| Author | Message | ||
     Jason McCombs (Jasonmc) Member Username: Jasonmc Post Number: 63 Registered: 06-2003 |
I did a search on this and found threads explaining the replacement procedure. I removed the wheel to make it easy on myself and dropped the glove box down and unplugged the antenna. that was all very easy. How ever i cannot seem to figure out how to get the wheel well cover off. It seems to be held opn with those big plastic flat headed push in rivets. i tried prying out the rivets, but teh heads just sort of deformed and they didn't seem like they were going to pull out in such a way that would render them reusable. i tried the wiggle my hand up under the back side of the wheel well and thought maybe the distributed surface area off the plastic wheel well cover would allow me to pull it off along with the rivets. But it looked as though the rivets were ready to flex and allow the slot in the wheel well to just pull off over it. This technique seemed way to much of a brute force technique and that ultimately i would never be able to get the damn wheel well cover back on. I feel stupid becuase everyone said it would take 30 minutes to do it and i was out there and hour and ended up quiting with my tail between my legs. i even started to take the fender off. i got all the top bolts off and then realised i'd have to undo the front indicator light assembley and there was a bit of plastic that attached to the window sill that seemed to capture part of the fender. so i abandonded that approach and put the screws back in. The only upside of this attempt was that with the wheel off i was able to clean all the nasty gunk off of the back and inside of the wheel. this unfortunaltely does not give me better radio reception. if anyone can offer up some more advice as to how i can be successful at this than please help me. | ||
| Porter Mann (Porter) New Member Username: Porter Post Number: 23 Registered: 05-2003 |
You don't need to take the fender off, go back to the plastic rivets. Inspect them carefully. They have a center insert that forces the rivets to expand. Get a screwdriver, the finer the better, and carefully pry the center top of the rivet off. Once you get that off, the larger flat part of the rivet should come off really easy. If you destroy them, I haven't been able to find non-OME rivets that'll fit, but you can get them at the dealer of course. | ||
| Jason McCombs (Jasonmc) Member Username: Jasonmc Post Number: 65 Registered: 06-2003 |
ok i screwed it up..... i was able to get the little plastic rivets off easy enough. i pulled back the wheel well cover and got my arm in there and undid the antenna and pulled it out through the wheel well. i went into the glove box and unhooked the antenna i tied the plug end to a length of steel wire and taped it up to make it all smooth so it would hoefully slide through the openings without getting hung up. i began to pull the old antenna out and the plug end with the steel wire tied to it got caught in the first rubber grommit and the antenna wire broke somewhere in the middle. so how the hell am i going to get the old antennae wire out and the new one in? any help will be greatly appreciated. today is not my day... | ||
| Jason McCombs (Jasonmc) Member Username: Jasonmc Post Number: 66 Registered: 06-2003 |
can the antenna wire be seen from inside the engine compartment? or does all the antenna wiring happen behind the fire wall? | ||
| Porter Mann (Porter) New Member Username: Porter Post Number: 24 Registered: 05-2003 |
You have get into a gumby position, but you should be able to see the hole in the firewall that leads into the wheel well. I don't remember having too much trouble getting the antenna wire in. The antenna wire does not go into the engine bay. Maybe try from the wheel well end, put something reflective distinctive and push it through the grommet. Afterwards, look inside and see if you can see that thing. Maybe a little help from someone else wiggling the antenna wire will help. |
