has anyone tried replacing their stock antenna with a Hirschmann AUTA2040? after a whole lot of work... i finally pulled out the stock antenna... only to find that the power connectors were nothing alike! the stock connector has a myriad of power wires, and the AUTA only has 3 (white, red, black).... on top of that, they didn't provide the things you need to splice the wires, i.e. connect them together (that is splicing right); that's assuming you know which wires are which...
to make matters worse... the weather forecast calls for rain all week... today was the only break in rain... with the antenna removed i have a gaping hole! i used tape to cover it for now, but i don't think it'll survive rain...
it's not my day... :help
antenna replacement help!!!
btw, does anyone know where the "other" end of the drain hose is supposed to go? when i pulled out the stock antenna, the drain hose was danging off the end of it, but the other end wasn't connected to anything... is that supposed to be right?
my guess is that the drain hose is to let water out in case any runs down the antenna? if so, it doesn't make sense for it to just pour into your trunk...
my guess is that the drain hose is to let water out in case any runs down the antenna? if so, it doesn't make sense for it to just pour into your trunk...
The drain hose does not plug to anything. Its free hanging. Car radio antennas are weird. They all have notches on them that seem to require a special tool which I tried to find to no avail. I wound up using a vice grip instead. I've also found with aftermarket power antennas the motor mounts are sometimes in diffferent places and you have to fabrcate something. I would just go with a fixed antenna.
what notch is this that you needed a tool for? i didn't need any special tools... only extra parts not provided by the aftermarket antenna for joining the wires on the antenna and car (crimps?).
the motor mount provided with the antenna is just a straight metal stick with multiple holes for screws; the idea being you chose whichever matched up with the holes in your chasis. the instructions did say that you may need to bend the stick to make it fit... with some effort in adjusting the stick behind the trunk wall, i should be able to make it fit... just need to figure out these power wires...
i'm not a fan of fixed antennas for the same reason people shave their antennas altogether. i'm not willing to give up radio, so i wouldn't shave the antenna, but a retractable antenna is the closest you get to that... it would've been nice if i had found the AUTA SW which has a black mast instead of a chrome one... it would've looked interesting/different to have a retractable black mast.
the motor mount provided with the antenna is just a straight metal stick with multiple holes for screws; the idea being you chose whichever matched up with the holes in your chasis. the instructions did say that you may need to bend the stick to make it fit... with some effort in adjusting the stick behind the trunk wall, i should be able to make it fit... just need to figure out these power wires...
i'm not a fan of fixed antennas for the same reason people shave their antennas altogether. i'm not willing to give up radio, so i wouldn't shave the antenna, but a retractable antenna is the closest you get to that... it would've been nice if i had found the AUTA SW which has a black mast instead of a chrome one... it would've looked interesting/different to have a retractable black mast.
finally! antenna review + install
i finally finished the antenna swap after a lot of running back and forth to get the parts... below i've done a little review of the Hirschmann AUTA 2040 antenna and how the install should go. the entries in the 240SX.org FAQ doesn't say anything about wiring, but that's probably due to the lack of model specifics.
review
i bought my AUTA2040 off of laynlow1 on eBay. he's been selling antennas on eBay for quite some time now it seems, and i believe he's the guy mentioned in the FAQs. cost of antenna is about $38 + $10 shipping. initially i was going to simply replace the mast, since the motor seemed to be working, but Nissan wanted $51 just for the mast... this is more than buying a complete replacement obviously.
upon purchasing the antenna, Gary/laynlow1, will send you "instructions" on how to install the antenna... what he really sends you is the wiring information, which is wrong. the instructions that came with the antenna is nothing more than a bunch of incomprehensible/unintuitive diagrams... it's useless...
the kit comes with a bunch of mounting heads, but because the diagrams are so confusing, i never figured out how to connect them... furthermore, they didn't seem to fit perfectly as the stock one did.
the mount for the motor itself... POS... it's a flimsy stick that you bend to suit your car... the antenna comes with a single screw that is meant to be drilled to into your chassis to mount the motor...
the antenna itself, isn't bad. i get clear radio signals and the motor is extremely quiet! probably due to its slow, but smooth speed in bringing the antenna up and down. it also seems lighter than the stock unit.
