Thread: 2009 Charger Antenna Location Help

Hey all. I have an 09 Charger and I am running into a new problem. I have 2 antennas installed with a the Laird Trunk Lip mount located symmetrically in the center of the trunk (in line with the 2 parallel defroster lines on the window). They have been doing fine (the cables run from that point under the trunk to the large space on the inside of the trunk roof, and follow that on the inside to where the wiring harness for the 3rd brake light passes through into the main body of the trunk). However they have been there about a year and the cable as it passes over the rubber molding on its trip from the antenna base to the area where the cable goes into the inside part of the lid, has begun to depress the molding causing my trunk to leak in the 2 areas where the cables pass over it. When I was first measuring it seemed these mounts wouldnt be able to sqweeze on the driver and passenger side of my trunk, which is why the were installed on inner lip by the window. However I recently saw a charger placed exactly like so with the same mounts I do and doesnt seem to be a problem. I would assume if I relocate them I would have the same problem as I do now just in a different location due to the molding (not to mention a nasty mark from where the two antennas are placed now). If anyone has these antenna mounts on a charger Id like to know how they look underneath and if you put fastners on etc. Ill snap some pics and send em up here as soon as I can so everyone can get a better idea.
Thanks!

Here is what it looks like now

Are you sure thats where its leaking? Chances are its coming from where you cut the boot to run it into the trunk.. I have done numerous trunk lip mounts identical to yours and never had a leak. I remove the boot on both sides and run the coax through the boot following the factory wiring then reinstall the boot. The rubber edge molding should be flexable enough to not let water in. The water that does get in at the gap should run down the trunk channel and not along the coax.

Originally Posted by Respondcode3

Are you sure thats where its leaking? Chances are its coming from where you cut the boot to run it into the trunk.. I have done numerous trunk lip mounts identical to yours and never had a leak. I remove the boot on both sides and run the coax through the boot following the factory wiring then reinstall the boot. The rubber edge molding should be flexable enough to not let water in. The water that does get in at the gap should run down the trunk channel and not along the coax.

Same here, never ever had a problem. You could also use silicone around the boot and see if that helps.

I had the same issue with a 2006 Charger. I use lip mounts quite often and the 2006-2010 Chargers are the only cars I have seen leak like what you describe. Best fix is to simply drill holes and mount the antennas through the lid.

Thanks guys. As long as I dont have to move the antennas. I am wondering if I should just install some kind of clip/fastner to route the wire a little differently. The rubber boot in the corner is all siliconed up with Black Silicone and is dry as a bone both top side and underneath where it passes through. Its hard to tell exactly how the water is getting in either running down the coax into the trunk or not. It definitely happens at those two specific points though and stays very concentrated directly underneath. It happens very quickly and seems to be when I open the trunk, as for if it stays dry while actually getting soaked I havent found someone gullable enough to hop in the trunk while I hit the back windshield with a garden hose. Ive tried that test numerous times solo and its just very hard to tell if its actually running down the coax while the trunk is shut, or if it only happens when I open it, etc. All I know is I got back from the car wash today and my gear had a lot more water on it than usual.

This maybe simple enough that it sounds stupid, but it may work.

The rubber placed around the metal lip on the trunk, pull it up to expose the lip, right where the rubber touches the trunk lid where the cables are, place some tape like electrical tape on the metal, kinda thick, so when the rubber is pressed back down into place, it makes it raise up a few more MM then it was, that way when the trunk lip is closed, it is creating more pressure on the seal, pressing it harder against the cable, hopefully sealing the gap.

Another Idea, to see how well the gap is being sealed is take a piece of tape, place it LOOSELY over the cable on the trunk lid, and close it, then reopen it. You can see by how well the tape was pressed down by the rubber to see if it is enough pressure to seal the gap the cable is causing. The maybe around the cable area, fill the gaps shown by the tape with silicone.


I do not know if any of these ideas will work, as I never tried any of them, I just thought of them right now. But maybe it will lead to other ideas by someone else.

Thanks for the ideas Ill give it a shot and let ya know.

I can't help as far as the actual leak goes, but to find where it is, put a big piece of cardboard under the trunk and pour some water over the edges and that'll tell ya where it's at. And then you can go from there.

Why don't you go with a permanent mount instead of the lip mount? In both cases, the paint job is ruined anyway.

I installed the units myself and in no way have the bit, or want to tempt the drilling etc etc......So it would be a matter of me bringing it to someone to install the perm because that is far out of my skill level. Otherwise I have no contest to putting them on hole mounts

Chargers are very easy to do trunk holes . Any 2-way shop can do it.