# Starting my sirius install this weekend...



## Dale Pickle (Apr 22, 2003)

This is the first time I've ever attempted to install anything in a car myself. I am a serious automotive noob. So I noticed the first step on the instructions is to disconnect the battery. How do I do this? Told you I was a noob!


----------



## jogus (Dec 8, 2005)

Dale Pickle said:


> This is the first time I've ever attempted to install anything in a car myself. I am a serious automotive noob. So I noticed the first step on the instructions is to disconnect the battery. How do I do this? Told you I was a noob!


Everyone has to start somewhere  Here is an excerpt from www.my330i.com/mod23.php

1. First disconnect the battery. It is not safe to remove or handle the airbag components live. The battery is in the trunk on the passenger side under the black cover. Lift the spare tire cover. Twist and remove the two fasteners holding the battery cover on. Using the 10mm Nut Driver, loosen the nut on the negative (black) side until you can disconnect the cable (Photo A - Red Circle). Move it somewhere where it won't come back into contact with the battery terminal on accident

Let us know how it goes :thumbup:


----------



## Dale Pickle (Apr 22, 2003)

jogus said:


> Everyone has to start somewhere  Here is an excerpt from www.my330i.com/mod23.php
> 
> 1. First disconnect the battery. It is not safe to remove or handle the airbag components live. The battery is in the trunk on the passenger side under the black cover. Lift the spare tire cover. Twist and remove the two fasteners holding the battery cover on. Using the 10mm Nut Driver, loosen the nut on the negative (black) side until you can disconnect the cable (Photo A - Red Circle). Move it somewhere where it won't come back into contact with the battery terminal on accident
> 
> Let us know how it goes :thumbup:


Thanks! I think I can handle that.


----------



## badfinger (Apr 3, 2006)

Depending on exactly what you are doing and the car you are working on, my experience last weekend might be of benefit to you. I installed the BMW OEM Sirius receiver and antennae last weekend in my 04 M3. Overall, it was an easy install, but there were a couple of things that didn't go exactly as planned. First, the antennae had two leads, one marked satellite, one terrestrial. The receiver only had a place to plug one in (satellite). So far, my reception is excellent so I guess that doesn't matter. Also, the antennae satellite lead had a orange connector on the end. It would not fit into the receiver receptacle. I had to take some needlenose pliers and remove the connector from the antennae lead so it would plug into the receiver receptacle. Once the connector was removed, no problem. Of course Murphy's law took over and my receiver was actually bad, it would work when I first connected the battery, but if the car sat for more than an hour or so, the receiver would not work until I 'initialized' it again.:loco: 
But Tom from European Auto Source provided me with another receiver and advise, so now everything works as its supposed to! 
The only other thing to consider is where you want the antennae to reside. My car has the shark fin on it, so I wasn't too keen on having another obstruction on the roof of my car. So I put it on the rear shelf, secured with velcro. No problems with reception, and doesn't look too tacky!
Good luck, the install instructions from BMW are actually pretty good, but you may have to do some 'creative engineering' to complete the job!


----------



## SRFast (Sep 3, 2003)

Dale Pickle said:


> This is the first time I've ever attempted to install anything in a car myself. I am a serious automotive noob. So I noticed the first step on the instructions is to disconnect the battery. How do I do this? Told you I was a noob!


What year is your car?

Regards...JL


----------



## Dale Pickle (Apr 22, 2003)

SRFast said:


> What year is your car?
> 
> Regards...JL


2003


----------



## SRFast (Sep 3, 2003)

Dale Pickle said:


> 2003


The most difficult part of this installation is deciding where you are going to mount the Sirius antenna. Installing the Sirius receiver in a 2003 E46 is very easy. You will have to remove the left side trunk panel becuase the Sirius receiver mounts behind it. The CD changer cables are also behind there and they are usually wrapped in a black cover and secured to other cables with black clothe tape. I hope you purchased the mounting kit for your car because it has the required brackets and fasteners. Does your receiver have a single or two antenna connector? It is such a simple plug & play install, I wouldn't even disconnect the battery. Just make sure the raido HU is powered off. If all goes well, it shouldn't take you more than 60-90 minutes to complete the install.

