Please help - Mobile antenna LEAK.

[NewSDScanner]

Hey all,

I installed this antenna which is an 800Mhz magnet-mount to my 2008 Honda Civic coupe like so:

If you can't tell, this is the trunk right where it meets the rear window on the driver's side of the car.

Now, I ran the RG58 cable as you can see down into the trunk area and I then harnessed it to the left trunk "hinge" near the rest of the car's trunk's electrical wires in the area circled:

All else is well and the cable tension is fine. In fact there are TWO gaskets between the trunk and the area where the antenna is mounted (you can see the thick one in the photo of the blue civic running around the border of the trunk.The only problem is that although there are indeed those 2 gaskets, and there honestly isn't much of a gap due to the cable, a small amount of water is "riding down the cable" and getting into my trunk anyway. The manufacturer of the antenna told me to get some Permatex Ultra Black and create a gasket seal around the small gap between the cable and the rest of the car's stock gasket. I did buy this product but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to apply it properly or if that is really the best option after all. Keep in mind that I still need to be able to open my trunk. Does anyone have experience with this or suggestions? Is there some kind of grommet I could get? I know it can be done because I've seen other people with theirs wired very similar. Thank you!

 

[W2NJS]

The antenna people make a lip mount which provides a much better seal than the seal you're now getting. The mount is held in place by two screws on the underside of the mount that press on the underside of the trunk lid. It should work better than the way you're now set up, unless of course there is some basic design flaw in the way Honda installed that rubber trunk seal. A better temporary sealer, if you have to go that route, might be what we call RTV because it's not "goopy" and won't run when it gets hot. One other thought I had was to run the mag mount coax on the SIDE of the trunk lid so that you don't get all the water that runs down the rear window.

 

[NewSDScanner]

Ok thanks. Well, that stuff I talked about above is actually an RTV apparently (it says so on the package) so I could use that, but I'm just confused on how to apply it. I feel like if I apply it, opening the trunk will just tear it apart. Does that make sense?

 

[SignalSeeker]

You need a drip loop in the gap betweem the two seals.

The first picture on this page shows you the idea;
Capt'n Pauley's Virtual Boat Yard -- Projects Galore!!!: Keep the Wiring Dry with a Drip Loop

You will have to adapt a little for on a vehicle.

Justin

 

[GrumpyGuard]

Make a small loop with the RG58. You want the loop to hang just above the metal of the car (between the window gasket and the trunk gasket) This will allow the water to drip off the coax onto the car just above the trunk gasket. This will allow the water to flow down the body using the natural channel down to the bumper. You will find your trunk will stay dry and you won't have to use any type of sealer. The water will flow to the bottom of the loop and drip off.

I hope this helps

 

[GrumpyGuard]

You need a drip loop in the gap betweem the two seals.

The first picture on this page shows you the idea;
Capt'n Pauley's Virtual Boat Yard -- Projects Galore!!!: Keep the Wiring Dry with a Drip Loop

You will have to adapt a little for on a vehicle.

Justin

Sorry to post the same info. You must have posted as I was composing my response.

 

[NewSDScanner]

I totally understand what you mean but I'm not sure if it's feasible because of the location and the fact that the trunk has to open and close. I studied the area for about 15 minutes and found that I don't really have a way to harness the cable so that it stays in the "drip loop" position while the trunk is opened and closed. What will happen is that the opening and closing of the trunk will take the slack used for the drip loop and allow the cable to migrate outside by the antenna so that I have slack sticking out up there, and it will remove the loop. If I drilled a hole or two in the underlining of the trunk lid, I could probably anchor it to keep the drip loop put, but if I wanted to drill holes, I wouldn't have gotten a magnet mount!

Likewise, I don't know how the sealant would work because the trunk has to be opened and when the trunk opens, it will break any seal I make... I didn't think this was going to be such a big deal! I'm about to go out to Fry's electronics automotive just to see if they have any ideas. It just sucks because time is ticking and if it rains, I'm going to be in trouble or I'll have to remove the whole thing.

 

[NewSDScanner]

I just filmed a video to illustrate: 800Mhz antenna install - YouTube

 

[jimg]

Hey all,

I installed this antenna which is an 800Mhz magnet-mount to my 2008 Honda Civic coupe like so:

If you can't tell, this is the trunk right where it meets the rear window on the driver's side of the car.

