Q: I have a Toyota Supra with a power antenna. The antenna bent and when I tried to straighten it, it broke. My radio reception is now terrible, which does not work for me because I have a 25-minute commute. I don't want to spend a big repair on an antenna. Can I put a regular antenna on? Thank you.
-Carol N., Burnsville A: Antennas typically have a universal plug that goes into the back of the radio. Whatever antenna you put in has to have a cord long enough to reach from the mounting point to the back of the radio. If you're lucky, Toyota put an extension piece on the antenna cord that allows you to unplug it at or close to the antenna itself. Otherwise, you need to unplug it from the radio and thread the cord out from under - and then back under - the carpet. Whatever antenna you buy, you need to have a cord long enough to reach from the antenna mounting point either to the radio itself or any extension piece Toyota may have fitted.
Your best bet is to remove what's left of your old one and compare any potential replacement against it. To remove your old antenna, you need to unplug the antenna itself. You also need to disconnect the power wires. These may have clips that you can unplug, but you may need to cut them with a wire cutter. If you have any notion of swapping in another power antenna and the wires don't unplug, cut the wires close to the old antenna so you have plenty of wire to work with. Mark them with a small piece of masking tape first on either side of the spot you'll cut. You can then compare the wires on the old antenna with the new. You don't need to mark them with anything specific: A, B, C or 1, 2, 3 will do.
I did a quick eBay search and found a new Supra power antenna for $14! (Check your model year against any Supra-specific part you buy.) The base and cord will be appropriate if it's a part specific for your car; you'll just need to connect the wiring right. The replacement part may or may not use the same colors as the original. Often but not always aftermarket parts use red for positive, black for ground. You could use a multitester or circuit tester to determine which of your old wires was power and which ground. Remember that the radio is not sending power to the antenna when it is switched off - it powers the antenna up when you turn on the radio. To test the wires, put a multi-tester on each of the ones you cut and have an assistant turn the radio off and on (a multi-tester or circuit tester is not expensive and they can be handy; their instructions will make clear how to use them). The wire that shows life when the radio is turned on will go to the power lead on the new antenna. The one that never shows juice is the ground wire.
When you connect the wires you cut with the ones on the new antenna, you must either use a crimp-on connecter or strip the wires, twist them together and tape them with electrical tape. You tape each connection separately. Make sure no bare wire is exposed as this will short the circuit if it contacts metal. Any good hardware store can help you find electrical tape and connectors and explain the process. Stripping wire with wire cutters takes some finesse. Hardware stores will sell wire strippers that are much easier for the task.
If you put in a non-powered antenna, plugging the thick antenna cord in and securing the base is all you need. Make sure you snug up the base to keep water out of the hole.
While this may sound complicated, it isn't. Anyone who can do a science experiment in school could handle a simple repair like this and save some money.