Hope this helps and good luck....JL


----------



## Dale Pickle (Apr 22, 2003)

Yes I have the mounting kit. I'm having trouble just figuring out how to take out the trunk panel?


----------



## SRFast (Sep 3, 2003)

Dale Pickle said:


> Yes I have the mounting kit. I'm having trouble just figuring out how to take out the trunk panel?


Don't let it intimidate you. The best approach is to remove the left rear lamp cover and spare tire cover. There are several plastic clips that need to be removed. If you don't have a door panel removal tool, get an old metal fork and break off one of the middle tines. This can be used to pry off the plastic clips. The panel edges are also tucked under other panels, but will come free. The reinstallation is just the reverse.

Hope this helps....JL


----------



## LDV330i (May 24, 2003)

Yea they warn you about the battery but did not that when I installed my XM Direct (Sirius substitute) radio. My car did not blow up.


----------



## Dale Pickle (Apr 22, 2003)

I got the install mostly finished last night. I still need to put my trunk back together and secure the antenna with some velcro or something.

I ran into a couple snags. First, removing the trunk liner was a bit of a disaster. I snapped the head off of one of the anchor things when trying to budge it out with a screwdriver. Oops. And, since I have an ED car, I have a warning triangle mount where the anchor close to the tail-light usually is and I couldn't figure out how to get it out. Eventually I just pulled on it hard and it came out, whether it goes back in remains to be seen.

Next, the audio and power connectors were very well hidden and it took me a long time to find them. I had found a different bundle of cables with some fiber optic cables in it and was puzzled why none of them fit into my receiver.

Running the antenna actually was one of the easiest parts. Thanks to this forum, I found some very good instructions on how to run the cable through the child seat anchor hole and onto the package shelf. I activated my radio last night and reception was great for my entire ride into work this morning. Yay.

Now I just need to get that trunk back together...


----------



## SRFast (Sep 3, 2003)

Glad to hear you got it installed. Most BMW owners installing the CD changer/Sirius/BT have a difficult time finding the cables because they are not labeled. Use this link: *http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=EV53&mospid=47725&btnr=51_3257&hg=51&fg=65* to identify the broken fasteners and go to your local BMW dealer to order them.

Good luck....JL


----------



## Dale Pickle (Apr 22, 2003)

Thanks, that looks like a very handy link.

One more question: I have the OEM antenna (the small one) and it has this additional plastic piece about a foot down the cable that is preventing me from pulling the cable as far into the trunk as I would like. I'm fairly sure I saw another post where a guy had this same issue but I can't seem to find it. I think there was a picture of him pointing to the piece in question. Has anyone found a way to deal with this?


----------



## Dale Pickle (Apr 22, 2003)

I found the post I was thinking of but he's actually pointing at a different piece. The piece in question for me is the one further up the cable (upper left of the picture). Is there a way to remove it? Or can it possibly be forced into the trunk through the hole you can get to from the child anchor hole?

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126573


----------



## badfinger (Apr 3, 2006)

Dale Pickle said:


> I found the post I was thinking of but he's actually pointing at a different piece. The piece in question for me is the one further up the cable (upper left of the picture). Is there a way to remove it? Or can it possibly be forced into the trunk through the hole you can get to from the child anchor hole?
> 
> http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126573


Are you referring to the grommet? If so, it will slide up or down the wire as needed.


----------



## SRFast (Sep 3, 2003)

Dale Pickle said:


> I found the post I was thinking of but he's actually pointing at a different piece. The piece in question for me is the one further up the cable (upper left of the picture). Is there a way to remove it? Or can it possibly be forced into the trunk through the hole you can get to from the child anchor hole?
> 
> http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126573


Yes, it looks like the grommet. If you are able to slide the rubbrr grommet up/down the antenna lead, it is not molded onto the cable. If that is the case, I would remove it using a razor. If you don't want to remove it, use a pair of scissors to trim away the widest portion of the grommet, at least enough that the antenna lead fits through the hole. The grommet is only needed if you mount the antenna on the EXTERIOR (roof or trunk lid).

