6 Reasons to Replace Your Own Car Radio Antenna

Car radio antennas are not the most durable parts of cars. They tend to break or suffer damage often and easily. This makes them prone to replacement or repair. Some drivers may forget to retract or remove their antennas before going through the carwash, and antennas are popular targets for vandals. In older car designs radio antennas seemed more like an afterthought than a necessity, but modern cars feature antennas that are part of their sleek designs. Few motorists are content driving a car that does not have the ability to receive FM radio, and a damaged radio antenna means poor reception or no reception at all.
Car radio antennas are readily available from dealers or from online sources like eBay. These days they are mass produced, with generic versions of manufacturer or model specific antennas easy to find. They tend to be more durable than earlier designs, and sound quality and reception has improved a great deal. The most common designs include manually or automatically retractable antennas, or fixed antennas.
Why Should You Replace Your Own Car Radio Antenna?
Luckily, most antennas are easy to replace and there are a number of reasons why you should replace your own car radio antenna.
1. Saving on Labor Costs
A car radio antenna is quick and easy to replace, so taking the car to a dealer is a wasted cost. Even if the process takes a half an hour or an hour longer than it would take a technician or mechanic, one’s free time is just that: free. While it is usually best to ask a professional for help when it comes to car maintenance and repairs, changing a car radio antenna is such a simple procedure that it seems senseless to pay someone else to perform this easy task.
2. Savings on the New Antenna
Aside from saving money on labor, one can also save money on parts. Replacing the antenna gives one the freedom to shop around for the lowest price, or to buy an antenna with a high performance rating. When taking a car to a dealer, the replacement parts are usually genuine manufacturer made parts that are often more expensive than perfectly functional generic parts. While many manufacturers warn against using generic parts in the mechanical areas of the car, using a generic antenna will not cause an accident should it fail.
3. No Time is Wasted
Having a car part replaced or repaired can be time consuming. It normally involves driving to the shop, waiting for an attendant, waiting for the work to be carried out, and driving home or back to the office. In some cases one may have to leave the car at the shop for the day. This involves finding transport to and from the shop and the inconvenience of being without transport for an entire day. Carrying out car antenna repairs oneself will eliminate the need to wait around all day.
4. The Risk of Damage to the Car’s Wiring or Dashboard is Reduced
One often hears horror stories of people taking their cars to shops where untrained or poorly trained technicians damage wiring or interior components. Dealerships or shops can refuse to repair the damage as most make it clear that the car is worked on at the owner’s risk. People are far more inclined to be careful with their own possessions, and you will take better care of your car than a stranger will.
5. There is No Danger of the Car Being Damaged While it is Left in the Care of the Dealer
Cars can be damaged while taken for test drives, or while standing in the lot at a dealership. While the replacement of an antenna does not warrant a test drive, one can never be certain that one’s car will not be driven while it is not in one’s care. Leaving the car at a dealership means that one is exposed to damage from inattentive customers and members of staff. In addition, one is at risk of theft, from inside the car and of the car itself.
6. Replacing a Car Radio Antenna is Easy
Considering the amount of money and effort involved in taking a car to a dealer or shop to have the antenna replaced, taking a little time out of a day and doing it yourself is far easier. This is usually not a complicated process, although automatically retracting antennas are more difficult to replace than fixed or manually retracting antennas.