Is my aerial b**ggered?

[blackflash]

Those wishing to skip the intro and get straight to the aerial question can skip the first few paras... those who have problems with cats walking over their cars might enjoy Jaguar Enthusiast Strikes Back...

I park my car in a car port at the back of the property which keeps the glass ice-free even on the nastiest winter mornings but allows the neighbour's cat to shelter from the elements and warm itself on the bonnet, explore the roof, etc and so leave muddy/gravelly pawprints on all horizontal surfaces... particuarly annoying after you've given the whole car a bit of pampering at the weekend.

Cat Deterrent 1 was a couple of pieces of garden netting on the bonnet and boot which worked for a week or so but then pussikins realised it was safe... and comfortable.

Cat Deterrent 2 (obsessive? me?) has involved hanging a "curtain" of netting around the car. Simply reverse in, unfurl the front "panel" of netting to close the curtain and bingo, cat-free car.

I knew when I set this up that I would need to remember to switch the sound system off before reversing so that the aerial din't get caught. And then last week there was this particularly interesting radio programme... and to the sound of stretching net and a jammed aerial, I found my self swearing under my breath.

The aerial now does not retract the last five inches or so (12cm in new money) - it still extends fully and works as before but it looks tatty when parked and there is the ever-present risk of its getting caught again.

Q: is the aerial repairable or does it need to be replaced? Is there perhaps a trick of the trade whereby I "encourage" the aerial up or down in order to get it working properly again (a long shot, I know)?

All the best,

Nigel

[Brakebuster]

all is not lost ( and i have three cats , lol )

the mast is available as a separate item, they can be got from jag ( better quality ) or on ebay for around £14 ,

the top nut gets unscrewed, then turn on the stereo and when the aerial gets to full length keep pulling up so the toothed nylon cable comes out . note its orientation, and with the radio still on insert the new nylon cord on the new aerial push it down till it stops, then get someone to turn off the stereo and the motor should grab the cord, let it feed in letting the chrome mast go into the hole, then when all the way in , do up the top nut

thats it , it can be fiddly , but easily done, i had to do it to mine within the first week of ownership

hope this helps

BB( btw, its the five section mast version, tho' four sections will fit )

[blackflash]

Cheers, BB - riding to the rescue again... I'll look at options for the mast and let you know what I decide to do.

[joejag308]

A new aerial mast..........an item almost everyone has come across so it would appear to those who have been around jaguars for a while.
But we do keep forgetting the guys who have not come across a certain problem like this one,although a simple everyday happening if you know about it, it becomes a big problem if you dont.
If you have problems ...any problems, no matter how simple they appear
and we can help, post them in these pages help is always around.
A good description on installation too, ...........Joe

[blackflash]

the top nut gets unscrewed, then turn on the stereo and when the aerial gets to full length keep pulling up so the toothed nylon cable comes out . note its orientation, and with the radio still on insert the new nylon cord on the new aerial push it down till it stops, then get someone to turn off the stereo and the motor should grab the cord, let it feed in letting the chrome mast go into the hole, then when all the way in , do up the top nut

BB( btw, its the five section mast version, tho' four sections will fit )

New mast acquired and i hope to sort it this weekend. BB, you may have missed a seemingly obvious step in the above so let me check... how do I remove the old aerial? Does it lift out a do I need to turn it in some way? And ditto the reverse - to fit the new one do I just drop it into place? Sorry if obvious but I want to get it straight in my head before I attempt it in real life!

All the best,

Nigel

[Brakebuster]

the top nut gets unscrewed, then turn on the stereo and when the aerial gets to full length keep pulling up so the toothed nylon cable comes out . note its orientation, and with the radio still on insert the new nylon cord on the new aerial push it down till it stops, then get someone to turn off the stereo and the motor should grab the cord, let it feed in letting the chrome mast go into the hole, then when all the way in , do up the top nut

BB( btw, its the five section mast version, tho' four sections will fit )

New mast acquired and i hope to sort it this weekend. BB, you may have missed a seemingly obvious step in the above so let me check... how do I remove the old aerial? Does it lift out a do I need to turn it in some way? And ditto the reverse - to fit the new one do I just drop it into place? Sorry if obvious but I want to get it straight in my head before I attempt it in real life!