If you have a problem with the antenna "tail", you can always purchase one of these without a tail: http://www.tss-radio.com/sirius-antennas-c-42.html?osCsid=6842eaac7dc6e7f3b666ee5e72d08fc4

Hope this helps...JL


----------



## Dale Pickle (Apr 22, 2003)

Yep, I checked and it does slide up and down freely so I am going to slice it off. Thanks!


----------



## Dale Pickle (Apr 22, 2003)

*Success!*

I got everything cleaned up and put back together this afternoon. I cut off the grommet and a portion of the antenna tail. The trunk panel went together pretty easily, I just have to replace those broken fasteners at some point, definitely no rush on that because it stays in place pretty well on its own.

Now I just need to take a long road trip!


----------



## SRFast (Sep 3, 2003)

Dale Pickle said:


> I got everything cleaned up and put back together this afternoon. I cut off the grommet and a portion of the antenna tail. The trunk panel went together pretty easily, I just have to replace those broken fasteners at some point, definitely no rush on that because it stays in place pretty well on its own.
> 
> Now I just need to take a long road trip!


Congratulations. Enjoy your new audio add on. That left side panel fits pretty snuggly and the fasteners just prevent it from shifting. Now that you have Sirius, you'll have to find a new diversion during long drives - no more channel surfing. :thumbup:

Regards....JL


----------



## Dale Pickle (Apr 22, 2003)

SRFast said:


> Congratulations. Enjoy your new audio add on. That left side panel fits pretty snuggly and the fasteners just prevent it from shifting. Now that you have Sirius, you'll have to find a new diversion during long drives - no more channel surfing. :thumbup:
> 
> Regards....JL


I think I've already found my new distraction ... complaining about the amount of compression/distortion on the Sirius music channels. Its worse than I expected. The talk stations (Howard most importantly for me) are OK but for music I notice a lot of warbly distortion in the mid-to-low-range as a result of their compression algorithm.


----------



## SRFast (Sep 3, 2003)

Dale Pickle said:


> I think I've already found my new distraction ... complaining about the amount of compression/distortion on the Sirius music channels. Its worse than I expected. The talk stations (Howard most importantly for me) are OK but for music I notice a lot of warbly distortion in the mid-to-low-range as a result of their compression algorithm.


That's surprising. Most folks complain about the non music channels - sounds tinny. The music channels sound pretty good in my E39. Can you compare it to another BMW Sirius set up?

Regards....JL


----------



## Dale Pickle (Apr 22, 2003)

Well, the sound quality is no longer my top concern. After working just fine for a week, all of a sudden my Sirius receiver stopped working entirely this weekend. I turned the car on Friday night and the display just read "Acquiring" and its been in this state ever since.  

It doesn't matter where the car is located so I am confident it is not an antenna placement issue.

I ripped apart my trunk again on Sunday and re-inserted all the cables. Didn't help. I called Sirius and had them send another signal, and still no help. So I guess at this point I have a bad piece of hardware, not sure whether it would be the receiver or the antenna. Is it possible that I blew a fuse or something?

I wish I knew someone else with the Sirius unit so we could swap hardware around and see what the broken piece is, but I don't. I bought my equipment through Circle BMW, will they be able to offer me any help if I contact them?


----------



## SRFast (Sep 3, 2003)

Dale:
It probably isn't a bad antenna because you would get "antenna error" if it was bad. If you want to test it, purchase a Sirius antenna at a local store. 

How old is the Sirius receiver? I would take it back to the dealer and tell them you got a defective unit.

