UKSaabs

WhenI bought my 9-3, the antenna was stuck in the 'up' position. I could hear the motor whirring when I turned the radio on and off, so assumed it'd be an easy job 'in due course' to replace the antenna itself. Of course, it was only a matter of days before it got bent by persons unknown on the street in the middle of the night...

Bought a new antenna from Ebay (one of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI. ... AQ:GB:1123 ) and started following the instructions I found here: http://www.thesaabsite.com/93/NGantenna ... cement.htm

Couldn't do the job from outside as I couldn't get the aerial to budge up or down at all, so took out boot lining and detached motor etc from the wing. The old aerial was stuck within the alumium tube as per Fred Heineman's experience in that how-to I've linked to above. So hacksawed the end of the old mast off and started drilling the old aerial out of the tube. Was fine up to a 8mm drill, got it all out, but neither the new aerial (or even the bits of the old one) will go back in the alumnium tube. Thought about using a 9mm drill to widen the tube, but that just started destroying the thread at the top which the external nut fixes to.

Bit at a loss as to what to do. The motor is fine (looks like the original) so I only really need a new aluminium tube and an aerial that fits in it. However only seem to be able to find masts on their own, the whole assembly. Does anyone know of anywhere that sells the aluminium sleeve and aerial on their own?

Don't mind buying a new motor if that's what it takes, but they are generic items, and I'm slightly concerned whether they'll be water-tight (doesn't look like it has the fixings for the plastic tubing etc the original comes with), and how easy they'll be to attach securely. Has anyone tried fitting one of these successfully? This is the thing I've been looking at, though there are other similar ones for sale: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ELECTRIC-CAR- ... 53e93c2870

Cheers.

A guide i wrote out for someone a few months back.

Undo the securing bracket inside the car then remove the top nut on the outside of the car. (this should free the aerial from the car once you unplug the loom.


Detach the mast tube via the 2 screws either side (they just need to be loosened although i believe there may be an earthing ring under the bottom one in the image which needs to come out to help you remove the relay from the tube)


The black cover is held on by a 7mm nut. Taking it off reveals the chord reel (might make a bid for freedom if the chord is still coiled up in it) There is a domed washer on top of the reel the lump in the middle faces outwards. Underneath the reel is a white plastic cover held in place by a set of black posts. This needs to be lifted out to reveal the gears.


Once you are at the gears you can work on taking the old mast out and putting the new one in.

Yeah, I've done all that no probs (though wish I'd found your guide as it's clearer than the one I've been using!).

My problem is that for some reason the aluminium tube that sits beneath the wing (the tube with the thread on top in the left hand side of your first pic) won't accept the new aerial (in fact, I can't even get the remenants of the old one to go back in!) Definitely drilled out all the old aerial and the little sleeve at the bottom of it. As I say, 8mm drill goes in and out no probs, but can't get 9mm one in without damaging the thread on the brass bit.

I couldn't get the new mast to go back into the aluminium tube on my c900. I found that if I took the tube off I could get the mast up from the inside, if you follow. The challenge then was to get the whole thing back together. The motor wouldn't work properly without the earth provided by the mount and couldn't be fitted back on the car without getting the tube reattached. Had to juggle about with earthing to the body with the help of child on the radio switch. Once the motor had pulled the aerial in I could put all the screws back in and bolt it together again. All has been fine ever since.

good guide kei,exactly what I did,when I changed mine,all this,pull out the old mast and insert new,is fine,except you need to remove the broken pieces,so as you did,the motor ends up being tacken apart,and the old water/grease in it goes all over the place.

Adam - are you saying you put the new aerial in from the bottom of the tube and push it up?

Just buy a replacement i got mine off here for not a lot off someone who was breaking a 9-3 20 mins of a job and id never seen one before plug and play saves all the kerfuffle and mess i know you may want too fix it but hey that was my choice

Mackem wrote:Adam - are you saying you put the new aerial in from the bottom of the tube and push it up?

Yes that's how you need to do it. It won't insert from above as the base of the mast needs to be bigger than the tube, else it can escape.

