How do members here repair their sticking antennas?
 

The antenna on my 87 300E has always stuck. I've had temporary success with WD-40 but I'd like to hear from members who have conquered this annoyance that has at one time or another plagued us all. Outside of buying a new antenna how would you get the darn thing to retract all the way? Be creative.

I've used both spray silicone lubricant and white lightening (a bike chain lube). Not really sure which one is better, the antenna on the '87 seems to do well with the white lightening, but the '91 and the '97 tend to run dirtier and noisier with WL for some reason.

removed my antenna mast by turning on the radio and pulling it out and cleaned it with simple green and reinsert it by turning off the radio.

I also use silicone spray to clean the mast -- I only use a grafite lube or a light lube like that for garage door openers -- you need a lube that does not get too thick or attract dirt -- especially in the colder weather!.

Also be carefull with products like WD40 -- they are great products but they will "wash off" the lube that is down in the power unit.

If it is the original antenna and lubing does not help...
 

replace the mast only. It is around $30. It solved the same problem on mine.
Good luck!

Like others, silicone spray lube worked. Wipe it off, spray more, took a few tries, but it has worked consistently now over a year since the last try.

Steve

i had mine replaced some time back, and it got stuck again. I got it unstuck by forcing the stuck segments apart.

Ever since that, I deploy the antenna in its full-up position every so often to prevent the recurrence of sticking segments.

oh boy
 

My antenna was stuck so that only the main segment came out the rest would not budge when I bought the car. I pulled out the mast and with a hammer disloged it, I thought I would crush it but since I would replace it anyway I took the chance. I managed to free it from the rust and dirt, I greased it up with some bearing grease and put some of the white grease on all the plastic parts and it has worked ever since. Of course, I clean it and lube it once a year to keep it working, so far so good. Oh yea, and I keep the antenna folded during winter, I'm not much of a radio listener either, too many commercials :)

xp

Straightening it out
 

It seemed to me that the antenna itself wasn't going up in a perfectly straight line. I obtained a straight edge and attempted to determine if the antenna was indeed bent. It was. I bent it back using my bare hands as I didn't want to crush the metal tubing using a pliers. It's much straighter now and with some silicon lubricant seems to be working just fine.

replace the mast
 

Hello Everyone
Replace the mast.
It is not cost effective to repair; repair; repair, etc.
What is your time worth?
I can not buy more time, can you?

rubbed mine down with steel wool and it works great

stuck down or studk up?

i have run benzes with the hirschmann antennas for years. never replaced one in close to a million benz miles among the benzes that i have owned, still own.

only problem i encounter is that the mast fails to retract all the way from time to time. that is caused by an accumulation of dirt on the mast.

so run the mast up. don't use steel wool, use one of the 3m plastic, fine sanding pads. use windex, ivory soap. and clean the mast.

after you clean the mast, don't use an oil, don't use a silicone. there is a product called super lube, the lubricant is a derivative of teflon. spray it on shop rag and lightly rub down the mast.

this should prevent any mast stalling for more than a few years.

good listening.

oh, i also like to have the antenna control set so that the mast activates up/down with the ignition being turned on or off. the antenna benefits by being cycled as frequently as possible.

I bought Hirschman antenna cleaner from eBay for a couple bucks. It worked great!

I'm a cyclist, so I tried some White Lightning (chain lube I had lying around) as mentioned by a previous poster. Works like a charm.

i use a bit of tri-flo.