Aaargh! Freaking electric antenna annoyance!!

Anonymous · May 23, 2005, 23:23

Hi peeps, I've owned my '2 for approximately 3 days and I'm totally chuffed with it except I have an annoying niggle: the stupid electric antenna is up ALL the time even though I'm not listening to the stupid radio!!

Its a 53 plate with the Toyota branded CD/radio and I wondered if they all do this or am I just being a plank and missing something obvious? I've meddled with all the settings on the poxy thing to no avail and I'm starting to get annoyed - seriously thinking about snapping the thing off! s:evil: :evil: s:evil:

It wouldn't be so bad if the aerial wasn't about 18 foot long and made my car look like a UFO or something!

If this is by 'design' is there anything simple I can do about it bearing in mind I dont really want to start pulling my new (to me anyway) car to bits?

Any help would be appreciated as I'm getting rather annoyed, not sure if you would have picked that up! s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Ernie Ball · May 23, 2005, 23:53

It shouldn't be up if the radio/CD player/cassette deck is powered off. However, the antenna does go up whenever the unit is powered on, which is totally annoying.

Tem · May 24, 2005, 05:55

No idea about the Toyota radio, but my JVC kept it up with CD, if I had TA or some other RDS features on...

heathstimpson · May 24, 2005, 05:57

Quote from: "Tem"No idea about the Toyota radio, but my JVC kept it up with CD, if I had TA or some other RDS features on...

My new Pioneer H/U doesn't seem to allow me to drop the aerial whilst playing CD's either which is a little annoying to say the least s:? :? s:?

Anonymous · May 24, 2005, 08:14

Not really a fix this...but I just disconnected the aerial behind the drivers side door bin. Therefore, its always down.
I hardly listen to the radio so its not a problem for me.

If you do a search there is a post supposedly telling you how to do it. Something to do with a relay and swapping wires on the headunit. s:? :? s:?

GSB · May 24, 2005, 09:19

The best way to cure this problem, and by far the easiest way, is to install a switch in the antenna line. Heres how:

Step 1/ Reach up behind the dash and push out the Passenger window disable switch from behind. You need to press in the tabs on the top and bottom of the switch.

Step 2/ Cut the wires off of the back of the switch leaving roughly 1 inch of wire on the back.

Step 3/ Strip, join and then insulate the wires left sticking out of the dash, to enable the passenger window. Tuck them back through the hole and be safe in the knowledge that you'll never inadvertantly turn your window off ever again.

Step 4/ Join a length of wire long enough to reach to the back of the Stereo to each of the 1 inch lengths you left on the back of the switch. Feel free to use crimps, solder... whatever, just make sure you insulate it afterwards.

Step 5/ Run the wires through to the back of the stereo, and re-install the switch.

Step 6/ Locate the electrical antenna feed coming out of the back of the stereo. This will differ slightly depending upon weather you have an aftermarket unit or not, which will use an ISO plug adapter piece. If thats the case then its easy. You find the Blue wire that is connected from the stereo into the cars loom. Cut it and then connect the 2 wires you ran in from the switch to the 2 cut ends, and your antenna will go up and down simply by pressing the switch.

On cars with the stock head unit, you need to cut into a wire in the vehicles own stereo wiring loom. In this case you need to refer to this page m http://www.installdr.com/Harnesses/Toyota-Wiring.pdf m , scroll down to 1987 and newer, and cut into the black wire that is at point H. connect up your switch and you can lower/raise the antenna at will.

Bear in mind when hunting for this wire that the later cars have 4 plugs going into the back of the Head unit, the extra ones being for a cd changer and the Toyota sat nav. You need to pick out the correct plug by counting the number of terminals in it. They're all different sizes.

You can of course fit your own switch to do this job if you dont want to use your window switch.

Anonymous · May 24, 2005, 09:53

If the RDS is set to "On" the aerial will come up even if it's on CD or Tape, just switch the RDS setting off.

GSB · May 24, 2005, 10:06

Quote from: "Les"If the RDS is set to "On" the aerial will come up even if it's on CD or Tape, just switch the RDS setting off.

Only works on certain makes and models of head units. Neither of the Head units I've fitted to my MR2's have had this facility. (Alpine and Blaupunkt)

Anonymous · May 24, 2005, 10:10

Quote from: "Les"If the RDS is set to "On" the aerial will come up even if it's on CD or Tape, just switch the RDS setting off.

That doesn't work on post 03 models with the Fisher Price headunit...Its constantly up when there is power to the unit.

Anonymous · May 24, 2005, 10:47

This is of total irrelivence but the old (and best) sony stock unit, only puts the ariel up when the radio is turned on. I dont know why they changed it, the origional unit is cool.

