New Aerial

[pigboy306]

Hi I am going to fit a new aerial on the roof of my D9 Estate. I have a DAB lead to run down to the radio. Anyone got any tips? Do i need to remove roof lining/windscreen pillar.
I have googled but found nothing useful.

[NineWhileNine]

Hi
I did this on my Coupe 12 months ago. This is the write up I posted on the Coupe forum
While I appreciate yours is an estate some of the procedures maybe be relevant and at least it gives you some idea of what is involved.
Dave

Please note that this is exclusive to a non-sunroof vehicle. Those with sunroofs will have additional fittings/fixings to deal with, of which I have no knowledge of.

Apologies for the absence of pictures during the removal. I was just getting on with it and completely forgot about taking pictures.

What you will need:

A suitable DAB & AM/FM Aerial & Cables
Torx Bits 15, 20 & 30
Socket 17mm
22mm Spanner
Torque Wrench
Black Silicone Sealant
An assistant
Time

I reckon you could complete this in a day if you have everything to hand and start early enough. I did mine over a couple of days as I was interupted/taking it slowly/went for a pint and I have the luxury of not needing to use it and it being parked round the back out of the way.

Firstly you will need to remove the fixings from the headlining area. Both Sun Visors (T15 & T20), Grab Handle (T30) and the Coat Hangers (T20). The rear roof console is removed by simply using a thin plastic blade to prise out the light from the lining, I found the Tesco Clubcard on my keyring to be ideal for this task. Unclip the electrical connection. Remove the surround. The front roof console is removed in a similar way. Once the light is removed you will then have access to the 2 screws (T15). The console will then come away and you can unclip the electrical connections.











The A pillar covers come away by pulling the top away and I used an old credit card to get some leverage to then pull the trim away as though it was hinged at the windscreen. Gently work your way down until it comes away, taking care with the alarm sensor and unclipping it from the rear of the cover.



The B pillar ones are tackled by removing the triangular plastic cover and then removing the screw (T15). Once that is removed undo the bolt (17mm) - (Retighten to 3.5 ± 0.21 da.Nm.) that holds the seatbelt in. The pillar trim can then be removed by pulling at the top and then working down and lifting up and away. You might want to put the seatbelt bolt back in and put the shroud back on on both sides. This is to A) enable you to nip out if need be and B) stop you from potentially glancing your head against the exposed metal shaft (OUCH!/FFS!/...Yes, can I have an Ambulance please).



The rear covers do not need to be completely removed, just pulled away starting at the top and working down.



The roof lining has 2 fixings at the rear, one above each of the rear headrests. After those are pulled away, it just magic that is holding the lining up...Just kidding. You will just need to lift the lining up out of the felt like material at the top of the window areas. There is also a 'Stickle Brick' type device that is fixed to the roof between the B pillars to hold the lining, see pic. You can now call on your assistant to help you support the lining while it is removed through the passenger side. Reclining the front seats helps.



The route of the factory cable is now in full view along the passenger side of the roof and front and rear pillars. I decided to leave the original cable in as the new cables would fit alongside, plus I could not be arsed removing it. It does mean I can return it to factory spec if needed.

The first thing I did was to route the cables alongside the existing ones. Follow where the existing cable goes down at the side of the dash and one by one feed the new cables down until they appear just underneath the glove box. Pull enough through to reach behind the centre console and meet the rear of your Head Unit. The cable can be tucked up behind the glove box. The aerial I bought (Kinetic DRA-1001) has a wire to power the aerial so that will need routing to the same spot too. If I remember correctly I had to extend this wire to reach the front. This was so that I could patch it into same live feed as the radio. So I knew that if the radio was on, the aerial would also have power.

The cable tidies can be undone and your new cables added working back to the rear. Undo the connections to the existing aerial and using the 22mm spanner remove the nut at the aerial base. Exit the car and pull the base and wires clear from the car. This is a good time to give that area a quick clean.







On the new aerial base, put a ring of silicone sealant around the underside and using the correct washer place the aerial base in place. I guess you could get assistance at this point to hold the base down whilst you fasten the nut on the inside. I managed without help. Your call.

Now you can connect your new aerial to your newly installed cables.

You can now refit your headlining in the reversal of the removal procedure.

One tip for refitting is to be aware of the fitting around the third brake light. I must have missed this, as from the outside the lining seems to float about 5-10mm from the glass. This was not spotted until all the trim covers and fixings were replaced. I could not be arsed undoing everything to investigate.

All that is required now is to connect the other ends of the cable to the rear of your chosen head unit. That 'delightful' task is covered in detail elsewhere.

Enjoy

Dave