sangopalan

My garage door was not fully open last night and I knocked off the shark fin. One clip inside the fin is broken and needs replacement. The antenna has a small dent on the very top but works fine. Today I took it to two body shops near by. One said they will order a fin for $50, apply clear paint(?) for $45 and fix it.
The other body shop recommended replacing the antenna as it took a hit from behind, open the roof top, check for any damage, run safety protocols and then replace the fin. Parts and labor adding up to almost one grand.
Antenna looks good and works fine. Should I check anything else or changing the fin will do? Please advice.


Small dent in antenna top.

typocl

that's a real tiny picture you uploaded

But if everything is working fine, I would go with the first option.

TechNut

This is obviously just my opinion, but I would go with the first option. If the second shop is truly taking the headliner out and inspecting it from underneath, they will definitely have some additional labor - but that quote still sounds high unless they saw something that makes them expect additional damage. I have seen situations where a tab (or slot) in the surrounding sheetmetal that a clip attaches to can also be damaged - especially with today's thin-skinned cars, which may explain why the second quote was so much higher as they may have seen/experienced something that made them more cautious. As we all know, some business operators operate from good will and others seek every opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

The bottom line is that you want it done right, but if you don't see any deformities in the surrounding sheet metal and it is working fine, I would take the more economical option. The less expensive company should alert you if they find damage worse than they were expecting as they will want to be compensated for their labor, but the company that already quoted a higher figure may be disinclined to say anything if it turns out to be just a minor repair.

Oh - and one final note, the idea of "running safety protocols" on a shark fin antenna sounds like BS as it isn't something that would impair your safety if the repair wasn't performed right - so that sort of comment doesn't exactly instill trust... It sounds like bluster to convince you they are really looking out for you, hence the high price.

gompka

iTrader: (6)

Check out my post from a couple of years ago shark fin post. I'm 99% sure your antenna is fine and you just need the cover, mine looked just as bad. FYI you can access bolt and connector for antenna by taking out the center seat child seat anchor in the roof.

sangopalan

Thank you. Mine did not cause any scratch or dent in the roof. Thank god for that.

sangopalan

So, the technician replaced the shark fin cover. It is not sitting flush. There is a gap. Though I kept asking to fix it, he insisted that there is no visible gap in the roof and everything should be fine. He also mentioned that to do any extra check he will have to open the entire roof which I am sure is not the case(based on what I read in this forum). Anyway, I am worried if water may leak inside and cause bigger trouble. Should I check with different body shop or apply a sealant or am I just overthinking? Please advise

lesz

I sure would not be happy with that fit, either from a cosmetic point of view or because of the possibility of water entering through the gap.

End1ess

Looks like the top damage part did not bend it back and sand it down to fit the housing all the way in.
never mind about water entering. Look like the design is not meant to keep water out from the housing, the picture doesn't show any kind of water proof sealing.
What I can tell from the picture is the housing are held-in with top and bottom clips. If the bottom clip not all the way in that can fly off in the highway.
You can try to remove the housing and see if they did anything to fix the top bent part.

typocl

I don't know how hard it is to pop the fin off and on, but it would help you greatly if you found someone with an NX who could pop the fin off and you can look at the antenna and see exactly how it differs from what yours currently looks like. I suspect when things went bad, the fin got pulled up from the back and you need to somehow push that down so that when the fin is put back, it'll be flush.

sangopalan

I took it to a different body shop that I know. He said there is no damage to antenna or plate but roof itself is pulled up and needs to be flat. It cannot be corrected from tail gate but entire roof has to come off. He is quoting $1000 for labor. Is this reasonable? I am thinking of driving to dealer itself (their body shop is far) and get it done.

n0v8or

I agree with the assessment of the body shop, but not with their proposed remedial approach. I can see the same gap in the last image you attached to your original post. I suspect either the base or roof panel where the retaining bolt passes through has been deformed or twisted.

Removing the headliner is what Lexus recommends in the factory repair manual. Its a big job; all of the cargo area interior panels must be removed, as well as the front and center pillar trim. Chances of a body shop removing and re-installing all of these delicate parts without inflicting some hidden damage and creating new rattles are slim. I don't know who has to pay the $1000 bill, but I would certainly explore less costly alternatives first.

Here is what I would do in similar circumstances:
Look above the rear center seat and you will see a small door that pulls open to access a strong metal tether for a child seat (refer to attached image). The entire panel and cover can be easily removed without any tools. The black bolt you see retains the anchor to the roof. When I reach into the headliner opening toward the passenger side of the vehicle, I can feel the cable and connector about 2 inches away. I might be wrong, but I do not think it will be possible to attempt a repair through that opening.

I would simply purchase another identical access panel (probably $15 - $20 from Lexus, $5 - $10 from Toyota for a RAV4), cut a new opening in the headliner, and mount it directly under the antenna connector/bolt. The "Center Seat" label can be covered with a new label, printed with an image of the Sharkfin. Now I could get to the underside of the antenna without headliner removal. I doubt if anyone would ever notice the additional panel and cover. I never noticed the one that is there until Gompka mentioned it in post #4. The new panel/cover might require some removal of plastic on the inside if it contacts the connector.

typocl

ok, I know this may be considered a bit hillbilly...but $1000 is a lot of $$$

I wonder if you can take the fin off, then just PUSH down on the antenna to make it a little better. And when you push, does it seem like things would then look right (push and hold)? If so, they make some strong double sided tape...that might be an option.

Use painter's tape to tape the roof around the antenna. Cut some long strips of the double sided tape and move it under the antenna (might need several for more surface area), then press down and cut the excess.

TechNut

This is exactly what I was concerned about when you first posted. I actually don't think the price sounds too bad for the amount of labor that it takes to remove the headliner and repair the roof. The problem with these modern thin-skinned vehicles is that it doesn't take much to bend or warp the metal. Modern design is all about gas mileage these days - the thin metal results in a lighter vehicle and improvements in fuel consumption, but at the same time it results in a more delicate car. We like to "hope" the cage is stronger now because the body of today's vehicle offers little protection.

sangopalan

Thank you for all the replies. I went back to the shop and talked in person. He did explain all the extra work he will have to do to get it done. I did not want to open the roof though. He suggested an alternative of massaging it back like working on hail damages. It was lot of tech talk and I hardly understood. It brings down the cost substantially and I agreed to it. Hopefully it gets resolved with no more surprises. Will keep you posted. For all suggestions for fix, I am no way capable of doing any handy work. Would better pay, get it done and hopefully stay safe. Thanks again.

TechNut

If they have a less expensive option they believe will resolve the issue, I have to wonder why they didn't offer that in the first place?