# How did you do XM Radio in your Jetta...?



## edwardc3000 (Jul 10, 2005)

Mine is a 2002..Right now I have a single DIN am/FM/Cassette..but I bought an 04 Double Din with the CD player on top..only to find that the plugs don't work..so while I am chasing down that route ( I really don't want to do the cassette or the freq modulat way of getting XM into my car..cause the quality is so much poorer than direct..
So I thought I would take a poll on how others did theirs..?
Replace the HU wuth an XM ready unit seems easy enough, although I lose the "stock" appearance that I wanted to stick with..
Thanks for your ideas in advance..
ED in NJ


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## thedarkbat (Jul 19, 2005)

*Re: How did you do XM Radio in your Jetta...? (edwardc3000)*

i've got a pioneer deck xm ready and i have the antenna hidden behind the middle rear headrest. 
only way i can think to keep stock would be to get the freq mod and broadcast it to your deck. screw the tape version.....it'd be extra lame
if you're thinking of getting fantastic sound then go aftermarket. if the stock radio has good sound, go with the freq mod. IMO


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## Mtetkosk (Oct 21, 2004)

*Re: How did you do XM Radio in your Jetta...? (thedarkbat)*

here's how i did it. 








alot of people comment "whoa how do you see with that HUGE thing in your window"...i think the pic doesn't do it justice, its not that big and it actually doesn't interfere with my view at all. I can reach it with my hand on the steering wheel and i have a remote too. Transmits directly into my stock HU via FM freq. Sound quality is good, but its better if you go with it directly through an aftermarket HU..I'd say sound quality 8/10. Feel free to comment. BTW is Sirius not XM but you get the picture


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## tremp (Apr 21, 2005)

*Re: How did you do XM Radio in your Jetta...? (edwardc3000)*

OK these are pics from GTINOVA and protijy337, i think these pics offer an awesome approach to a clean install. Its out of the way and looks damn good IMO. 
















Go to the link below for the apapter that you'll to hook it up to the DD. The only thing you'll need from the XM kit is the antenna. Hope this helps. I am doing this same install in my jetta as soon as i get some free time. 
http://enfigpics.com/shopsite_....html


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## Mtetkosk (Oct 21, 2004)

*Re: How did you do XM Radio in your Jetta...? (tremp)*

the only downside i see to mounting it down low like shown above, is that you always have to look down there while changing a channel, which makes you take your eyes off the road. I dunno about other people but i look at my Sirius Unit alot to see the names of the songs and to change the channels etc. I don't wanna be looking down every two seconds to do it. I think it looks nice tho...I didn't have that choice with my unit because it sticks to the glass


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## comcf (Aug 23, 2004)

*Re: How did you do XM Radio in your Jetta...? (Mtetkosk)*

mine's on the steering wheel column:


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## VR6 Seige (Sep 8, 2004)

*Re: How did you do XM Radio in your Jetta...? (comcf)*

purrrple neon


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## deevubfreak (Jun 2, 2005)

*Re: How did you do XM Radio in your Jetta...? (VR6 Seige)*

I have an xm my-fi which is the portable, and i have it mounted on my vent to the upper right of the double din. I put the antenna in my sunroofcover and use a cassette adapter. It sounds just as good if not better than the normal fm radio. Don't dis the cassette adapter. It might look sketchy but the sound quality is a hell of a lot better than the fm transmitter.


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## turdbogls (Jul 9, 2004)

*Re: How did you do XM Radio in your Jetta...? (deevubfreak)*

i have the xm commander...it is small so i tucked it under the HVAC controlls for now. it is low but i only use my remote with it so it is all good.


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## byrddub (Sep 9, 2004)

i spent over 600 last year to get the whole setup... i first bought the alpine cda 9830 headunit... it allows you to colormatch to almost any car, which is nice for me, ill try and update with pics later, but at the same time, it is xm ready and plays mp3 cds... well worth the money...


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## edwardc3000 (Jul 10, 2005)

*Still in search of the XM Solution*

OK, I have decided I don't have the energy or patience to be cutting and tapin wires so tomorrow I'm going to a local radio shop and finding the best for least replacement XM-Radio ready I can buy..
Has anyone replaced their stock OEM single din (AM/FM/Cass), and if so what did you replace it with tied to satellite (sirius or XM doesn't matter)..?
That's it !
Can I please get some suggestions..?
Crutchfields has a no-name kit called the Dual XMR6910 + XM Satellite Radio Package 
Includes Dual XMR6910 CD player • XM Direct tuner • XM antenna • adapter cable all for the low low price of $149.98. And since I already have an XM service in another car, it'll only cost me $6.99 a month..
Any other suggestions are TRULY appreciated !
Safe Travels
ED in NJ


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## Broken '01 (Aug 16, 2004)

*Re: Still in search of the XM Solution (edwardc3000)*

there are companies out there that make adapters for the cd changer input try P.I.E. they may make one by now


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## Homco (Apr 2, 2005)

