Need to swap out the antenna on 2019 Explorer

[AL1001]

I have a 2019 Explorer Limited. My roof antenna was completely wiped out by my garage door. I want to replace it with a "Shark Fin" style antenna instead of the old "stick" antenna. Finding a compatible replacement has proven to be much more difficult than I imagined. But if you can swap out an engine or a transmission, you should be able to swap out an antenna. I have exhausted my searches online. Ebay has not helped. Neither has the dealers' parts dept. The problem has been matching the connectors on the antenna to what's in the vehicle. I'll attach some pictures to better explain. I have made access to the antenna by moving the headliner, so I removed was left out, and revealed the connectors. I'm hoping someone out there has some suggestions I can swap out connectors if I could find pin-outs and/or color codes for the wires. I have Sirius radio, GPS. and Sony AM/FM radio with 4.6" screen. None of which are working now. Help, please, if you can. All I have is a hole in my roof.

 

[peterk9]

I have a 2019 Explorer Limited. My roof antenna was completely wiped out by my garage door. I want to replace it with a "Shark Fin" style antenna instead of the old "stick" antenna. Finding a compatible replacement has proven to be much more difficult than I imagined. But if you can swap out an engine or a transmission, you should be able to swap out an antenna. I have exhausted my searches online. Ebay has not helped. Neither has the dealers' parts dept. The problem has been matching the connectors on the antenna to what's in the vehicle. I'll attach some pictures to better explain. I have made access to the antenna by moving the headliner, so I removed was left out, and revealed the connectors. I'm hoping someone out there has some suggestions I can swap out connectors if I could find pin-outs and/or color codes for the wires. I have Sirius radio, GPS. and Sony AM/FM radio with 4.6" screen. None of which are working now. Help, please, if you can. All I have is a hole in my roof.

Welcome to the Forum.
I'm guessing from the look of it that it is slightly different than this older one. Shark fin Antenna Install + Pics
Perhaps you could give these guys a call. VG Shark Fin Antenna - Visual Garage Inc.

Peter

 

[AL1001]

Welcome to the Forum.
I'm guessing from the look of it that it is slightly different than this older one. Shark fin Antenna Install + Pics
Perhaps you could give these guys a call. VG Shark Fin Antenna - Visual Garage Inc.

Peter

Those only work if the base is intact. It plugs into where the existing antenna screwed into, and a cover goes over the existing base. I need the complete assembly.

 

[peterk9]

Those only work if the base is intact. It plugs into where the existing antenna screwed into, and a cover goes over the existing base. I need the complete assembly.

It's possible that they may have the entire unit that you need. No one else has required the whole antenna before. You can always check with them.

Peter

 

[mmorey79]

Do you have wireless internet/fordpass access? I've never seen that pair of connectors but I've never looked at a 4g compatible antenna. Most stock explorers 11-19 came with the dual fakra "mustard" color and a single blue wire with 3 pin connector. This is one of the two main "standard" for antenna styles. The other being a dual blue like what you've shown, but typically those have no other connectors if they're AM/FM/Satellite/GPS. I'm guessing the second connector you're showing based on the results you've posted is the cellular antenna. The question is if the second smaller pin is the equivalent of the blue wire on a the dual mustard, which from my understanding is 12v as amplification is internal on the dual mustard style. If it's not 12v and the cellular equipped models have a separate amplifier like the other dual blue, you could potentially swap to a dual blue radio/gps/sat only antenna. There's no such thing as a true shark fin with cellular, you have what I'd call a hybrid shark fin that has the stinger added on for cellular. And that's what you're showing in your "this is what I have but don't want the mast" picture. Basically, if you want full functionality, eliminating the mast isn't really feasible without engineering a new cellular antenna somehow.

 

[AL1001]

Do you have wireless internet/fordpass access? I've never seen that pair of connectors but I've never looked at a 4g compatible antenna. Most stock explorers 11-19 came with the dual fakra "mustard" color and a single blue wire with 3 pin connector. This is one of the two main "standard" for antenna styles. The other being a dual blue like what you've shown, but typically those have no other connectors if they're AM/FM/Satellite/GPS. I'm guessing the second connector you're showing based on the results you've posted is the cellular antenna. The question is if the second smaller pin is the equivalent of the blue wire on a the dual mustard, which from my understanding is 12v as amplification is internal on the dual mustard style. If it's not 12v and the cellular equipped models have a separate amplifier like the other dual blue, you could potentially swap to a dual blue radio/gps/sat only antenna. There's no such thing as a true shark fin with cellular, you have what I'd call a hybrid shark fin that has the stinger added on for cellular. And that's what you're showing in your "this is what I have but don't want the mast" picture. Basically, if you want full functionality, eliminating the mast isn't really feasible without engineering a new cellular antenna somehow.

Wow, thanks. I really didn't think this would be so involved. I think what I am going to try is to put back an original wiring antenna. I will then unscrew the mast and screw in something like a Visual Garage VG Shark Fin Antenna - Visual Garage Inc. cover (picture). Thoughts?

 

[AL1001]

Wow, thanks. I really didn't think this would be so involved. I think what I am going to try is to put back an original wiring antenna. I will then unscrew the mast and screw in something like a Visual Garage VG Shark Fin Antenna - Visual Garage Inc. cover (picture). Thoughts?

Ebay shows some similar ones.

 

[AL1001]

It's possible that they may have the entire unit that you need. No one else has required the whole antenna before. You can always check with them.

Peter

Thanks. I am buying the original version and trying the Visual Garage (VG Shark Fin Antenna - Visual Garage Inc.) work-around.

