Replacing the antenna base

03TDICommuter

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Location
So. Cal
TDI
01' NB, 5spd
Old thread but my AM radio reception gets poor in wet weather. Just ordered a new aftermarket base from Antenna Source above. Now comes the joy of pulling the headliner in my 4 door jetta :(

Good excuse though to drill the roof for an NMO mount for my ham radio.
 

hskrdu

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Location
Maryland and New England
TDI
2003 Golf GLS 4D 5M, 2015 GSW SE 6M
Old thread but my AM radio reception gets poor in wet weather. Just ordered a new aftermarket base from Antenna Source above. Now comes the joy of pulling the headliner in my 4 door jetta
The replacement you receive may be fine (other users might chime in to help), but I've found the aftermarket don't last as long as the OEM. I'd rather do the work once, FWIW.
 

ToxicDoc

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2018
Location
Virginia, US
TDI
2001 Jetta, S7, .216
The replacement you receive may be fine (other users might chime in to help), but I've found the aftermarket don't last as long as the OEM. I'd rather do the work once, FWIW.
The OEM units don't seem to last very long either. Plenty of info about them developing galvanic corrosion in the antenna base. I replaced mine once when I first got it 6 years ago and am about to replace it again.
 

hskrdu

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Location
Maryland and New England
TDI
2003 Golf GLS 4D 5M, 2015 GSW SE 6M
The OEM units don't seem to last very long either. Plenty of info about them developing galvanic corrosion in the antenna base. I replaced mine once when I first got it 6 years ago and am about to replace it again.
Right. I probably have a thread about it from a decade ago. But from experience, once every 6 years (or in my case, different cars at apx 6, 8, 10, and 12 years) is better than having an aftermarket unit go bad 6 months to 12 months after pulling the headliner. And one of those 2 aftermarket units only returned FM reception- and weakly at that. Perhaps the ones you find will last longer. G/L.
 
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