*Re: Still in search of the XM Solution (edwardc3000)*

I work at best buy in Car-Fi
here's the skinny on what we have
XM ready decks
Pioneer
Dual
Alpine
Sony
Sirius Ready
JVC
Kenwood
Alpine
Get any deck brand you like, personally I like the alpine, spend $150 on the direct connector and antenna and we can put it in for $75 - - it is easy enough to do yourself though!!!
The best thing to do is put the antenna on the trunk door towards the rear winshield. Run the antenna in and along the door sill and up into the center column. Put the XM or Sirius tunerin the kick panel on the passenger side. connect with deck and whola, you have sat radio


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## Broken '01 (Aug 16, 2004)

*Re: Still in search of the XM Solution (Homco)*

terk makes a sirius to xm adapter for alot of the sirius ready decks as well


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## edwardc3000 (Jul 10, 2005)

*Re: How did you do XM Radio in your Jetta...? (tremp)*

Tremp:
I love the way it looks in your vehicle..Very clean..
I ordered the Audiovox unit because the company I work for gets such a sweet heart deal on it. In fact I purchased the Audiovox XCS9 XM Receiver Bundle which includes the car bracket and it only cost me $19 (that's not a typo) nineteen dollars !
Just a few questions regarding your install if you don't mind:
First, how is yours connected to the stock radio? ie, are you using FM modulation or the cassette attachment, or some other means..?
I have read that either FM Mod or Cassette choices are quite poor...
Or does that adapter from enfig just slip into the back of the stock radio and provide a direct connection.. (I can't tell what you meant by "just hook it up to the DD..") 
Second,I see three wires coming out of the unit...
I shall assume one is for power, one is antenna and perhaps one goes to the cassette adapter? is that correct?
Third, I have also heard that because our antenna is amplified, that some have built an antenna on/off switch to reduce any bleed over from the FM modulation.. Have you heard/done this?
Lastly, overall are you satisfied with the sound quality of the method you've chosen..? on a scale of 1-10 how does it sound compared to regular FM. FWIW, I did an XM direct in my wife's BMW and the sound is, in a word, INCREDIBLE, BUT that's because the BMW head unit was designed to accept sat radio as a factory option..so all I did was plug in the XM direct adapter to the tuner and the controls from the factory head unit work and actually show the name of the song/artist...very nice.
Thanks in advance for your advice !!
Safe Travels
ED in NJ
_Modified by edwardc3000 at 2:22 PM 7-23-2005_


_Modified by edwardc3000 at 2:30 PM 7-23-2005_


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## Voodoodude (May 27, 2005)

*Re: How did you do XM Radio in your Jetta...? (edwardc3000)*

Ok, I just put mine in, and some of the wiring is temporary until I get the proper adaptors, but here's what I did. (My unit is the Roady 2) First I mounted the antenna right above the rear window, directly behind the factory antenna.








Then I ran the wire for the antenna down along the top of the window in the gap, then down under the weather stripping on the passenger side of the car, down at the front door post, then into the rubber boot connecting the door to the car wiring wise. If you reach around, you can grab the wire without taking off the kick panel. 
Once it's there, I ran it to the center console, and ran all the wires to come out directly under the shifter(the moulded plastic pieces anyway)Then I just ran the power cable to the cig lighter, and the tape deck adapter to the tape deck, hiding it the best I could. Once I get the adapters, I'm not going to have the tape deck thing, and I will get back my cig lighter so i can power my phone( I never charge it at home. I should start. Well, in anycase, the signal is fantastic, the sound quality is almost as good as a CD, but unless you are obsessive, you won't tell the difference. And while some of you might think my location is weird, since I drive stick, my hand has to be down there most of the time anyway. It works for me. Good luck with your install.
Here's where it ended up:


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## edwardc3000 (Jul 10, 2005)

*Re: How did you do XM Radio in your Jetta...? (Voodoodude)*

Looks really neat and clean..
I'm curious on how you connected the cassette wire. I thought that there would be a cable coming out of the cassette deck, and I don't see any.., ie, In the kit there is an adapter than looks like a cassette, which I guess is used to send the signal through the amplifier, but I don't see anything coming out of the front of your cassette player..
SO I am intrigued on how you did it...









Thank you
Safe Travels
ED in NJ


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## Voodoodude (May 27, 2005)

*Re: How did you do XM Radio in your Jetta...? (edwardc3000)*

The wire is there, i actually saw the cassette wire hidden nicer on one of the other posts. But pretty much, I have the wire tucked into the space between the radio and the side of the front panel to hide it a bit. And the wire is there going diagonal, crossing over the "Fader" label. Once I get a wiring diagram I'm gonna make it look right, I just don't want to tear into a system I don't recognize. Arcs and sparks on a new car are not fun. 
And yeah, the cassette adapter is just like the ones that used to be sold so that you could have a cd walkman (hey all, remember those?) and play cd's in your car. Pretty much just stick the tape into the deck, and then tuck the wire away the best you can. If you get the keys to remove the radio, then you can just tuck it straight under the radio. I was also thinking that maybe I can just make a small hole in the factory radio bottom, and run the cable out through there. Keeping the entire cable out of sight. The only problem is that my tape deck would then be useless. Then again, I only have 2 cassettes left. And I only know where one of them is. And I don't like it. 
Good luck to ya. 
P.S. I only used parts that came with the original kit. What's holding the unit is the swivel mount. 


