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delfinis38

roof areial

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before I get too involved need a bit of advice..... the plastic roof aerial oval gasket where it sits on the roof is getting very brittle and starting to fall apart.....

 

can you buy new and where from..... and how difficult is it to change assuming the gasket needs to be threaded through the aerial cable from the stereo end it could be a bit of a task.... also do I need to get the complete headlining down.....

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IIRC they sell them on ebay for not much at all & they can be changed without removing head lining but it is very fiddly.....and be careful not to scratch your roof like i did :(

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They may sell them at the dealers? These sorts of aerials were used on a wide variety of VAG cars at the time so they may well still be available. I remember when VW launched the Golf GTI 16v and within a few years everyone else seemed to be copying the beesting aerial. It was that popular.

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They're available on ebay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Golf-Passat-Polo-GTI-Roof-Aerial-Rubber-Gasket-Seal-/400134137298?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item5d29da65d2

 

Not too difficult to fit, you just need pull off the trim at the back of the headlining and pull the headlining down a couple of inches and it gives you enough room to undo the aerial. If the headlining trim hasn't been removed before I believe they used a blob of mastic in the centre of the trim, the rest is just clipped up.

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They're available on ebay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Golf-Passat-Polo-GTI-Roof-Aerial-Rubber-Gasket-Seal-/400134137298?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item5d29da65d2

 

Not too difficult to fit, you just need pull off the trim at the back of the headlining and pull the headlining down a couple of inches and it gives you enough room to undo the aerial. If the headlining trim hasn't been removed before I believe they used a blob of mastic in the centre of the trim, the rest is just clipped up.

 

ta.. spotted that.... can you actually just prize the gasket out an slip the new one over the top like it suggests in one of the ebay adverts......

 

roof lining never been removed before so prefer not to take it down. but don't want to do a bodge job or damage paint.

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You will have to drop the rear of the headlining to get to the nut securing the aerial. Loosening the nut may give you enough room to fit the new gasket over the top, but I removed it completely and refitted. It's not too difficult, just be careful with the trim and pry it off in the centre to un-stick the mastic. Then there will be enough give in the headlining to carefully pull the tabs out of the rear of the roof. Difficult to explain but you'll see once you start it. I've done mine a couple of times now without a problem.

 

Couple of pics from when I first did mine, you can see the tabs on the headlining:

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ta.. spotted that.... can you actually just prize the gasket out an slip the new one over the top like it suggests in one of the ebay adverts......

 

roof lining never been removed before so prefer not to take it down. but don't want to do a bodge job or damage paint.

 

I've managed to change 4 of these now and have never had the headlining out, heating it up for a few minutes in hot water helps considerably - 5 minute job!

 

Ian.

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I've managed to change 4 of these now and have never had the headlining out, heating it up for a few minutes in hot water helps considerably - 5 minute job!

 

Ian.

 

any tips for getting the old one off ???

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ta.. spotted that.... can you actually just prize the gasket out an slip the new one over the top like it suggests in one of the ebay adverts......

 

roof lining never been removed before so prefer not to take it down. but don't want to do a bodge job or damage paint.

 

Yes it is possible but make sure you put a nice thick towel or similar on your roof just in case anything slips

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any tips for getting the old one off ???

 

Mine were so tatty that they didn't need much persuading to get off - Perhaps (very carefully!) use a sharp pointed blade to get it started and then persuade it out?

 

Ian.

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if you remove the aerial you can clean and polish that area which is one that often gets neglected. Might be some nasties sitting there is the old seal was perished.

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I'm with Hasan on this, take it off is easier to clean under and reduces the risk of you slipping and scratching something. It's still only a 5 min job

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I'm with Hasan on this, take it off is easier to clean under and reduces the risk of you slipping and scratching something. It's still only a 5 min job

 

cheers guys..... think I will do it the safe way..... ebay gasket ordered. will report back when its done or need further help :)

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UPDATE.... grommet arrived this morning. managed to change in 10mins..... old one fell apart when I took it off using a plastic spatula. put the new one in hot water to go soft while I polished the roof. new one went on a treat with a bit of clear sealant round the edges. thanks for the advice.... so no need to take the aerial off.

 

out of interest is this the only seal between the roof and the aerial or is there one between the thread and nut when you tighten it down.

Edited by delfinis38

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