Antenna routing on Prado 120

[Alex740 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Alex740]

Hi everyone

I have purchased a GME AE4018K1 antenna and am about to install it and the Oricom uhf088. My question specifically is, where should I pass the antenna lead from the engine bay to the interior of the car?

I can see on the passengers side there is a place where a lot of wires go through a bug rubber grommet/bung (not sure for the right word). The grommet had a couple of "pimples" which I imagine can be cut off revealing a small hole in the grommet through which the antenna lead could go. Is this true? Is this the best place to put the lead?

I notice a similar grommet on the drivers side but it does not seem to have the "pimples" so does this mean the passegners side is the best? Does this mean that it is easier/neater to also mount the antenna on the left hand side of the car? I have an ARB Bull bar which does not have lugs for the antenna so i have bough some after market brackets (that can be used for driving lights, antennas, etc). It will have to be mounted in line with the inside edge of the headlight (any closer to the center and it will be hit by the bonnet when it is opened).

So basically I am asking for suggestions about the best route for the antenna lead (from the antenna to the radio, but especially how to get from the engine bay into the cabin).

(Sorry if there is already an answer on the forum - my search skills could not find anything)

Thanks

[Heath74 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Heath74]

Alex, either grommet will be fine, if you are going to mount your antenna on the passenger side of the bull bar, then go with the assented side grommet.

In either grommet there is, as you put it, a lot of wires running thru. This is called a loom, be careful not to damage the wires, with tools etc.

I just carefully cut one of the nipples of and feed the wire thru, sometimes a squirt of CRC on the wire will help get it through, then once it's run, a dab of silicon to seal the hole.

[Alex740 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Alex740]

Thanks Heath. The loom (yes, thanks for the reminder of the term) is very tight and it was definitely my intention to not even try and feed the antenna wire right next to the loom - hence the thought of favouring the passenger side with the nipples because these should be easier to make a hole in than the general surface area of the gromment.
I appreciate your advice in the third paragraph especially - things I am sure I would have thought of 30 years ago but the brain is deteriorating with age ;-)