fantazum
07-05-2008, 04:45 AM
My aerial packed up recently (pajero 2.5td LWB 1992) and I was quoted £125.00 for a new original complete unit.
I thought I was being clever by buying a 'universal' replacement off ebay for £20 but would it fit...would it hell. The original Mitsubishi item is as you would expect from Mitsubishi an intricately made and exactly fitting part. However, I decided to take apart the original unit and discovered that the long plastic toothed tape that is driven by the motor was damaged.
The motor and rest of the internal gearing was still perfect so all I needed was another toothed tape with attached aerial. I took apart the unit I had bought off ebay and discovered that the toothed tape and attached aerial was identical to the Mitsubishi so all that was needed was a simple replacement procedure.
IF THE DRIVE UNIT MAKES A BUZZING NOISE WHEN YOU TURN THE RADIO ON BUT THE AERIAL WONT EXTEND THEN THE PROBLEM IS LIKELY TO BE THE LONG TOOTHED PLASTIC TAPE THAT IS WOUND INSIDE THE DRIVE UNIT EITHER BEING BROKEN OR WORN.
Firstly- you dont need to remove the wing. Remove the wheel then the panels inside the wheel arch. These are held by screws and couple of soft aliminium rivets and are easily removable. Once the panels are off you have access to the aerial and its drive unit which is held by a bracket to the inner wing and the top outer wing nut.
Removing the bracket is fiddly and a 10mm ratchet spanner is useful. Un-plug the two power leads and the earth lead. You can either pull out the co-axial cable from the rear of the radio or cut the aerial co-ax cable and re-splice after re-fitting the drive unit - but make sure you leave enough co-ax cable at the aerial end.
fitting a new toothed plastic tape and telescopic aerial: with the original mitsubishi unit on the bench,open the body of the unit to ensure that no broken bits of the original tape remain inside and check the drive gears as they are also plastic and easily damged. Remove the motor and check the brushes.
YOU CANNOT FEED THE NEW TAPE INTO THE DRIVE UNIT WITHOUT REMOVING THE MOTOR FIRST SO DONT TAKE ANY NOTICE WHAT SELLERS ON EBAY SAY ABOUT FITTING THIS PART.
feed the tape into the aerial barrel, you may have to straighten out the tape for its first 6 inches in order to get it through the small orifice at the base of the barrel. REMEMBER THAT THE TEETH ON THE TAPE POINT INTO THE CENTRE OF THE DRIVE BODY.Then gently feed the tape into the main body of the drive unit and follow this with the aerial itself into the barrel until it is completely enclosed by the barrel.Dont worry if the top of the telescopic aerial disappears into the barrel as this will merely make it completely vandal proof.
DONT TRY TO FIT THE COMPLETE MOTOR BACK INTO THE DRIVE BODY - YOU HAVE TO REMOVE THE ARMATURE OR ROTOR FROM THE METAL HOUSING FIRST. THERE IS NOTHING HOLDING IT INTO THE METAL CASING SO JUST GIVE IT A GOOD TUG WITH YOUR FINGERS. THE RESISTANCE YOU FEEL WILL BE THE MAGNETS.
gently feed the motor armature into the main body of the unit until it rests on the brushes. Use a very small screwdriver to ease back the brushes so the armature drops into the main body. Check the armature revolves smoothly in its brushes then gently re-fit the metal housing over the armature and retain with its two screws.
The rest is fairly obvious.
I thought I was being clever by buying a 'universal' replacement off ebay for £20 but would it fit...would it hell. The original Mitsubishi item is as you would expect from Mitsubishi an intricately made and exactly fitting part. However, I decided to take apart the original unit and discovered that the long plastic toothed tape that is driven by the motor was damaged.
The motor and rest of the internal gearing was still perfect so all I needed was another toothed tape with attached aerial. I took apart the unit I had bought off ebay and discovered that the toothed tape and attached aerial was identical to the Mitsubishi so all that was needed was a simple replacement procedure.
IF THE DRIVE UNIT MAKES A BUZZING NOISE WHEN YOU TURN THE RADIO ON BUT THE AERIAL WONT EXTEND THEN THE PROBLEM IS LIKELY TO BE THE LONG TOOTHED PLASTIC TAPE THAT IS WOUND INSIDE THE DRIVE UNIT EITHER BEING BROKEN OR WORN.
Firstly- you dont need to remove the wing. Remove the wheel then the panels inside the wheel arch. These are held by screws and couple of soft aliminium rivets and are easily removable. Once the panels are off you have access to the aerial and its drive unit which is held by a bracket to the inner wing and the top outer wing nut.
Removing the bracket is fiddly and a 10mm ratchet spanner is useful. Un-plug the two power leads and the earth lead. You can either pull out the co-axial cable from the rear of the radio or cut the aerial co-ax cable and re-splice after re-fitting the drive unit - but make sure you leave enough co-ax cable at the aerial end.
fitting a new toothed plastic tape and telescopic aerial: with the original mitsubishi unit on the bench,open the body of the unit to ensure that no broken bits of the original tape remain inside and check the drive gears as they are also plastic and easily damged. Remove the motor and check the brushes.
YOU CANNOT FEED THE NEW TAPE INTO THE DRIVE UNIT WITHOUT REMOVING THE MOTOR FIRST SO DONT TAKE ANY NOTICE WHAT SELLERS ON EBAY SAY ABOUT FITTING THIS PART.
feed the tape into the aerial barrel, you may have to straighten out the tape for its first 6 inches in order to get it through the small orifice at the base of the barrel. REMEMBER THAT THE TEETH ON THE TAPE POINT INTO THE CENTRE OF THE DRIVE BODY.Then gently feed the tape into the main body of the drive unit and follow this with the aerial itself into the barrel until it is completely enclosed by the barrel.Dont worry if the top of the telescopic aerial disappears into the barrel as this will merely make it completely vandal proof.
DONT TRY TO FIT THE COMPLETE MOTOR BACK INTO THE DRIVE BODY - YOU HAVE TO REMOVE THE ARMATURE OR ROTOR FROM THE METAL HOUSING FIRST. THERE IS NOTHING HOLDING IT INTO THE METAL CASING SO JUST GIVE IT A GOOD TUG WITH YOUR FINGERS. THE RESISTANCE YOU FEEL WILL BE THE MAGNETS.
gently feed the motor armature into the main body of the unit until it rests on the brushes. Use a very small screwdriver to ease back the brushes so the armature drops into the main body. Check the armature revolves smoothly in its brushes then gently re-fit the metal housing over the armature and retain with its two screws.
The rest is fairly obvious.