Pros: decent replacement, quiet motorCons: poor instructions, terrible motor mount, what to do with those head/mast mounts?!
install instructions
before you begin, i recommend buying the following in addition to the antenna:
22 to 18 gauge Tap-In Squeeze Connectors from Radio Shack1/2" washer from hardware store (i got mine from Aces Hardware)a short bolt, about as long as 2 nuts + washer from hw store2 nuts for the bolt
Note: for a better mount, consider getting 2 bolts and 4 nuts
1. remove your left-side trunk trim. there are maybe 2 plastic retainers (don't know what to call them) on the left side, a screw or two on the bottom, and 1 plastic retainer on the rear side.
note that the side trim is stuck behind the rear side trim... don't be afraid to apply some force to free it.
2. remove the jack and the jack holder (there are 3 bolts). some people do it without removing the jack holder, but it's MUCH easier with it removed
3. pop your hood and disconnect the battery. i'm not sure about safety, so i used pliers with a rubber grip to remove the cable on the neg. terminal.
4. behind the side-wall is a mounted connector, you can see a yellow plastic retainer. it is the connector for the antenna mast. disconnect it.
5. unscrew the nut holding the antenna mast from the exterior. also remove the head/mast mount, save it for later.
6. unscrew the 2 bolts holding the stock antenna and remove the antenna.
7. take a cutter, i used scissors, and cut the power wires from the connector attached to the stock antenna motor.
there are 2 sets of power wires, you only need to cut the big one and disconnect the small one.
8. for each of the following wire combinations, use the tap-in squeeze connectors to join them. you do so by feeding in the two wires and squeezing the metal piece sticking out, then closing the plastic snap.
New Red -> Red w/thin black stripeNew White -> Black w/thin red stripeNew Black -> solid Black
the red wire is a 12V line that provides power. the white wire is a 12V line that controls up/down functionality. black is ground and is VERY important, if you don't have ground your car will literally stop dead shortly after starting up!
the ebay seller told me to connect the white wire to blue. doing so will cause the antenna to go up when you start the car and down when you stop it. the correct wire is Black w/thin red stripe; this wire causes the antenna to go up when the radio is turned on and down when it is turned off. (it is confusing because black traditionally is GND in electronics)
9. i then used electrical tape to cover the other wires that were cut from the connector. they aren't really exposed, but since i don't have much of a background in electronics, i rather be safe.
10. attach the motor mounting stick and bend it such that it wraps to the other side of the motor. this will make mounting it to the existing holes easier.
11. put the bolt through the last hole on the motor mount (you may try the others if you think they'll reach the stock holes) and secure it using a bolt.
12. point the antenna outside your trunk and reconnect the battery. test things out. turn your car on and turn the radio on and off to see if the mast works. if it doesn't work, go back and check your wiring. if it works, continue.
13. put the new antenna into the compartment and feed the mast through the antenna whole. use your stock head/mast mount. put the 1/2" washer on the nut that came with the antenna and screw it onto the antenna to secure the antenna.
14. move the antenna around until you the bolt on the motor mount lines up with one of the 2 holes used to mount the stock motor. be sure that your head/mast mount is still lined up with the chasis.
once the bolt is lined up and fed through the hole, take the 2nd nut and screw the bolt into place.
if you can manage to line up a 2nd hole on the motor mount with the other hole from the stock motor, bolt that in too. regardless, the motor mount is flimsy, so although a 2nd bolt will make it more stable, it will still be flimsy.
15. put the jack holder back and screw it into place. put the jack back.
16. put the side trim back, and clean up the mess you've made.
17. ALL DONE! enjoy your restored radio reception!
Room for improvement:
1. find a better nut so you don't have to deal with the washer (it's ugly and makes it look unprofessional). that or figure out how to use one of the mounts and washers that came with the antenna
2. find a better, more sturdy motor mount.
hope this helps anyone that needs it.
review
i bought my AUTA2040 off of laynlow1 on eBay. he's been selling antennas on eBay for quite some time now it seems, and i believe he's the guy mentioned in the FAQs. cost of antenna is about $38 + $10 shipping. initially i was going to simply replace the mast, since the motor seemed to be working, but Nissan wanted $51 just for the mast... this is more than buying a complete replacement obviously.
upon purchasing the antenna, Gary/laynlow1, will send you "instructions" on how to install the antenna... what he really sends you is the wiring information, which is wrong. the instructions that came with the antenna is nothing more than a bunch of incomprehensible/unintuitive diagrams... it's useless...
the kit comes with a bunch of mounting heads, but because the diagrams are so confusing, i never figured out how to connect them... furthermore, they didn't seem to fit perfectly as the stock one did.
the mount for the motor itself... POS... it's a flimsy stick that you bend to suit your car... the antenna comes with a single screw that is meant to be drilled to into your chassis to mount the motor...
the antenna itself, isn't bad. i get clear radio signals and the motor is extremely quiet! probably due to its slow, but smooth speed in bringing the antenna up and down. it also seems lighter than the stock unit.
