in the a-pillar as you should. GM-influence I guess.

 

PS. These things require a wipe with penetrating oil from time to time when they are working in order to keep them working long term.

[UltraWomble]

 

Rubber duckie - jobbed

[stripped fred]

The aerial on my mr2 is electric. I give it a clean and polish from time to time to keep it working properly and so far it's lasted 30 years.

[paulplom]

This happened on my Volvo s70 (basically the same car but with different engines and body work). All I done was disconnect it from the electrics and snap it off with about 8" poking through the rear wing. It worked like this for ages.