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Antenna Removal

34K views 24 replies 16 participants last post by  squibbtp 
#1 ·
Getting my roof wrapped this weekend and was wondering if anyone had diagrams to remove the roof antenna. Any info would be much appreciated!
 
#3 ·
Pulled from focusst.org:

Line Technology Graphic design
Yellow Product Automotive exterior Vehicle Bag


1.WARNING: Before beginning any service procedure in this section, refer to Safety Warnings in section 100-00 General Information. Failure to follow this instruction may result in serious personal injury.

Refer to: Health and Safety Precautions (100-00 General Information, Description and Operation).

2.Remove the D-pillar trim panels.
Refer to: D-Pillar Trim Panel - 4-Door (501-05 Interior Trim and Ornamentation, Removal and Installation).
Refer to: D-Pillar Trim Panel - 5-Door (501-05 Interior Trim and Ornamentation, Removal and Installation).

3. Lower the rear of the headliner for access.

4. Torque: 10 Nm

Installation

1. To install, reverse the removal procedure.
 
#5 ·
What other info do you need?

Partially drop headliner carefully, r n r.
 
#7 ·
Are you removing permanently? If not, a competent installer can wrap around it with no issues. The guy that did my roof in satin black wrapped around it perfectly with no seams.
 
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#8 ·
+1 - should be able to just unscrew the antenna rod to make it a little bit easier for your installer (takes two seconds), but they shouldn't have any issue with the little bulge on the roof...they wrap much more complex objects than that
 
#9 ·
I just did this 2 weeks ago and have been meaning to do a write-up but have been busy.

Just a quick word. The process I took was the least evasive as in I did not have to remove any panels. But the result is that there was limited space to work with. If you want more space then consider removing the panel in the 1st pic below. I tried to remove it but it would not budge and I did not want to break any clips.

Because of the limited space, you will want to pull down on the liner but doing so will stretch and crease it and thus it will not tuck back in like before you touched it. So try to refrain from pulling down on the liner more than you need to.

Please see 2nd pic below for the tools needed (racheting 10 mm wrench and panel/plug removal tool.) You can use a socket but again, there is not much room. And a flashlight will be handy and small hands and forearms.

1 – remove the 2 black plugs (pic below after removal) from the rear of the hatch using the panel/plug tool. DO NOT use a flat head screw driver as you will tear your liner. The plugs are pictured in the diagram above. The diagram above shows grab handles. This step will NOT apply to the RS. Once you remove them, the headliner is no longer attached so you can pull it down slightly. Look in the area where you removed the plugs and there are 2 foam pieces that are essentially spacers between the roof and the liner. When reinstalling the plugs don’t forget to incorporate these 2 foam spacers.

2- You will see 2 wiring harnesses (Yellow and Black). Unplug them. I had great difficulty unplugging them as there was a wire anchored to the roof right in the same area. I used my panel/plug removal tool and popped it out from the roof. Once you do this, this wire is out of the way and you can access the plugs much easier.

3- Using your 10 mm ratcheting wrench, feel your way and try to remove the 10 mm bolt. It is NOT possible to see the bolt unless you really pull down on the liner. Again, if you pull down on the liner you will stretch it and crease it.

4- once the 10mm bolt is free, the base is still attached to the roof due to a metal clip. Grab the antenna base and gently wiggle from side to side and up at the same time and the clip should fall off. Gently pull the base off the roof and you will see the 2 wires which you freed earlier. Reach back into the liner and locate the metal clip.

5- reinstalling the antenna base is the hardest part. Ford was clever in this design. The base can only go back one way. You can not put it back crooked. You will see what I am talking about it when you are doing this. Look below and notice the orientation of the base, metal clip and 10mm bolt. The clip has to be inserted from under the roof and can only fit one way in the base. This is what I did. Put the base on. Then from under the roof, insert the 10mm bolt through the clip and thread it in. As you tighten the bolt it will force the clip up and secure it to the base. Again, this will make sense when you are doing it.

6- plug in the yellow and black wiring harness and secure the 2 black plugs and you are done. Grab yourself a beer and thank me. BTW … I never drink beer during a project.













 
#10 ·
thank you for the writeup Raptor,

ended up ripping the mast from the Base this morning from hitting the Garage Door. was worried it would be all involved, now doesn't seem like it ( as long as I don't have roof damage from the force )

 
#18 ·
When i get home i will hunt for my receipt when i got mine from Ford last year

I found part # G1BZ-18936-BA for the antenna base. Can anyone verify this?
 
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#21 ·
Just got around to finally swapping out antenna bases. While far from a fun endeavor, it's not terribly technical either - I'd give it a 4/10 difficulty. I ended up only dismantling the driver's side D pillar to gain access - the passenger D and both C's were not touched. This method did give me suitable room, though I'm sure dismantling the passenger D would have made it easier. I try to take apart as little of a car's interior trim as possible, as in my experience it doesn't always seem to fit back together as well. I will hand it to Ford, though - their trim clips are well designed and you cannot tell anything was ever dismantled, including the headliner. The good news about the headliner in the trunk (unlike the headliner above the front visors) is it has the weather stripping to hold it up. Even if you end up dragging it down some and stretching it, the weather stripping should adequately mask the issue, and potentially even correct the material to its original position.

A couple tips:

1. I used a low-profile 1/4" drive ratchet (w/ 10mm socket) to remove and tighten the base's screw. I originally tried a ratcheting wrench, but thought having a tiny bit of depth on the tool would be helpful and for me, it was. Clearance between the roof and headliner was not an issue - my hands occupied far more space than the height of the ratchet.

2. For the two circular pop clips that attach the liner up into the roof, I accessed and detached these with a "fork-style" trim tool from above the headliner. This method is definitely tougher to access, but there is less risk of damaging the headliner.

3. Careful not to overtighten the base's screw when finalizing installation, otherwise the rubber perimeter of the base may bunch up which could result in a leak.
 
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