XM Radio

[cspaula]

I see that I have SAT radio button in my 2006 Solara but I am not sure how to get XM radio. Can someone tell me what equipment I need to purchase (besides subscribing to the XM radio) to make it work. Thank you.

CSP

[silver08solara]

You need to buy the XM tuner and the XM fit kit for your car.

The tuner is a box that you install under your front passenger seat, and the fit kit includes the cable that connects the tuner to the stereo and an antenna as well as all the brackets and little bits necessary for installation.

These are available at your Local Toyota dealer ($$$) or online from a Toyota dealer ($)

Just a word of caution: I have a mechanical engineering degree and it took me a little over three hours to install my Sirius, which installs the exact same way XM. I cheated and used my knowledge of how the car is assembled to shortcut the process by not removing all the panels the instructions say to remove. It isn't a project for the faint of heart, especially if you aren't confident that you can get the car back together. Also, if you aren't thin and don't have small hands, you're going to have a time getting the tuner installed without removing the passenger's seat.

[cspaula]

thanks for the reply. I think that I will have someone install it. Not the kind of job I'm up for. Now I know what to buy. Thanks.

CSP

[linmk2]

I purchased my XM module off of eBay. It was a used unit, but the guy still had all the installation instructions. The hardware package had not been opened. I think I paid $115 including shipment. I had it installed and working in about 3 hours. I installed mine per instructions. The hardest part was having to remove the back seat (I have a convertible) and fish the wires from the trunk to the interior. After that, it was not too bad. I was able to reach to the rear of the radio, by removing part of the console. Not a bad job if you don't get in a hurry. Some people enjoy doing things to their cars. However, if you are not one of those people, then it's best to leave it to the professionals.