Regards....JL


----------



## Dale Pickle (Apr 22, 2003)

Ugh. What a pain. Its a little over a week old and worked fine until Friday night. I bought it online from Circle BMW so I guess I will have to arrange to ship it back to them for a replacement. 

Thats why I asked about the fuse. Anything I could try locally before shipping it back would be a plus.


----------



## Dale Pickle (Apr 22, 2003)

I tried swapping out the fuse and no dice. This sucks.


----------



## badfinger (Apr 3, 2006)

FWIW, the first Sirius receiver I installed was defective too. Just make sure there is no obstruction from the antennae and rule that out. Weird...


----------



## Keyser Soze (Oct 24, 2003)

I installed my sirius box back in feb and it does randomly shut off while driving. Turning the car on and off doesn't work but I have noticed if it's parked for 5-10 minutes the sat works again. I am not sure if the unit may be overheating or something or what but it does happen about once per week........usually while commuting grrrrr then I am stuck with crappy morning zoo radio or a cd.

anyone else having this prob? I don't get the "acquiring" message, it just does nothing and sticks on one channel with no sound.


----------



## Keyser Soze (Oct 24, 2003)

Keyser Soze said:


> I installed my sirius box back in feb and it does randomly shut off while driving. Turning the car on and off doesn't work but I have noticed if it's parked for 5-10 minutes the sat works again. I am not sure if the unit may be overheating or something or what but it does happen about once per week........usually while commuting grrrrr then I am stuck with crappy morning zoo radio or a cd.
> 
> anyone else having this prob? I don't get the "acquiring" message, it just does nothing and sticks on one channel with no sound.


DUH! I finally got off my arse and pulled apart the panels back there and one of the connectors was slightly loose, probably from all the bumpy potholed filled freeways I am on every day........so All is well I think.......it didn't cut out today.


----------



## Dale Pickle (Apr 22, 2003)

Just an update to my situation, it turns out I did have a defective receiver. I brought my car into the local BMW center and they replaced it for me. Thankfully they were cool about it and did not charge me for the diagnostic time which they could have because I installed it myself. Whew.

So anyway, now that I've had two different BMW units to listen to, I am still noticing distortion on the music channels. It is most noticeable with rock music when there is a lot of guitar noise present. The vocals are usually fine but I notice this weird warbly type effect on the backing instruments. It seems to be worse on some channels than others but I definitely notice it on my favorite station, Left of Center.

Yeah, the talk stations are a little tinny but I am used to listening to talk on AM radio so its not a big deal for me. But this music thing kinda bothers me. I do notice the effect is lessened if I turn off the Harmon Kardon enhancer button (what exactly does that thing do anyway?)


----------



## Keyser Soze (Oct 24, 2003)

thats the compression from the sat signal.........sat is in no way FM or CD quality.


----------



## mjames (Sep 23, 2003)

So does anyone have detailed instructions/pics of putting the Sirius receiver on rear deck inside by the rear window? And does it work with 35% metallic tint? BMW placed mine on my trunk and I never liked it. I have this antenna: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126573


----------



## SRFast (Sep 3, 2003)

mjames said:


> So does anyone have detailed instructions/pics of putting the Sirius receiver on rear deck inside by the rear window? And does it work with 35% metallic tint? BMW placed mine on my trunk and I never liked it. I have this antenna: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126573


If you have a sedan, why did the dealer mount the antenna on the trunk lid? It should have been mounted on the roof. Laziness is never acceptable.

Back to your question. Is your Sirius receiver Gen I (two antenna leads) or Gen II (single antenna lead)? This will determine if you need an adapter since only Gen II antennas are available. You need to test whether your rear window tint will affect the sat reception. I suggest you purchase a new micro sized Sirius antenna and place it on the rear deck, route the antenna lead through an open rear door/window into the trunk, disconnect the existing antenna and connect the new one to the Sirius receiver. If you get good reception, you can remove the trunk lid mounted antenna. If the reception is crappy, just reconnect the BMW antenna. Why would I use the new antenna on the rear deck? It is smaller and there is no rubber antenna lead "tail" to trim.

