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Perrysburg Dodgeboy

Perrysburg, Ohio USA

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Posted: 12/05/16 12:20am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

It tore the whole antenna assembly out of the fender. This is not a car wash issue, it is an poor design. A simple under cut on the antenna mast would allow it to snap off easier and not have the whole antenna rip out of the fender!

Ford is going to have a lot of unhappy customers with repair costs like we are starting to see. That and the fact that not every Ford dealership is able to do these repairs along with the parts shortage.

Don


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Roger10378

Goodrich, MI.

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Posted: 12/04/16 06:51am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

When I was working at a major car plant in the late 60's they installed a new automatic car wash on the property. All of their production had the windshield antenna so they did not include the system to go around the antenna. When it was finished all the contractors lined up to get a "free" car wash. The 7th or 8th car/truck was in the wash by the time word got back that it was snapping off all the antenna's. Sure car washes do occasionally snap off an antenna. They are made to break off easily, but I have never seen one tear the mount off of the fender.


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Bird Freak

Dallas Ga.

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Posted: 12/03/16 11:44am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:

Bird Freak wrote:

Everyone saying sorry for damage to his truck should see this for what it is. OP is not the owner. He owns a Ram. Now take it for what it is. Just saying!


Good call as I would say your calling out the trolls.

BTW... My Super Duty manual says to "Remove any external accessories including the antenna before entering a car wash".


LOL just because the OP has a Ram and posts about an issue with a Ford he is a Troll? Good to know for the next time you two post your Ram this GM that posts LMAOGood to know for the next time you two post your Ram this GM that posts LMAO.

The issue is with the side brushes not the overhead brush. In every car wash the side brushes turn clockwise and wide vehicles tend to push the brushes further into the side of the vehicle. By doing this an antenna can end up wrapping itself around the the center of the brush ripping it off the truck.

Given the Ford is now all aluminum that means so is the ant fender mount. Aluminum tends to rip under stress and if you look at the pic you can clearly see it ripped the whole ant assembly out of the fender.

A steel fender would withstand this and the ant would snap off at the stud. Does this mean Ford has a defective truck? NO, no it doesn't. It means you remove your antenna before going through a car wash or pay the piper!

BTW I have not seen a car wash that did not say you have to remove the antenna from the vehicle. I have been to car washes all over the country and seen it!

Don
I don't think I have posted anything negative about Ram or GM. Some of their owners yes!


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IBcarguy

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Posted: 11/29/16 09:16pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

That must have made you sick. I use the car wash and keep a little wrench in my center console to remove the antenna before I enter. I sometimes wondered if it was a waste of time but after seeing what happened to your truck, I'm glad I do it. I've never been through any car washes that didn't have a sign that said to remove your antenna though.

TurnThePage

North ID

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Posted: 11/28/16 08:53am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

FishOnOne wrote:

Bird Freak wrote:

Everyone saying sorry for damage to his truck should see this for what it is. OP is not the owner. He owns a Ram. Now take it for what it is. Just saying!


Good call as I would say your calling out the trolls.

BTW... My Super Duty manual says to "Remove any external accessories including the antenna before entering a car wash".
This deserves a big fat LOL! [emoticon]


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Perrysburg Dodgeboy

Perrysburg, Ohio USA

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Posted: 11/28/16 03:45am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

FishOnOne wrote:

Bird Freak wrote:

Everyone saying sorry for damage to his truck should see this for what it is. OP is not the owner. He owns a Ram. Now take it for what it is. Just saying!


Good call as I would say your calling out the trolls.

BTW... My Super Duty manual says to "Remove any external accessories including the antenna before entering a car wash".


LOL just because the OP has a Ram and posts about an issue with a Ford he is a Troll? Good to know for the next time you two post your Ram this GM that posts LMAO.

The issue is with the side brushes not the overhead brush. In every car wash the side brushes turn clockwise and wide vehicles tend to push the brushes further into the side of the vehicle. By doing this an antenna can end up wrapping itself around the the center of the brush ripping it off the truck.

Given the Ford is now all aluminum that means so is the ant fender mount. Aluminum tends to rip under stress and if you look at the pic you can clearly see it ripped the whole ant assembly out of the fender.

A steel fender would withstand this and the ant would snap off at the stud. Does this mean Ford has a defective truck? NO, no it doesn't. It means you remove your antenna before going through a car wash or pay the piper!

BTW I have not seen a car wash that did not say you have to remove the antenna from the vehicle. I have been to car washes all over the country and seen it!

Don

FishOnOne

The Great State of Texas

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Posted: 11/25/16 08:14pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Bird Freak wrote:

Everyone saying sorry for damage to his truck should see this for what it is. OP is not the owner. He owns a Ram. Now take it for what it is. Just saying!


Good call as I would say your calling out the trolls.

BTW... My Super Duty manual says to "Remove any external accessories including the antenna before entering a car wash".


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Bird Freak

Dallas Ga.

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Posted: 11/25/16 05:53pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Everyone saying sorry for damage to his truck should see this for what it is. OP is not the owner. He owns a Ram. Now take it for what it is. Just saying!

Huntindog

Phoenix AZ

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Posted: 11/25/16 05:41pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

I have never taken my vehicles thru a car wash, but as a boy in the 70s, my dad took us thru one every Sunday.... It was the kind with brushes, and he never removed the antenna.... Never had a problem either.


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Krusty

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Posted: 11/25/16 03:31pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Never in my life have I heard of anybody taking their antenna off before entering a carwash. Of course I haven't used one of those scratchy brush type carwashes in decades.


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