Hi all. My work has moved me so, instead of ~12 minutes per day in the car and 2 hours in the train, I'm now 50-60 minutes in the car (yes!!).

I have a TF Exec with a manual antenna. How hard/expensive is it to put a power antenna in? I've spoken to various people and can't get a straight answer. One even said I'm going to damage the panel because an auto antenna was not designed for the car!!

I like listening to the radio, but am in outer SE Melbourne and radio coverage is a bit spotty. And I'm sick of remembering to pull the antenna up and down already...


Regards, Tony

Its rubbish that you'll damage anything. I would imagine all the bolt holes and stuff would already be there, so it'd just be a mater of buying the motor and mast from Mitsu (Ask for a TL Exec one ~$150) then running the power. If I remember I'll take a photo of how they fit in next time I've got my lining out, so you can compare it to yours.

Thanks Lugo. Is there a plate or anything similar the antenna assembly bolts to? Or does it hook into the other side of the plate that the boot release mechanism is attached to? (I have met that part before, had to replace a broken cable last year).

Also; I dare say I'd have to run the connecting cable from the radio to the antenna? Or would Mitsubishi have put it there as a common part?

Regards, Tony

It mounts to the physical body of the car I believe, although there is a seperate metal plate that covers over it, also holds the boot lining in place. At a guess you'll have to run power and ground, and a remote wire from the headunit if the factory one supports it, otherwise you'll probably want to grab an aftermarket cd player to run it properly.

I'll probably have it apart either tonight or tomorrow so I'll take a few snaps then for ya.

Thanks! Really appreciate it.

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<----------- is also interested
Ditto.

I have had the LHS side of the boot apart, and yes all the welded in bracketry to take the power antenna is there. But I'd like to know how to fit the powered antenna.

yeah this is a very simple and inexpensive modification. i did it a few weeks back. took about 20 mins all up, if that.
just go to mitsubishi and ask for a tl electric aerial.

remove the old antenna, which is just a matter of unscrewing it from the black metal plate
and the new antenna fits virtually straight into the old mounting spot

then just cut the adaptor/plug off and wire the ground wire (to the body of the car), remote wire (to the headunit) and power wire (to the battery). if you have an amp in your boot its even easier as you can just connect the power and remote to that.

hope this helps
cheers

if you have an amp in your boot its even easier as you can just connect the power and remote to that.
Wouldn't want to run remote to the amp, then the antenna will extend every time you turn the stereo on, which is no good, I'd much rather have it run to the deck and only raise when you want the radio.

Thanks people. Sounds like a good Sunday afternoon job coming up in the next month or so.

Regards, Tony

then just cut the adaptor/plug off and wire the ground wire (to the body of the car), remote wire (to the headunit) and power wire (to the battery). if you have an amp in your boot its even easier as you can just connect the power and remote to that.


Was at Mitsubishi today. Does your comment above relate to the fact that the TL antenna is 3 wires and the TF antenna is 5? By the by, the TF electric antenna is something like $445!! Cpmpared to the TL which I think he said was $140.

Anyone know a good auto electrician in outer south east Melbourne?

Regards, Tony

The extra wires could be for the adjustable function the earlier motors had. Around the TJ introduction, the antenna assemblies changed. Even the bit outside the panel is different.

The Half Height adjustable function was in the KE-H and used those extra wires to adjust
the antenna height from a button on the head unit itself. As you don't need this feature, grab the TL one.

looks like im gonna be following suit. my antenna snapped of a few weeks ago when i reversed into my garage door as it was goin up :doubt: now al thats left is about less than half an inch of the antenna sticking out of the car. would definately prefer the electric one!

Wouldn't want to run remote to the amp, then the antenna will extend every time you turn the stereo on, which is no good, I'd much rather have it run to the deck and only raise when you want the radio.
yeah mate your right but i have a pioneer deck which means if i connected the remote wire to the deck the antenna would extend everytime i turned the stereo on anyway, regardless of whether the deck is on the cd, aux or radio function, or so ive heard.

so it would make no difference connecting the wire to the deck as opposed to the amp, in my case. to overcome this i just installed a switch to turn the antenna off whenever its not in use, as i tend to listen to my ipod rather than the radio.


Does your comment above relate to the fact that the TL antenna is 3 wires and the TF antenna is 5?
i cut the adapter off because the tl plug didn't fit the tj plug given my magna didn't come factory fitted with an electric aerial.

cheers

The extra wires could be for the adjustable function the earlier motors had. Around the TJ introduction, the antenna assemblies changed. Even the bit outside the panel is different.
I don't know about TF's specifically, but the power motor on my KE has 5 wires, but 2 of those run into a plastic plug and just kills them off, they do nothing.

Have you had a look in the boot at the antenna, is the wiring already there for the antenna?

Wouldn't want to run remote to the amp, then the antenna will extend every time you turn the stereo on, which is no good, I'd much rather have it run to the deck and only raise when you want the radio.
My Genuine Accessory(TM) was easy to fit, even for an IT guy. Interesting about the TL antenna tho - I waited for months for the dealer to get my unit in, and now it seems like I needn't have!!

The hardest part was getting to the back of the stereo - to this day I still can't get it apart without going to Mitsu and getting them to use their centre vent removal tool.

If you're running a factory deck you'll possibly need a wiring loom to isolate the antenna remote - that is, if you want the antenna to go up only when the radio is on and down at all other times. I got one with my kit but you won't get that with the TL. If you're like me and you switch between radio and CD a lot, and having it go up and down drives you nuts, I hear you can connect the antenna remote wire to the deck's power source so that it goes up when the radio is on in any mode. I just haven't been bothered doing it. :)