Pros: decent replacement, quiet motorCons: poor instructions, terrible motor mount, what to do with those head/mast mounts?!
install instructions
before you begin, i recommend buying the following in addition to the antenna:
22 to 18 gauge Tap-In Squeeze Connectors from Radio Shack1/2" washer from hardware store (i got mine from Aces Hardware)a short bolt, about as long as 2 nuts + washer from hw store2 nuts for the bolt
Note: for a better mount, consider getting 2 bolts and 4 nuts
1. remove your left-side trunk trim. there are maybe 2 plastic retainers (don't know what to call them) on the left side, a screw or two on the bottom, and 1 plastic retainer on the rear side.
note that the side trim is stuck behind the rear side trim... don't be afraid to apply some force to free it.
2. remove the jack and the jack holder (there are 3 bolts). some people do it without removing the jack holder, but it's MUCH easier with it removed
3. pop your hood and disconnect the battery. i'm not sure about safety, so i used pliers with a rubber grip to remove the cable on the neg. terminal.
4. behind the side-wall is a mounted connector, you can see a yellow plastic retainer. it is the connector for the antenna mast. disconnect it.
5. unscrew the nut holding the antenna mast from the exterior. also remove the head/mast mount, save it for later.
6. unscrew the 2 bolts holding the stock antenna and remove the antenna.
7. take a cutter, i used scissors, and cut the power wires from the connector attached to the stock antenna motor.
there are 2 sets of power wires, you only need to cut the big one and disconnect the small one.
8. for each of the following wire combinations, use the tap-in squeeze connectors to join them. you do so by feeding in the two wires and squeezing the metal piece sticking out, then closing the plastic snap.
New Red -> Red w/thin black stripeNew White -> Black w/thin red stripeNew Black -> solid Black
the red wire is a 12V line that provides power. the white wire is a 12V line that controls up/down functionality. black is ground and is VERY important, if you don't have ground your car will literally stop dead shortly after starting up!
the ebay seller told me to connect the white wire to blue. doing so will cause the antenna to go up when you start the car and down when you stop it. the correct wire is Black w/thin red stripe; this wire causes the antenna to go up when the radio is turned on and down when it is turned off. (it is confusing because black traditionally is GND in electronics)
9. i then used electrical tape to cover the other wires that were cut from the connector. they aren't really exposed, but since i don't have much of a background in electronics, i rather be safe.
10. attach the motor mounting stick and bend it such that it wraps to the other side of the motor. this will make mounting it to the existing holes easier.
11. put the bolt through the last hole on the motor mount (you may try the others if you think they'll reach the stock holes) and secure it using a bolt.
12. point the antenna outside your trunk and reconnect the battery. test things out. turn your car on and turn the radio on and off to see if the mast works. if it doesn't work, go back and check your wiring. if it works, continue.
13. put the new antenna into the compartment and feed the mast through the antenna whole. use your stock head/mast mount. put the 1/2" washer on the nut that came with the antenna and screw it onto the antenna to secure the antenna.
14. move the antenna around until you the bolt on the motor mount lines up with one of the 2 holes used to mount the stock motor. be sure that your head/mast mount is still lined up with the chasis.
once the bolt is lined up and fed through the hole, take the 2nd nut and screw the bolt into place.
if you can manage to line up a 2nd hole on the motor mount with the other hole from the stock motor, bolt that in too. regardless, the motor mount is flimsy, so although a 2nd bolt will make it more stable, it will still be flimsy.
15. put the jack holder back and screw it into place. put the jack back.
16. put the side trim back, and clean up the mess you've made.
17. ALL DONE! enjoy your restored radio reception!
Room for improvement:
1. find a better nut so you don't have to deal with the washer (it's ugly and makes it look unprofessional). that or figure out how to use one of the mounts and washers that came with the antenna
2. find a better, more sturdy motor mount.
hope this helps anyone that needs it.