General Tips

Connecting a fender-mount antenna

If your vehicle has no antenna, but does have a factory antenna hole, feed the antenna cable through the hole. To run the cable to the receiver, you'll have to find the route the car's designers intended. Look for a plugged hole near the base of the antenna. If we have a MasterSheet™ for your car, it may tell you where to find the hole. Don't use the same hole that other electrical wiring runs through — interference from those wires will likely be picked up by the antenna cable and transmitted to the receiver.

Here's what to do if your vehicle has a factory antenna: After unplugging the old antenna, attach a length of thin wire to the end of the cable. As you pull the cable out of the car, this wire snakes through the cable's path. Once you've pulled the cable all the way out, attach the wire to the end of the new antenna's cable. Then have someone feed the new cable through as you pull the wire back into the car.

Front or rear, the antenna is held in place from underneath by a base that swivels to become flush with the hole, and from the top by a nut that tightens against the top of the fender.

Connecting a pillar-mount antenna

For antennas mounted on the front pillar (the post between the windshield and the front door) or on the roof above the pillar, there are typically two screws securing the antenna/base assembly. Removing these screws will free up the antenna and cable, which travels down the pillar, exiting somewhere in the kick panel area.

Have a friend jiggle the cable until you can find it (you may have to remove the kick panel trim). A short piece of coat hanger with a hook on the end is helpful here. Now attach a wire to the end of the cable as done above for a fender-mount antenna.

Drilling a hole for a new antenna

If your car has no existing antenna hole, you'll need to drill one. Your first step is to note where other cars of the same model have their antennas. Once you've decided on the location and checked the clearance below the mounting surface, use a center punch to mark the location. Next, drill a small pilot hole (a 1/16" bit works well), using a low speed until the hole is started.

On sloping surfaces, apply duct tape around the area to keep the drill from slipping, and to prevent scratching if it does slip. Finish by using a larger bit to open the hole to the required size. If the hole needs to be bigger than your largest bit, use a reamer.