All the best,

Nigel




erm...nope, i pretty much covered it above, however, i will expand, lol


with the stereo off, undo the top nut of the aerial mast , this exposes the inner section, then turn on the stereo , the mast will rise, when it reaches its normal height, continue pulling up on the mast so the nylon cord comes all the way out, the aerial motor will time out after about twelve seconds ,

get your new mast, and push the nylon cord down the hole in the wing trying to orientate the toothed side the same way as the other one came out, it will come to a stop after about 600mm of pushing, then get someone to turn on the stereo again and the motor will start to wind , it should then catch the new cord and pull it in, let it go all the way and insert the mast into the hole in the wing, your aerial is now installed, put the top nut back while not marking the chrome with whatever tool you use to tighten it,
check operation

BB

[blackflash]

Gotcha... I pull the mast, not the toothed cable. Clearly having a bad day yesterday...

Many thanks,

Nigel

[blackflash]

It's only when you get to start the job that some of this stuff makes sense... like I had imagined unscrewing the top of the mast not the nut on the rear wing, and had imagined the toothed cable coming out through the mast...

Being a Billy No-Mates, I used a common-or-garden bean pole pushed through the open rear window to switch the radio on and off as necessary. The mast was stiff to remove and took a few minutes of firm but gentle wiggling. Replacement was a doddle - the cable caught first time and the new mast retracted nicely. Tested it a couple of times, tightened the nut and job was done. 10 minutes or so in total.


Thanks for all help and particularly BB's patience!

[Brakebuster]

lol.......

glad you got it done m8, it was the first job i did to mine when i got her a year ago.....followed by many more jobs, lol...have you seen my secondary tensioner replacement project ???

i have been there myself, and know how difficult some of these small jobs can seem until you actually put on ur overalls and have a bash...

did you get a genuine Jag mast, or an ' ebay ' one, not that there is anything wrong with either, but i noticed my ' ebay ' mast wasnt as ' sturdy' as the original one, i might invest in a Jag one in the future, about £25 i think

this morning i took the back wheels off and checked the pads and shoes, the handbrake shoes were a little glazed so i used some sand paper on them and the inside of the drum so they would bite a little more, i have my MOT on wednesday afternoon

wish me luck

BB

[blackflash]

Good luck with the MoT BB...

I paid £20 on ebay for what was described as a jaguar aerial and had the right part number on a jag-style sticker but not the jag logo. Certainly feels as solid as the one I removed.

All the best,

Nigel

[4560max]

hi just a quick thanks for your post on ariel repairs i got one off e/bay and fitted it following your intructions and found it very easy thanks a lot 4560max :

[bmc123]

Scuse me tagging onto an old post, but I think (hope) my enquiry does not warrent a new topic.

My antenna is stuck about a foot out of the wing, it will not go up or down (except manually) but I think I can hear something whirring when I turn off the stereo. I am a bit worried that somebody might spot the bit sticking out and decide to break it off causing damage to the wing - so, I was wondering do I need a complete unit or has anybody else had that problem and know of a quick fix?

[joejag308]

bmc ........it needs a new ariel mast .....on E Bay or other outlets they are only aprox £20 to buy and instructions on fitting them is in this forum.
Once they stick solid its a no alternative but to replace.....it seems to have been a problem on most automatic ariels through the years.
They need servicing and cleaning on a regular basis....but its an item easily forgotten.......Joe

[bmc123]

Thanks, I sort of guessed it would need something like that, but I learned from experience its always best to double check. That way I don't end up with a garage full of spare parts I don't need

[ptjs1]

bmc123,

You might be able to save yourself the cost of a new aerial insert by removing the old one (using BBs helpful tips) and giving it a good clean until all the sections open and close nicely.

I did this with mine when it was stuck and it went back fine and has worked ok since.

It's worth 20 mins of your time just to see if you can avoid the cost of a replacement.

Good luck

Paul