If the rear deck antenna works, all you need to do is to remove the CENTER rear deck tether hook. Once removed, it will provide a hole for you to route the antenna lead from the interior of the car to the trunk mounted Sirius receiver. To remove the tether hook, slide the black "cap" towards the rear window. This will expose the bolt(head) that secures the hook to the rear deck. Remove the bolt and hook and you have access to the trunk. Place the antenna on the rear deck and feed the lead through the hole and route the lead to the Sirius reeiver. Secure the antenna on the rear deck using self adhering Velcro strips.

Hope this helps and good luck....JL


----------



## mjames (Sep 23, 2003)

SRFast said:


> If you have a sedan, why did the dealer mount the antenna on the trunk lid? It should have been mounted on the roof. Laziness is never acceptable.
> 
> Back to your question. Is your Sirius receiver Gen I (two antenna leads) or Gen II (single antenna lead)? This will determine if you need an adapter since only Gen II antennas are available. You need to test whether your rear window tint will affect the sat reception. I suggest you purchase a new micro sized Sirius antenna and place it on the rear deck, route the antenna lead through an open rear door/window into the trunk, disconnect the existing antenna and connect the new one to the Sirius receiver. If you get good reception, you can remove the trunk lid mounted antenna. If the reception is crappy, just reconnect the BMW antenna. Why would I use the new antenna on the rear deck? It is smaller and there is no rubber antenna lead "tail" to trim.
> 
> ...


The dealer acted like the trunk lid is where it's supposed to go, but I will tell them I want it moved. I have no idea what generation mine is, but it looks like this: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=65250&d=1136606735

It was installed in March 2006, so I assume it's the latest. Thanks for your help, do you have any pictures of the antenna on the roof? I wonder where the wire would run to get up there. I'm just going to have the dealer do it ... this sounds like a pain, but thanks for your help!


----------



## Keyser Soze (Oct 24, 2003)

the antenna would mount centered right above your rear window. With the metallic tint, I think you would lose reception quality. 

I have had mine on the rear deck for almost six months and it cuts out a bit more than I would like so I am considering moving mine to the roof as well. Will need to do some research to see how to feed the cable down through the window seal, etc...


----------



## mjames (Sep 23, 2003)

Yes, I am worried about the antenna inside with my tint. The roof my be better, right above the brake light and where the sharkfin usually is. But I haven't seen any pictures of this ... anyone have one?


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

mjames said:


> The dealer acted like the trunk lid is where it's supposed to go, but I will tell them I want it moved. I have no idea what generation mine is, but it looks like this: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=65250&d=1136606735


Dealer will do that as they are trained to do things as according to BMW specifications - it doesn't mean it *has* to be installed that way. On the vehicles we perform installations in - we remove the rear parcel shelf and place the antenna below the rear deck. Nothing is seen from the outside.

Most vehicles will take the antenna in this location without problems. Once in a while we find a vehicle with specific tint that causes problems, but its rare.


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

mjames said:


> Yes, I am worried about the antenna inside with my tint. The roof my be better, right above the brake light and where the sharkfin usually is. But I haven't seen any pictures of this ... anyone have one?


I would be more worried on the decklid from paint fading (not underneath the antenna), the antenna scratching the decklid and just simply being an eyesore.


----------



## mjames (Sep 23, 2003)

tom @ eas said:


> I would be more worried on the decklid from paint fading (not underneath the antenna), the antenna scratching the decklid and just simply being an eyesore.


There is already scratching and I disliked the trunk lid placement from the beginning.

I am going to call my dealer and make them put it in a different location. I already paid for this and am not satisfied.

What I've read basically comes down to two alternative options: the rear deck by the child seat anchor or underneath the parcel shelf. My question is will I be able to thread the cord through the child seat anchor if I don't have fold-down rear seats? And as for the parcel shelf option, is that the same as in these pics? What view is that from? It looks like facing the rear window from the middle/child seat. I also have the regular Business CD, no nav, so does it still work for mine?


