Antenna Delete Installation

GENERAL INFORMATION

The install process takes 5-10 minutes.

Painting takes around 20-48 hours for the paint to cure. Relocating the antenna to the interior takes 20 minutes.

Working together with a helper highly recommended.

REQUIREMENTS

  • The Antenna Delete set
  • Size 22 mm and 10mm wrench (depending on OEM antenna) 
  • Flat tipped screwdriver or wedge
  • Recommended: one helper

These four things will have to be installed:

  • Antenna Delete Cover
  • Antenna nut 
  • Gasket
  • Foam (it’s more than packaging)
 
 

Install Preparations

Get familiar with the thread and nut. Once inside the car, installation angles can be quite awkward and space limited and you don’t want to cross-thread the Delete. On a flat, even surface try gently threading the nut onto the Delete in order to learn how a good pairing is supposed to feel. Note that the unthreaded section of the Delete works as a guide support.

Tip: rotating the nut left/loose for a few rotations until small jumps are felt can help guide the nut to sit straight.

The Antenna Delete Cover should be painted in vehicle color. For most colors, a spray can will suffice. In practice, even small hue mismatches should hardly be noticeable due to the small footprint.

Apply the gasket.

From the rear seat, the plastic clips retainig the rear of the roof liner have to be loosened.

A screwdriver or wedge can be slid between roof liner and the plastic clip. The clip is two-piece (outer black, inner usually white) and the wedge has to fit between both parts. It’s necessary to wedge the black part of the clip outby about 1cm minimum (or entirely).

Next, by slightly pulling down the roof liner with one hand, reach into the gap with the other and disconnect the Antenna cable.

Depending on the specific model, remove all fixation (nut, screw w/clip, etc.) from the antenna base.

Antenna Delete Cover Install

Apply the Antenna Delete Cover to the outside of the car with the slimmer end facing forward making sure that the socket is aligned correctly.  Ask a helper to gently keep the Delete in place (see picture).
Alternately, a piece of cloth and something weighty will also work, however checking the fitment will be impractical.

When applying the nut (see hints above), it’s recommended not to tighten the Delete right away.

Instead, once resistance starts to build, perform a visual inspection (preferably by the person outside the car) to make sure the Antenna Delete Cover is well aligned and seated. Then proceed with final tightening. Use similar force as was required to loosen the previous nut.

A bit of compression will make sure water stays out. Too little and there may be water ingress (no issues reported so far since 2018).

There is still a piece of cabling remaining between roof liner and roof from where the antenna was removed.

Simple solution: Using the foam padding from the package, bolster the cable between the liner and roof.

Complex solution: Trace the antenna cable to where it leads through the pillar and near a cavity large enough to house the antenna. Pull the cable out until that point Reconnect the antenna and wedge it solidly in place, reinstall all liner that had to be removed. Hope that antenna function is still adequate (there is good experience with this but it can vary by region).

When reinstalling the plastic rivets, make sure the white parts go all the way in and past the metal before reinstalling the black covers.

Done.