Kei wrote:

Mackem wrote:Adam - are you saying you put the new aerial in from the bottom of the tube and push it up?

Yes that's how you need to do it. It won't insert from above as the base of the mast needs to be bigger than the tube, else it can escape.

Yes, the guides I'd read suggested that the motor would just pull the mast into place. My mast wouldn't fit down the tube, but would go together if I dismantled the motor so the mast could go up inside the tube from below. You don't need the mast to come out of the top, as Kei says.

Thanks for all the help - can't believe i hadn't though of sticking it in from below (as it were). Aerial went in beter from below, but still wouldn't get thru the top. Wondering if either i've knackered the whole thing with the drilling out, or was sent the wrong replacement antenna in the first place. Think i might take maddogpro's advice and get a whole new unit.

Mackem wrote:Thanks for all the help - can't believe i hadn't though of sticking it in from below (as it were). Aerial went in beter from below, but still wouldn't get thru the top. Wondering if either i've knackered the whole thing with the drilling out, or was sent the wrong replacement antenna in the first place. Think i might take maddogpro's advice and get a whole new unit.

simples

Not always that good, as the replacement can go the same way a few months after buying it and then you are back to square one. A replacement mast is a definite fix.

Mackem, if you push the mast into the tube from the bottom does the blob on the end fit through the top? If not use a screw driver and see if you can push the blockage out. The mast normally has a ring at the base that is just wide enough to stop the mast coming out the tube, if you've drilled the mast out but this is still stuck in the tube, it'll probably be the problem.

This is the way I dealt with a stuck antenna. I took the attitude that as it was already broken there was no reason not to break it a bit more but in a useful way.

I snapped the antenna close to the base, then gently tapped the remaining length down into the tube with a screwdriver. That exposed the collar, which was the stuck part. I then got a very small screwdriver and gently tapped that (with a small pin hammer) down between the collar and the tube (that the aerial slides into) to force one side away from the tube edge. This wasn't too difficult as the collar is very thin. Once I had the screwdriver down between the collar and tube I bent it away from the side. Once started it came away easily. It did fold and tear a bit. I then removed it with some long nosed pliers. To remove the remaining part of the aerial down in the tube, I got a thin wire coat hanger, straightened it out and bent a small hook at one end and folded it into a tight 'U' shape. I roughly bent the other end into a handle making sure it was long enough to go all the way down. I slid the coat hanger down and wiggled it through the centre of the remaining piece of antenna and hooked it under it and pulled it out. It came out easily because the collar was removed. In the event the coat hanger didn't so much as hook it but wedge in it. All the same, out it came smoothly.

I hope this helps someone.

OK, a lot has been said here on this topic (I have done two of these myself), but has anyone considered what is the cause of the problem with the aerial breaking initially?

I believe that when the aerial goes up and down automatically each and every time you switch on or off the radio or igntion, you have a problem waiting to happen - and that is that the aerial goes away when it is covered in salt and grime before you get a chance to wipe it. This grime builds up inside until the strain of raising and lowering the mast causes the nylon cord to snap. Then it just sits there corroding away with more rainfall adding to the problem. So now it's 'out of sight, out of mind' and the only clue you get to its broken condition is when it doesn't work.

As a solution to this, and considering that I didn't want to do this job again, I installed a switch in the antenna line.
Now, my aerial is always up, and when I wash the car it too gets a wipe. If I want to put it down, I just flick the switch, and down it goes. Sorted.

I installed a switch in the antenna line.
Now, my aerial is always up, and when I wash the car it too gets a wipe. If I want to put it down, I just flick the switch, and down it goes. Sorted.

Is it not just as easy to flick the key on and raise the antenna when you wash the car ?
I would have thought you have the potential to leave it up when you don't want it up, thus risking damage..

Just finished replacing the antenna in my 9-3 Coupe. The main issue I had was removing the sleeve that has been corroded and was really hard stuck to the aluminium tube so had to replace the mast from below (in order to drive the sleeve out)
I don't find necessary the antenna switch, at least not now that I've learned how to replace it and I wouldn't have to dismantle it again to do it.