 

[mmorey79]

Depending on color at least the ramble shark fin on amazon is big enough to cover our rather large antenna, and is relatively cheap, but if you want a oem color match I think the VG is the only option. I'm not sure how well it will play with the cell signal (my understanding is that's what the stick antenna is for) either way though.

 

[Michael Blackburn]

The mast on the AM/FM/Sirius/GPS/Cell antenna is for AM/FM radio. You can buy a stubby mast from Amazon that works just as good as the long whip thing.
Amazon Stubby

 

[AdamWest436]

What's broke the base or the mast? You have a lone shark or shark with antenna sticking out? If the whole base, It's this(check vin before ordering) unpainted. Original 2018-2019 Ford Cover JB5Z-18936-AFPTM | Levittown Ford Parts

If just the antenna mast the VG garage mark 2 is the largest base they carry unless they went bigger. The largest base is the span of a 2011 to 2014ish Chevy Cruze size if you have one near to compare size. I have an auto zone Carbon Fiber stubby antenna on my replacement base. The radio signal is OK and it doesn't get snagged by car washes if you ever go though those. Make sure you also drop the liner and make sure the base didn't get hit enough to loosen up when it got whacked. YT videos said pop out the 3rd row cargo light but it wasn't anywhere close to that opening for me on my 19. I noticed rain would run down the back right cargo window when it rained or going thought touch(less) washes. Then when it finally went out, I lost XM and my car's location was fording Lake Erie somewhere between Ohio Michigan and Canada. The stubby also didn't work for me on the broken base I ended up using a rather long boi antenna. Once I replaced the base the stubby worked just fine like OEM quality.

 

[mmorey79]

The mast on the AM/FM/Sirius/GPS/Cell antenna is for AM/FM radio. You can buy a stubby mast from Amazon that works just as good as the long whip thing.
Amazon Stubby

Are you positive about that, there are THREE antennas, shark fin, shark fin with stick and regular black base with stick. The shark fin with stick is only found on models with cellular, which leads me to believe the cellular is what is dependent on the stick antenna. I believe the "stick" antenna is different as well from the standard lowest trim black base and stick unit. Seems counter intuitive that the most optioned model would be uglied up with a stick antenna unless Ford had no other choice to get decent signal for the cellular portion. There are a number of hidden antenna technologies that they could have implemented to make AM/FM work without resorting to that if the space was an issue due to the cellular antenna being inside the shark fin part.

 

[Michael Blackburn]

Are you positive about that, there are THREE antennas, shark fin, shark fin with stick and regular black base with stick. The shark fin with stick is only found on models with cellular, which leads me to believe the cellular is what is dependent on the stick antenna. I believe the "stick" antenna is different as well from the standard lowest trim black base and stick unit. Seems counter intuitive that the most optioned model would be uglied up with a stick antenna unless Ford had no other choice to get decent signal for the cellular portion. There are a number of hidden antenna technologies that they could have implemented to make AM/FM work without resorting to that if the space was an issue due to the cellular antenna being inside the shark fin part.

This is the one I have. My 18 Limited has AM/FM/Sirius/GPS and the 4G modem for FordPass.
Antenna
I just looked at my 2018 Ford wiring diagram, the antenna on the top back has an AM/FM output and a Sirius/GPS output. The Sirius/GPS coax is split and goes into Audio Control Module (Sirius) and the APIM (GPS). Nowhere in my diagrams does it show the 4G modem (Telematic Control Unit (TCU)) connected to the top antenna. The TCU only has four wires: Pwr, Gnd, Can+ and Can-.

The stick is definitly AM/FM because when I removed it, the radio just received static, Sirius and GPS and 4G still worked. I have one of those Amazon Stubby antennas on there now.

 

[peterk9]

What's broke the base or the mast? You have a lone shark or shark with antenna sticking out? If the whole base, It's this(check vin before ordering) unpainted. Original 2018-2019 Ford Cover JB5Z-18936-AFPTM | Levittown Ford Parts

..........................................

You can order the Shark Fin from Visual Garage painted to match the vehicle. They will require the paint code.

Peter

 

[AdamWest436]

You can order the Shark Fin from Visual Garage painted to match the vehicle. They will require the paint code.

Peter

Good to know they have a size for us. My antenna never got painted, LOL

Are you positive about that, there are THREE antennas, shark fin, shark fin with stick and regular black base with stick. The shark fin with stick is only found on models with cellular, which leads me to believe the cellular is what is dependent on the stick antenna. I believe the "stick" antenna is different as well from the standard lowest trim black base and stick unit. Seems counter intuitive that the most optioned model would be uglied up with a stick antenna unless Ford had no other choice to get decent signal for the cellular portion. There are a number of hidden antenna technologies that they could have implemented to make AM/FM work without resorting to that if the space was an issue due to the cellular antenna being inside the shark fin part.

Yep we got the Fancy Fin and a random stick just for AM/FM channels. When I broke the base I lost the GPS and XM but Carplay and the XM app came in clutch. The modem still work oddly, didn't question it.

 

[mmorey79]

Good to know they have a size for us. My antenna never got painted, LOL


Yep we got the Fancy Fin and a random stick just for AM/FM channels. When I broke the base I lost the GPS and XM but Carplay and the XM app came in clutch. The modem still work oddly, didn't question it.

Very Ford of them to manage to make the fully loaded newer models look dumb over an AM/FM stick, I wonder if the extra plug is the second ACM diversity plug then for better radio reception and what not, I assumed they just split that like they did GPS/Sirius but I haven't seen the guts of a new one. Can't imagine what else the second connector could be for.