How do you put a new radio antenna om your 1986 Honda Accord lx?

Answer 1

The answer depends on how much of the antenna system you want or need to replace. The motorized antenna system on a 1986 Honda Accord consists primarily of 3 components. The antenna assembly, the antenna motor (which raises and lowers the antenna) and the up/down switch. There is also a 10 amp antenna motor fuse in the fuse block which is located under the dash, just below and to the left of the steering wheel (this is not the radio fuse).

You can get some idea of what these components look like by viewing this page.

[I have no idea if these folks are a good source for parts or if their prices are competitive, however they do supply an image of the antenna components for the 1986 Honda Accord.]

http://parts.sonshonda.com/showAssembly.aspx?ukey_assembly=284794&ukey_product=1545029

Note that the part numbers may different for the 2, 3 and 4 door Honda Accord models.

The antenna assembly is item 18, the antenna motor is item 19 (note the drain hose on the antenna motor in this image) and the bracket which holds the antenna motor to the car body is item 17. You can see that the antenna wire for the radio splits off high up on the antenna assembly. At the bottom of the antenna assembly, you can see the cable which connects to the antenna motor and a sheath which protects this cable. This sheath is connected to the antenna motor with a clip (labeled Pin, joint) - item 16.

There is also the image of a non-motorized antenna in this drawing. This may be a possible replacement for the motorized version (I am not sure about this).

The antenna motor is mounted on the drivers side of the car, high up under the dash. You can see it, but you can not easily reach it until you loosen and move the fuse block which is under the dash, just below and to the left of the steering wheel. There are two screws which hold this fuse block in place.

You can test the antenna motor by loosening and moving the fuse block (to allow access to the antenna motor), then disconnecting the plug going to the antenna motor. If you apply 12 volts to the antenna motor plug the antenna motor will try to move the antenna assembly. It will go up or down, depending upon which of the two wires (Y/W and Y/R) of the antenna motor plug is positive and which is negative. Keep in mind that if the antenna assembly has been bent, then the motor assembly will not be able to move the antenna and you will just hear a clunking noise as the antenna motor tries to move the antenna (the good news is that the antenna motor is likely to be OK).

To remove the antenna motor, first fully extend the antenna. Try to do this using the antenna motor, but if all else fails, you may be able to pull it out (gently) by hand. With the fuse box loosened and pushed out of the way, us a pair of long nosed pliers and remove the clip (item 16) that secures the antenna cable sheath to the antenna motor.

If you are replacing the antenna motor, you will need to loosen the mounting nut (item 40) which holds the antenna motor mounting bracket to the car body. Once the antenna motor and it's bracket are loosened and removed, you can remove the antenna motor from the bracket. While you are doing this, try not to twist or bend the antenna drive cable.

To remove the antenna drive cable from the antenna motor, put a slight pressure on the drive cable in the direction of removing the cable from the antenna motor. While doing this, operate the antenna motor (probably best to try to move the antenna UP) and this should allow the antenna cable to be forced out of the antenna motor. If you want to do this using the antenna switch in the car, you will need the antenna motor plug for the antenna motor connected to the antenna motor and the ignition switch set to I, so the circuit is powered.

If you think the antenna motor is OK and you only want to replace the antenna assembly, you might try removing the antenna drive cable without removing the antenna motor. It's a tight fit, but it just might work.

To remove the antenna assembly, first disconnect the antenna wire from the car radio and let it hang loose. Then disconnect the antenna drive cable from the antenna motor, as described above. Now connect/tape a guide cord to the antenna cable so you can easily pull the new wires back into place after the old antenna assembly is removed. Now loosen and remove the two screws which old the antenna assembly to the top of the car (items 27 & 28). Then slowly pull the antenna assembly up and out of the car body. As the antenna cable is removed, you will eventually be left with the guide cord, which will be used to guide the new antenna drive cable (and antenna wire) back correctly.

If you replace the motorized antenna with a manual antenna, you should be able to attach the guide cord to the new antenna wire (no antenna drive cable on a manual antenna) and then pull the guide cord through the pillar until you can reach the antenna wire while inside the car. Then secure the manual antenna to the body exterior and route the antenna wire to the radio. NOTE: If you are sure you don't care about having a motorized antenna, you might be able to just cut the antenna drive cable, then just attach a guide cord to the cut cable (and antenna wire) and remove the antenna assembly. You would not need to do anything with the antenna motor and you can use the guide cord to route the antenna wire of the new non-motorized antenna back into the car.

If you are putting in a new motorized antenna assembly, first fully extend the new antenna and tape the guide cord to the antenna drive cable and the antenna wire (use tape to keep these three items closely bundled). Pull the guide cord through the pillar until you can reach the antenna drive cable and the antenna wire while inside the car. Once you have access to these, you can insert the antenna assembly and fasten it to the car body. Take care to not bend the antenna drive cable.

Now remove the guide cord then slide back the antenna cable sheath to expose several inches of the antenna drive cable. Insert the antenna drive cable end into the antenna motor and power the antenna motor in the DOWN direction. If using the switch in the car, the antenna motor plug must be connected to the antenna motor and the ignition switch needs to be at I, to energize the circuit. The drive cable should be drawn into the antenna motor housing. After the drive cable has been retracted into the antenna motor, attach the cable sheath to the antenna motor and secure it with the clip (item 16).

If the antenna motor was removed during the process above, turn the ignition switch off, then secure the antenna motor back into it's bracket, then install the bracket and motor using the (item 40) nut. Take care to not bend or twist the antenna drive cable. Replace the fuse box you moved, route the antenna motor drain line to the drain hole and route the antenna wire to the radio.