Now, I ran the RG58 cable as you can see down into the trunk area and I then harnessed it to the left trunk "hinge" near the rest of the car's trunk's electrical wires in the area circled:

All else is well and the cable tension is fine. In fact there are TWO gaskets between the trunk and the area where the antenna is mounted (you can see the thick one in the photo of the blue civic running around the border of the trunk.The only problem is that although there are indeed those 2 gaskets, and there honestly isn't much of a gap due to the cable, a small amount of water is "riding down the cable" and getting into my trunk anyway. The manufacturer of the antenna told me to get some Permatex Ultra Black and create a gasket seal around the small gap between the cable and the rest of the car's stock gasket. I did buy this product but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to apply it properly or if that is really the best option after all. Keep in mind that I still need to be able to open my trunk. Does anyone have experience with this or suggestions? Is there some kind of grommet I could get? I know it can be done because I've seen other people with theirs wired very similar. Thank you!

I had the same problem with my 2003 Honda Accord. I found that using a lip mount "pushed down" or crimped the rubber seal and allowed water into the trunk. So, I then installed a magnet mount, like the one shown in your picture, mounted it toward the top of the trunk, passenger side, and then routed the cable down the channel adjacent to the rubber seal, being careful not to touch the rubber seal. To keep the cable in place, I took some of the double-sided tape that Radio Shack sells, and placed in on the channel and then put the cable on top of it, spacing it out as I went. I continued doing this and routed the cable so it came it to the trunk at the bottom. This worked for me and kept the water out of the trunk, but later I took it off because the magnet left a "circle" or discoloration on the trunk lid.

 

[NewSDScanner]

jimg, AHA! I had thought of running the cable that way too but what I didn't think of was using tape. So what you're saying is to run the cable down the channel next to (on the outside of) the rubber water seal with tape, right? My only question to this is how did the tape continue to hold the cable down after being drenched from water running through the channel? Also, what made you decide to use double-sided tape and put the cable on TOP rather than just tape the cable down with regular single-sided tape?

I just want to say thank you so much because I've talked to about 8 people now and nobody has known how to solve this other than with a drill and some weird silicone placement.

 

[jimg]

jimg, AHA! I had thought of running the cable that way too but what I didn't think of was using tape. So what you're saying is to run the cable down the channel next to (on the outside of) the rubber water seal with tape, right? My only question to this is how did the tape continue to hold the cable down after being drenched from water running through the channel? Also, what made you decide to use double-sided tape and put the cable on TOP rather than just tape the cable down with regular single-sided tape?

I just want to say thank you so much because I've talked to about 8 people now and nobody has known how to solve this other than with a drill and some weird silicone placement.

Yes, I ran the cable down the channel, where the water normally goes, and did not touch the rubber gasket. I took the tape and pressed one-half of it down on the channel, I then put the cable on top of the tape, and folded the remaining one-half of the tape over the cable to hold it in place--tape on the bottom of the cable and tape on the top of the cable. I then put the slip of paper that comes on the tape itself, that you peel off, on top of the cable, to cover over the sticky tape. After a while it did get dirty, and I replaced it, repeating the same procedure. I also was careful to be sure that when the cable entered the channel from the magnet mount, it did not push down or pinch the gasket in any way, because that is what makes it possible for the water to come into the trunk. I used the RS tape described because it is already cut in the right lengths and I have found is easier to remove, although it does require some effort. The longer the tape stays on, the harder it is to remove, is what I have found to be the case.

 

[NewSDScanner]

Yes, I ran the cable down the channel, where the water normally goes, and did not touch the rubber gasket. I took the tape and pressed one-half of it down on the channel, I then put the cable on top of the tape, and folded the remaining one-half of the tape over the cable to hold it in place--tape on the bottom of the cable and tape on the top of the cable. I then put the slip of paper that comes on the tape itself, that you peel off, on top of the cable, to cover over the sticky tape. After a while it did get dirty, and I replaced it, repeating the same procedure. I also was careful to be sure that when the cable entered the channel from the magnet mount, it did not push down or pinch the gasket in any way, because that is what makes it possible for the water to come into the trunk. I used the RS tape described because it is already cut in the right lengths and I have found is easier to remove, although it does require some effort. The longer the tape stays on, the harder it is to remove, is what I have found to be the case.

Cool, thank you so much for the help. I spent like 2 days trying to work this out.