Busted 2014 antenna. (Fixed now.) Anybody else have this problem? Car wash violence?

[MetroMPG]

The early, front-of-the-roof "whip" style antenna was busted when I got the car.

The fiberglass shaft was splintered:




I wonder if it got snapped in an automatic car wash.

It had been broken long enough that the paint on the roof of the car is scuffed a bit from it swinging back & forth. The only thing holding the 2 parts together was a few hairs of fiberglass and the metal wire.

Also, reception was terrible. I'm not sure why. Because the metal wire at the break was fully exposed to the elements? I know squat about how antennas work.

I checked the continuity of the wire running from the mounting threads to the tip, and it was OK, so I McGyvered it back together thusly:



I cut the body of a black ballpoint pen to fit, slid it into place and filled it with epoxy to make a splint over the the shattered section.

Happy to report it's sturdy, and radio reception is perfect now.

[Wallythacker]

FWIW my '14 went through a violent automatic carwash every day I had it since new, so about 120 times, or 2.5 years of weekly washes. There was no sign of fiberglas breakdown.

Did you happen to notice the thread pitch ? I'm not happy with the reception on my '17. I'm on the fringe for FM reception for my favorite channels. The '14 antenna has to be better, being at least an 1/8 wave.

[MetroMPG]

My 2nd theory is winter snow/ice clearing. If the antenna was trapped in a chunk of snow and it was pushed or slid off the roof, that might have done it too.

Thread pitch - looks like 0.8 mm

Oh - I also cleaned the threads with a little wire wheel - they were lightly oxidized. That might explain the improvement in reception too.

[inuvik]

Nice low cost fix!

[Fummins]

Mine is still good, it was banging off the roof going down the highway caused by a foam mickey mouse head stuck to it. Didn't realize it was fiberglass til I tore that off.

[MetroMPG]

So now how are you going to get the Mickey dents out of the roof?

[Fummins]

I might have to have the entire roof skin replaced. Between mickey mouse's foam head and the light fluffy snow we've been getting lately I don't think it'll be long before all the paint is gone and I have an unwanted sunroof.

[fc321]

I unscrewed mine and threw it in the trunk. I never listed to the radio but if I ever need to I will put the antenna back on. I feared it was cutting down on my aerodynamics.

The only problem is that the contacts will probably get rusted and need to be deep cleaned when I decide to put the antenna back on. I should have put some caulking or some other solution to keep out the water but I forgot.

[Eggman]

The only problem is that the contacts will probably get rusted and need to be deep cleaned when I decide to put the antenna back on. I should have put some caulking or some other solution to keep out the water but I forgot.

Try swabbing the internal threads with some petroleum jelly to help protect against corrosion.

[fc321]

Try swabbing the internal threads with some petroleum jelly to help protect against corrosion.

thank you for good advice without any sexual innuendo