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OEM Power Antenna Question

Joined
5 November 2012
Messages
36
Location
Floriduh
I really would prefer to keep the original power antenna on my '91. I replaced the mast (which came complete with it's plastic tooth tail) with the OEM part about a year ago and about 70% of the time the antenna remains up 3" from the body. When this happens it will not push down. The motor DOES NOT continue to run after the mast stops short. I have re-installed the mast and plastic cord a number of times now and no improvement.

Has anyone used a company that rebuilds an NSX power antenna? I can buy a new original power antenna for $320 from Acura if I have to. As an alternative, has anyone purchased a specific replacement power antenna (Rock Auto, Ebay, etc.) that works correctly and attaches to the existing brackets?

Thanks in advance,
Frank O'Donnell
 
antenna

did you remove the tail-piece that broke off inside the housing?
 
It sounds like a problem with the limit switch. If the mast were never fully retracting, I would suggest reinstalling the mast using the service manual procedure and perhaps pushing it in a little further so that the teeth on the antenna mast drive cable are engaged a little further along the cable. However, if the mast sometimes retracts completely, doing this risks the drive unit not shutting off on the 30% of the time that it does completely retract which would likely damage the drive, antenna mast or both.

The antenna limit switch is mounted on the antenna motor shaft. I suggest that the limit switch may have come loose or have dirt on it which may be causing intermittent operation as it approaches the off position. I would suggest checking the limit switch; but, I don't even know if you can get the drive case open to examine the switch.
 
ofdlt10:
The tail with teeth doesn't have a broken piece. I replaced the broken tail (new mast assembly) some time ago and that's when all of this started.
Frank
 
ofdlt10:
The tail with teeth doesn't have a broken piece. I replaced the broken tail (new mast assembly) some time ago and that's when all of this started.
Frank

Just so we are clear I believe ofdlt10 is refering to the original one you removed. Are you sure there was not a piece of the toothed tail, still inside the antenna housing from the old antenna?
 
Larry:
Good point. I'll double-check it to see if there might still be a piece inside from the original tail. I have let this project slide while working on another car, but will get back on it to close out the original post.

Larry, side question while I have your attention: in your experience, (and I know I'm part of the 10% with an a/t) what percentage of the time does a faulty wheel sensor cause the EPS light to come on intermittently? I've read the procedure in the service manual for checking the terminal in the box under the dash for a faulty sensor, but I dread going back under there again for ANYTHING!
Thanks for all you do,
Frank
 
Typically a wheel speed sensor failure would cause both the ABS and TCS lights to come on, since both systems require the speed sensors. I think it is unlikely the EPS is failing due to a speed sensor, and if that was the case you would see the ABS/TCS lights also.

HTH,
LarryB
 
Does anyone know where to get a replacement antenna mast? I'm having trouble finding one.

There was an earlier thread that claimed an Accord mast would fit, but it doesn't. The Accord mast has a sleeve at the bottom that won't fit into the threaded tube on the NSX.
pTOBXbB9pFchyLycz0eAwFXgsCFA4C4gEK 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
antenna.jpg
 
39152-SL0-A01 Mast Assembly MAST ASSY. $105.88 $76.23

installation takes 30 minutes.

hope this helps.
 
39152-SL0-A01 Mast Assembly MAST ASSY. $105.88 $76.23

installation takes 30 minutes.

hope this helps.
Thanks very much for the reply, but is that the correct part for 1991? I thought it was [FONT=&quot]39152-SM4-003 or [/FONT][FONT=&quot]39152-SL0-003. The places I've looked claim the [/FONT]39152-SL0-A01 is for 1994 onwards, although I have no idea if that is correct.
 
call acura of augusta and ask for jon (888)-711-4349
give him the details and he'll fix you right up.
 
Actually, after some measuring and messing around, I simply cut off the sleeve and installed the Accord mast. I kept the new black plastic guide at the top and it fit my existing antenna tube. Works perfectly except I need to adjust when the motor stops. I'm getting a short burst of the gear slipping noise on both up and down.
 
Thanks very much. I Mickey Moused it so I'm good for antenna parts, however, that's an excellent pointer for the future.
 
Just wanted to give everyone an update on what I finally did with my power antenna. After multiple tries to repair my original power antenna with the factory replacement mast, I gave up and bought a new O.E.M. power antenna from eBay. The quote from my excellent Acura dealership in SLC was $530. Purchased it from eBay for $350 with free shipping from LCF Trading located in California. Was the EXACT factory power antenna, fit perfectly and works like new.
 
Just wanted to give everyone an update on what I finally did with my power antenna. After multiple tries to repair my original power antenna with the factory replacement mast, I gave up and bought a new O.E.M. power antenna from eBay. The quote from my excellent Acura dealership in SLC was $530. Purchased it from eBay for $350 with free shipping from LCF Trading located in California. Was the EXACT factory power antenna, fit perfectly and works like new.
Thanks to Foxlovescars for the pointer. I went through exactly the same thing. After a couple of tries and messing around far too long I noticed this post and bought the same part, did a 30 minute install, and it works perfectly.
 
Yet more on early NSX power antennas. I replaced the mast with the OEM one from Acura of Augusta and it worked perfectly for about a year, then went back to not fully retracting. After some searching I ran into an opinion that the clutch on the motor was likely worn. Since everything on the internet is correct, I decided to replace the entire unit, but ran into the Groove Shark P series antenna on ebay that's advertised to work with early NSXs. It's cheap so I decide to try it, and after some messing around it works fine (so far), at least as well as the original.

It's pretty easy to install but, beyond the wire color diagram, there are zero instructions, and they did a couple of really dumb things. The motor is fixed at the bottom by a strap with holes that can be bolted to the car's existing antenna motor bracket fastener holes, but they drilled the holes with the wrong spacing to attach to both of their own motor housing mounting holes! I mickey moused that to get it to work, attached one with Locktite to hold it. The plastic pieces that come assembled to the system in the box don't work because the NSX fender hole is too small. However, they also supply a collection of different fender mounting pieces with various slopes to match the antenna's angle along with matching rubber seals. One of them is perfect for hole size and angle, except that there's a recess in the top that the nut they use to grab the top of the antenna tube tightens into. Unfortunately they don't supply a spacer to prevent the entire nut from disappearing into the recess so it can't be tightened! I used an O ring as a spacer and kind of hope it will help seal it as well. It's really stupid though, a 1 cent spacer would solve this. Of course, drilling the holes on the mounting strap with the correct spacing for their own housing would be nice too.

If anyone does this, the angle works best with the wires side of the motor facing the fender and using the mounting piece with the next to most steepest angle. What I did for the connector was cut off the connector from the original motor to keep the plug at the top, then attach some plug in crimp connectors and use the short ones on the Shark antenna. I wanted to keep all the wires as short as possible and it worked fine. Be sure everything is insulated at the connectors.

Black is ground, yellow/white is power (red shark wire), white/yellow is switched (blue shark wire).
 
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