Locked Car Aerial - advice required

[Curious Orange]

Okay, any mechanics out there who know about those stupid aerials that disappear into their housing and don't come out again?

Just got my car back from my local body shop where it has had a lot of work done getting rid of 18 years of rust.

Unfortunately my original aerial (which had a nice pull up, push down simplicity to it) has been replaced with one of these locking ones - and it's locked - only a screw head is exposed on the top of the aerial. How do I get it out?

 

[Dover]

Have they given you a "key" to go with the aerial?

 

[Beach Hut]

As Dover says - you should have key with it to unlock it and pull it up (so to speak)

 

[Easy 10]

I don't get this trouble with my trusty coathanger.

 

[Lush]

Unscrew the screw head?

Just a thought.

 

[Curious Orange]

No key that I'm aware of. I'll check in the car. If not I'll give them a ring tomorrow.

 

[Yorkie]

Ned says you definitely need the key. They have either put it in the car, on your key ring or forgotten to give it to you.

 

[Cian]

Whoa, they make cars with retractable aerials still?

I'm not sure I can even take the aerial off my Panda (MKII, 2004). Even if I can its plastic and one piece, not retractable in any way...

 

[Curious Orange]

Ned says you definitely need the key. They have either put it in the car, on your key ring or forgotten to give it to you.

Definitely forgotten to give it to me as it isn't on my key ring and it isn't in my motor!!

 

[Curious Orange]

Whoa, they make cars with retractable aerials still?

I'm not sure I can even take the aerial off my Panda (MKII, 2004). Even if I can its plastic and one piece, not retractable in any way...

Golf (MKII, 1986), very retractable. I could get a motorised one fitted, but that is just excess weight as far as I'm concerned.

 

[seagull over spain]

Going by the description curious if you don't have the key a screw driver that fits the slot and just lean to the side will do until you get one.

 

[¡Cereal Killer!]

On my mums car, you have to turn the engine on for the arieal to go up, have you tryed that?

 

[Curious Orange]

Going by the description curious if you don't have the key a screw driver that fits the slot and just lean to the side will do until you get one.

Tried that without much success.

 

[Curious Orange]

On my mums car, you have to turn the engine on for the arieal to go up, have you tryed that?

The cabelling exists for a motorised aerial in my car (it wires into the head-unit to raise the aerial when the radio is on) but I don't actually have a motorised aerial so that suggestion really won't work!!

 

[seagull over spain]

Whilst you lean the screw driver to the side you pull upwards.

 

[Curious Orange]

Cheers for your help everyone. I phoned the garage first thing this morning, and am now in possession of a pair of magic keys for getting my aerial up. I was getting worried that I'd lost my aerial and wouldn't be able to listen to the phone-in after the Wolves game, but now I can!!

 

[Everest]

How about rolling the car onto its roof and banging the chassis? The aerial might drop down.