----------



## SRFast (Sep 3, 2003)

mjames said:


> There is already scratching and I disliked the trunk lid placement from the beginning.
> 
> I am going to call my dealer and make them put it in a different location. I already paid for this and am not satisfied.
> 
> What I've read basically comes down to two alternative options: the rear deck by the child seat anchor or underneath the parcel shelf. My question is will I be able to thread the cord through the child seat anchor if I don't have fold-down rear seats? And as for the parcel shelf option, is that the same as in these pics? What view is that from? It looks like facing the rear window from the middle/child seat. I also have the regular Business CD, no nav, so does it still work for mine?


mjames:
Fold down seats are not required. The tether hook is secured to the rear parcel shelf and with the bolt removed, the "hole" leads directly into the truck. Take it off and you'll see. It takes five minutes and you can always remount the hook. As for telling dealer to move the antenna, you have two choices: trunk lid or roof. They are not going to mount the antenna anywhere else because it won't meet BMW "specs." If you want to mount it in the interior, you'll need to do it yourself.

Hope this helps...JL


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

mjames said:


> There is already scratching and I disliked the trunk lid placement from the beginning.
> 
> I am going to call my dealer and make them put it in a different location. I already paid for this and am not satisfied.
> 
> What I've read basically comes down to two alternative options: the rear deck by the child seat anchor or underneath the parcel shelf. My question is will I be able to thread the cord through the child seat anchor if I don't have fold-down rear seats? And as for the parcel shelf option, is that the same as in these pics? What view is that from? It looks like facing the rear window from the middle/child seat. I also have the regular Business CD, no nav, so does it still work for mine?


Just got your email - anwsering!


----------



## mjames (Sep 23, 2003)

Thanks for the help.

I looked at things and the wire from my trunk-lid-mounted antenna goes under the trunk lid along the edge under the gray padding and then through the tubing by the truck-lid hinge. I can't see where that wire goes to after that.

So I basically understand how to do it theoretically, but I have to get the antenna and wiring free first.

1) What do I do to unwire the antenna so I can start inside the car and feed the wire through the child seat anchor to the trunk?

2) Where is the Sirius receiver mounted in the trunk? I think I need this to run the wire to.

Thanks.


----------



## SRFast (Sep 3, 2003)

mjames said:


> Thanks for the help.
> 
> I looked at things and the wire from my trunk-lid-mounted antenna goes under the trunk lid along the edge under the gray padding and then through the tubing by the truck-lid hinge. I can't see where that wire goes to after that.
> 
> ...


The Sirius receiver is mounted behind the left side carpeted trunk panel. The antenna wire connects to the receiver using a plastic clip. Remove the trunk panel and follow the wire.

Suggestion: If you aren't sure you can do this yourself, go to a local car audio shop and get an estimate of letting them do the work.

Hope this helps....JL


----------



## mjames (Sep 23, 2003)

Okay, I've made progress, but ran into trouble. I have removed the trunk liner, removed the black cable running into the Sirius unit, and now need to pull the black cord out, but it won't come free. It looks like it's wired under the black plastic tray parallel to the bumper. It has no slack at all and won't come with any pulling.

EDIT: Went to the dealer, they finished the custom install for me, albeit with an hour of labor charged. :thumbup:


----------



## SRFast (Sep 3, 2003)

mjames said:


> Okay, I've made progress, but ran into trouble. I have removed the trunk liner, removed the black cable running into the Sirius unit, and now need to pull the black cord out, but it won't come free. It looks like it's wired under the black plastic tray parallel to the bumper. It has no slack at all and won't come with any pulling.
> 
> EDIT: Went to the dealer, they finished the custom install for me, albeit with an hour of labor charged. :thumbup:


As long as you're satisfied with the results, it was money well spent. I'll glad it worked out.

Regards...JL


----------



## SRFast (Sep 3, 2003)

Sorry for the double post...JL


----------

