Does anyone know if a 2002 Magna advance wagon has a power antenna? I just bought this car and the antenna doesn't go up when the radio is on - the reception is lousy.

Thanks

Does anyone know if a 2002 Magna advance wagon has a power antenna? I just bought this car and the antenna doesn't go up when the radio is on - the reception is lousy.

Thanks

Hi Peter,

I believe that they're supposed to - but every wagon I saw while looking to buy one (including the one we bought) was stuck with just about 100 mm protruding. One woman that I spoke to said she was getting a lot of car park damage, because they're locate at waist height!

Steve

They do have a power antenna, they bend easy and don’t work much after that. I have replaced mine three times because:

1. Reversed into a driveway with low trees on the side, broke antenna at base.
2. Forgot to switch radio off before going through a car wash (duh!)
3. Pigeon on road, just missed the little sh*t with my quarter panel but caught it with the antenna! Antenna bent at base, pigeon did not survive!

The first two times I bought an earlier model antenna from Pick-a-Part (TR I think, no TJ ones in good nick to be found) and pulled it apart, the antenna fits but you need to hacksaw the white nylon base of the antenna shorter. It’s not a fun or particularly easy job, it’s fiddly and messy. The last time I got wise, bought a new antenna (just the extending bit, not the whole unit) from a place in Ringwood (ASAP auto electrics I think, didn't cost much). Left the inside panel on, unscrewed the chrome cap on the outside at the base of the antenna (angled long-nose pliers do the job), then turned radio on so the antenna extended all the way. Without the cap fitted the antenna can be withdrawn from the car completely. Then I inserted the flexible plastic ‘rack’ on the new antenna into the hole and had an assistant switch the radio off. Viola, the rack wound itself in and the antenna was replaced. Took no more than 5 minutes all up!

If yours is all the way in, the antenna itself might be ok. The original head unit included a wire for the power antenna, if your head unit has been replaced at some stage the new one might not have this feature or it might not have been wired up correctly. You should be able to hear the antenna motor trying to wind it up or down when switching the radio on or off.