Loud gear grinding noise after power antenna lowers. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Glg2003
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
thatcabledude
GOLD Star
Ahh. Did not know the 97 year model was “special”. I always figured leaving the power antenna wire from the headunit unhooked is why mine didn’t auto up.
I was testing mine last winter without the antenna assembly attached....there seems to be a timer on the ECU that will send 12 volts to the motor for about 20-30 seconds.. I think you are correct that the encoder should stop the motor and prevent gear grinding.
You are right about that for your rig. I think the 97 ECU wont move the antenna at all (auto or buttons) without that wire connected since it thinks the radio is OFF.
OK - Hack complete and the older antenna ( 86300-60050) is now working as fully manual in the 97 Land Cruiser. This is a reversible hack if somehow in the future you find yourself in possession of the newer 97 antenna (86300-60080) and want it to go up and down automatically when the radio is activated or down automatically when the truck is turned off. This hack results in the antenna switch on the dash of a 97 being active at all times, truck on or off, with/without keys, etc. Thanks to @Dorz and his thread antenna relay bad...want to bypass for manual control on his method. I've modified his method in that I cut the tracks on the printed circuit board for connector pins 1, 9 and 14 rather than cut the connector pins, I also added my wires under the board, same result just a different approach. I did go one step farther in the removal of the two transistors on the board that normally control the antenna motor relays; this ensures that absolutely nothing other than the dashboard antenna switch will cause the antenna to move. Perhaps this is optional, I just never wanted to mess with it again. To make it reversible I did carefully desolder the transistors from the board, but if you're content never reinstalling them you can just wiggle them back and forth until they snap off... Your call.
Hey man nice solution!!! I gave this a try but, sadly, it didn’t work for me... I have part # 60040... I can here the board click when I press the antenna up or down button but the motor doesn’t send the antenna up or down. No movement. If you have any idea, I’m all ears! Thanks for your effort on this aggravating problem.
banieldowen
SILVER Star
Bump for this solution! PO totally mangled the antenna on my LX450, so I bought the replacement. I did this hack on the circuit board as mentioned above and it works like a charm! I did NOT remove the resistors. It works great! Thank you so much for putting this together!
EDIT: (I thought I already set the record straight... must’ve been a different thread...)
THIS 100% works! @Bud_Dude was the man with the plan on this! But... make sure you have an OEM antenna. Ask me how I know.
Just tried this today on my 97, and it works! I didn't have to remove the transistors.
Was having problems with the antenna trying to retract for 20 seconds every time I turned the LC off. My mast still slips even after changing it with a new one, so I'm guessing my gears inside are stripped? It will fully extend and retract if you keep trying though.
At least I don't have to leave it unplugged or hear it retract over and over. The antenna now works only when I manually activate the buttons. THANK YOU @Bud_Dude !!
Was having problems with the antenna trying to retract for 20 seconds every time I turned the LC off. My mast still slips even after changing it with a new one, so I'm guessing my gears inside are stripped? It will fully extend and retract if you keep trying though.
At least I don't have to leave it unplugged or hear it retract over and over. The antenna now works only when I manually activate the buttons. THANK YOU @Bud_Dude !!
After posting on another thread, @Bud_Dude sent me back to this thread and I understand the nuance of the 97 LX450 antenna vs. the previous model. I was tired of the newer 60080 antenna going off everytime I cranked the truck and decided to order the earlier 60040 model which would only operate with the dash buttons. I pulled the right front speaker and glove box to get to the antenna control relay, and this is the mess I found. I don't see the box. Does it look like the PO removed it? I'm not sure how he got the antenna to move correctly without the box. Anybody feeling helpful tonight? 
Yikes! What a mess! But who knows it might just work perfectly with whatever stereo the PO had installed?
However the antenna control relay, at least on my '97 LC, is located behind this panel here. Easily removed by lifting (popping) up the panel along the doorsill then pulling backwards toward the rear of the truck.
However the antenna control relay, at least on my '97 LC, is located behind this panel here. Easily removed by lifting (popping) up the panel along the doorsill then pulling backwards toward the rear of the truck.
Thank you brotha! Let the soldering begin! Easy? Not with the meathooks on the ends of my arms. I went ahead and pulled the 4 wheel drive relay box too so I could get my stubby in there.
Good Luck! It's pretty easy. Remember to cut the pc board tracks in the marked places. I usually score them deeply with an exacto knife then heat the cut with the soldering iron which causes it to lift from the board. Dremel tool also works well to cut pcb traces. Hope it works well for you!
Hi and thanks for your work on this solution!
My 97 LC is having this problem and I’m going to fix it using the method you figured out. Just wanted to make sure I understand correctly…
Do I have to get the previous version of the part
(Either 86300-60040 or 86300-60050) and do the hack to the pcb? Or do I do the hack to the correct part for the 97 LC (86300-60080)?
Thanks!
Hi JDMJIM from my reading the older 86300-60040 and 86300-60050 appear to be essentially the same part, at least no differences that I've been able to uncover, just that apparently the 86300-60050 is easier to locate and buy today. If you have the correct 86300-60080 part (that is in good working order with both connectors intact) it should just work with the antenna controller and wiring and factory stereo without modifications. Not sure how that all goes if you've installed an aftermarket stereo...
Otherwise, yes, if using the 86300-60040 or 86300-60050 antenna (with a single motor connector) then you need to make the mod to the controller. After the mod, it really doesn't matter about what stereo is installed since the only thing that controls the antenna is the dashboard UP/DOWN button. Note this switch also works regardless of key position (off-acc-run).
If you have a 86300-60080 antenna that just has a bad position feedback sensor (the second connector) but for which the motor still works, the controller mod/hack should still work as well; since once complete the controller ignores everything but the buttons.
Good luck!
Otherwise, yes, if using the 86300-60040 or 86300-60050 antenna (with a single motor connector) then you need to make the mod to the controller. After the mod, it really doesn't matter about what stereo is installed since the only thing that controls the antenna is the dashboard UP/DOWN button. Note this switch also works regardless of key position (off-acc-run).
If you have a 86300-60080 antenna that just has a bad position feedback sensor (the second connector) but for which the motor still works, the controller mod/hack should still work as well; since once complete the controller ignores everything but the buttons.
Good luck!
So appreciative of this! I bought a '97 a few months ago and finally got around to ordering a motor. Same as everyone else, awful clicking noise going up and down. This hack was relatively easy and works exactly how I want now. Great work here @Bud_Dude !
Great hack worked like a charm thanks
Deep in 97 antenna land. Bought what I thought was a used replacement but it didn’t work. Said f it and fully disassembled the thing and determined to fix it myself.
It seems the culprit at least for me was heavy carbon buildup inside the motor housing/ wear on the copper ring.
To be continued….
It seems the culprit at least for me was heavy carbon buildup inside the motor housing/ wear on the copper ring.
To be continued….
