How do you remove a car phone antenna?

[Paul Moir]

I'm looking very 80's here. Please help!<br /><br />This is one of those 'thru windshield' type antennas. I guess you would get it off the same way as you would remove a rear view mirror? <br />If that's the case, how do you remove a rear view mirror?

 

[Whaler Proud]

Re: How do you remove a car phone antenna?

Spray some WD-40 (with the tube attachment) around the edge of the antenna base. Wait a minute or so and see if you can remove it. If not, repeat until you can but try and separate it from the glass as you go.<br /><br />Once it is off, use the WD to remove the remaining glue. One note of caution, if you have tinted windows this may remove the tint.<br /><br />Also, nothing to be ashamed of as long as you still didn't have the 10 pound phone that goes with the antenna

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: How do you remove a car phone antenna?

Thanks Whaler!<br /><br />I removed the handset, wiring, and 10lb brick some time ago. That just looked too bad.<br /><br />The window I'm removing it from is not tinted, but they glued the other half right over some thick bits of defogging lines. I guess I'll just have to be careful.<br />I can't remember the last time I used WD-40 for anything. I'll have to buy one of those wussy cans. <br /><br />Thanks again!

 

[Boomyal]

Re: How do you remove a car phone antenna?

If the pad is over the defroster (wire) you will probably lift it off and break it. You can get a kit, from the local autoparts store, to repair it.

 

[Bondo]

Re: How do you remove a car phone antenna?

I'd Leave the piece over the wires.......<br />It won't hurt a thing........

 

[jsfinn]

Re: How do you remove a car phone antenna?

the antenna should screw off on the outside and you should be able to unscrew the coax cable from the inside and remove it.<br /><br />You're probably better off leaving the rest - with the defroster wires there you it could make a small job a big one.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: How do you remove a car phone antenna?

I was going to suggest just running it through a carwash, should take care of it in short order! (Just being an As*) Id say to leave the mount on the inside also, if you cant just remove the wire, just snip it off. Those defroster strips are indeed fragile and Ive never seen a major repair work very well!

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: How do you remove a car phone antenna?

Ok, point taken. <br />I'll run a wire from the interior box which is glued to the defroster strip to a laptop, and call it the WAN interface or something similairly aughts. <br /><br />Lubedude, there's been almost ten years of car washes where I wish it had snapped off...<br />Wire is long gone, just a RG-xx connector on the interior box now. <br /><br />jsfinn - the antenna base absolutley must go, in addition to the antenna. It really looks stupid. The interior box is much less noticable.<br /><br />Thanks again for all your replies!

 

[Xcusme]

Re: How do you remove a car phone antenna?

Paul, There is another alternative to taking it off. If your into Wardriving, you could re-cut/tune the antenna and use it to detect wireless networks....hmmmm....naw, on second thought probably a bad idea. Removing the outside half is not too bad, the inside half is another matter. I'm yet to see a foil repair on the Defog circuit work worth a damn, remember it carries a fair amount of current.

 

[tcfishing27]

Re: How do you remove a car phone antenna?

if your still looking to remove the inner box, get a flat razor blade and slid it between the box and the glass just enough to split the sticky tape in half.. after that is done the box is off and all you have is a small piece of tape on window that can be romoved wih spray adhesive remover and a rag

 

[18rabbit]

Re: How do you remove a car phone antenna?

Twist. About 1/4 –turn should do it. If sq base, wrench that fits. If round base, channel-locks.

 

[ChrisMcLaughlin]

Re: How do you remove a car phone antenna?

A 6 lb. hammer works best for me.....

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: How do you remove a car phone antenna?

Well I finally got this job done. The outside antenna popped off with no problem, using WD and a cresent wrench (thanks for the tip 18rabbit!). How it survived all those car-washes is beyond me.<br /><br />I couldn't leave well enough alone since the outside antenna came off so easily, so I soaked down the inner box and left it for a long while. I tried splitting the foam like tcfishing suggested, but the foam was way too thin. I was going to nick the wire for sure. After a while, I gave it a few bare handed twists to get the solvent in there, and it popped right off, leaving the defrost wire untouched. I think the glue around the defrost wire had long since been hardened and wrecked from the heat.<br /><br />The idea of re-tuning it for IEEE802.11 was a good one. <br />No, your right, that's probably a bad idea...<br /><br />Thanks all, I'm ready for the 1990's now! Kowabunga dudes!