Anonymous · May 24, 2005, 10:51

Quote from: "SiMR2"
Quote from: "Les"If the RDS is set to "On" the aerial will come up even if it's on CD or Tape, just switch the RDS setting off.

That doesn't work on post 03 models with the Fisher Price headunit...Its constantly up when there is power to the unit.

Ah well just trying to help s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

Chop the bugger off and fit one of these s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

GSB · May 24, 2005, 11:02

Quote from: "Slidey McSlideSlide (dave"This is of total irrelivence but the old (and best) sony stock unit, only puts the ariel up when the radio is turned on. I dont know why they changed it, the origional unit is cool.

That was a feature that lots of Sony units had, I'm not sure if they still do though. There are several good reasons for the removal of the sony unit though, not least of which is that its now obselete. Also, its not compatible with the customer forking out an extra £1000 for the optional TNS sat nav...

Anonymous · May 24, 2005, 23:20

Oh bum, looks like I'm stuck with it then as I dont really feel too confident hacking up my new car.

Cant believe there isn't an option to lower the poxy thing, that has to rank among the most stupid things ever!

I hate you Toyota!

GRRRR!! s:evil: :evil: s:evil:

roger · May 25, 2005, 13:01

Quote from: "Mr Vexed"as I dont really feel too confident hacking up my new car.

You wait...if you hang around here long enough, I'll lay some money down there will be some changes s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

Anonymous · May 25, 2005, 13:05

Yeah, mine is the Sony HU and when you select radio the aerial goes up. When you select CD the aerial goes down. When the radio is off the aerial is down.

I intend to put a new head unit in, but I don't see the problem with the aerial being up whilst the radio or cd player is on myself.

SimonC_Here · May 25, 2005, 13:54

Just a question to those with the "old" sony HU.

Does yours have the tA/AF Auto frequency tune thing on it?
the radio manual suggests it should have, but the buttons are slightly different on the HU.

Simon

Anonymous · May 25, 2005, 15:08

im pretty sure it does, i have it turned off, or the ariel would be up all the time, i think i read a thread about it somewhere.

GSB · May 25, 2005, 15:27

Quote from: "Mr Vexed"Oh bum, looks like I'm stuck with it then as I dont really feel too confident hacking up my new car.

Its not really "hacking"... You can put in your own switch, and simply cut one single wire on the car, or you can save yourself the bother and expense of drilling holes and finding the right switch by simply using the one thats already fitted, yet has no real use...

Its a real easy 10 minute mod... and its reversible.

Anonymous · May 25, 2005, 21:30

GSB, you're quite right and I'm gonna bung in my own switch this weekend, no point being a pussy about it as it needs to be done!

So its definately the blue wire to cut on the stock head unit (03 onwards) then is it?

I think you lot have corrupted me..............so, er lowering springs - how much? s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

kanujunkie · May 25, 2005, 21:38

noooooo, not the blue wire, that one always goes bang!

oh sorry, this isn't the movies is it s:oops: :oops: s:oops:

GSB · May 25, 2005, 22:41

Quote from: "Mr Vexed"GSB, you're quite right and I'm gonna bung in my own switch this weekend, no point being a pussy about it as it needs to be done!

So its definately the blue wire to cut on the stock head unit (03 onwards) then is it?

Not on the stock unit... The blue wire refers to ISO standard colour codes, as used by all aftermarket audio suppliers. The Toyota loom on other hand, is a bit different, as the colours vary from year to year, and from model to model, so you have to locate the correct wire by its position in the plugs.

IIRC there are 4 leads plugged into the back of the stock head unit, 5 if you have a cd changer. The main power and speaker leads are plugged into the lower sockets on the head unit, the particular plug you need is the one on the lower part of the head unit, on the drivers side.

If you look at this link,

m http://www.installdr.com/Harnesses/Toyota-Wiring.pdf m

and scroll down to the "1987 and later" section you can see a rough diagram of the wiring for these plugs. The wire you need to cut and insert your switch into is at point H. On my car the wire is Black in colour.

Anonymous · May 25, 2005, 23:00

Ok thanks, I'll have a bash and no doubt return when I've ruined my stereo!

Thanks to everyone for the help!

Liz · May 26, 2005, 09:18

Leave it up in one of the Southend car parks, I am sure that one of the local beauties will soon sort it out for you!!

xdesign · May 26, 2005, 12:22

Why don't you just change the damn antenna!!!

Anonymous · May 26, 2005, 12:29

lol - I thought about it but I quite like the electric antenna, just dont want it up all the time! Would be nice it was a bit shorter though.