_Modified by Voodoodude at 10:12 PM 7-24-2005_


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## edwardc3000 (Jul 10, 2005)

The guy who did my brakes last week had the radio tools so I have been driving with the radio sticking out about an inch until I get all the pieces then I'll lock it back into place..
I'm still convinced that there is a way to tap the pins on the tri color harness that is for the cd changer and use it to power the tuner, and provide direct input.. I just need to find a plug that would match up...


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## Voodoodude (May 27, 2005)

*Re: (edwardc3000)*

From what I've seen, the harness for the cd changer is the one that the enfig system hooks up to. You can't use it for a direct in without a changer, because it requires some sort of datalink between the changer and the headunit. Not that I'm giving up, I'm looking to see if I can just hook into the amplif ier, but it looks like I'm gonna go for the enfig and to hell with it. Upsets me that I can't get it. No offense to enfig, I just like to do things myself.


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## bcruze (Jan 23, 2002)

*Here's Mine*


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## edwardc3000 (Jul 10, 2005)

I did it !!!
I am so burnt I didn't have time to take pictures, BUT I have the Audiovox XR9 installed using a Blitzsafe adapter, a RCA to mini, an L-shaped mini to mini and a Bracketron mounting bracket, I am living large !
I still have to clean up the antenna wire which for now is slung over the seats and out the back door, BUT it works, the sound is OUTSTANDING and the colors (Blue and Black) even match the dash.. PLUS, the mobile kit that came with the Audiovox has a "quick release" so if I have to park it somewhere questionable, I can take it with me..
I only wish I could do direct power instead of the 12V cigarette lighter...Anyone figure that part out yet..Plus since I have been on a buying spree, I also bought a Garmin GPS Street Pilot 2610 which is just amazing..but I'd have to be running a cable from the rear 12V plug to have them both at the same time..I did see a post on how to add another 12V, but I don't want my car to look like it does under my desk with a milliion cables...

One important point, I apparently didn't ground the Blitzsafe right, and I called them at 6PM ET..they answered !! and called me back in less than 30 minutes..diagnosed the problem over the phone, and I was living large ! A big THANK YOU to Blitz ! Oh yeah, the other thing that sucked is that the adapter I ordered to go from RCA to mini was female (UGH!!!!) so I had to run to Radio Shack and buy couplers since the Blitz also had female RCA plugs..the ordering system at logjam shoulda caught that, since they recommended it as an "also buy"... No biggie..but it was so damn hot and humid in NJ, I had sweat pouring into my eyes for about 3 hours..
BUT I AM ROCKIN WITH XM IN MY JETTA !!!!!!
Safe Travels
Ed in Metuchen, NJ


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## Mtetkosk (Oct 21, 2004)

*Re: (edwardc3000)*

satellite radio is def the new hotness...glad to hear ya got it, even tho its not Sirius, which i suppot...hope ya like it!


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## [email protected] (Feb 20, 2002)

*Re: (edwardc3000)*

Edward send me a PK I have all the answers you need.
I can tap in so the XM comes on and off with the radio.


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## verbaldave (Jan 25, 2005)

*Re: (Enfig Motorsport)*

Congrats Ed! I have a MyFi and can't imagine driving without it. I'm about to attempt some sort of Aux Adapter connection myself so you give me hope








This is how I'm gonna liberate my cig lighter back from my electronics:
http://ipodincar.net/guideJettaLineIn.php
It gives you an extra DC plug, and it's completely hidden! (Just requires some splicing, yeah...)
Tip for the antenna: I've got mine on my trunk lid right next to the rear window and I have perfect reception (also in the flattest part of the world







). PM me if you wanna know how I hid the wire.


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## Voodoodude (May 27, 2005)

*Re: (verbaldave)*

just installed the blitzsafe adaptor, and did what the guy in the post above linked to for the 12V. Beautiful system, works like a champ, and no wires exposed whatsoever.


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## verbaldave (Jan 25, 2005)

*Re: (Voodoodude)*

Kickass Voodoo! Glad I could help. Did you happen to take any pics? I'm going to eventually use this method, but I'm not exactly comfortable with cutting and splicing electrical wiring


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## Voodoodude (May 27, 2005)

*Re: (verbaldave)*

Was going to take pics, but I forgot while I was there. 
On the MKIV Jettas, the proper way to remove the cig lighter to get power from it, is to remove all the screws holding the plastic for the shifter/console thing. This way you can move the piece out a little bit, to make removing the cigarette lighter a lot easier. Once it's out, just cut back the factory wrapping a bit to get some room to work with, and follow the cutting and splicing directions. It's not a tough job at all, just make sure you use real connectors for the splices, not the little blue clips that come with all these kits. Those clips wear out over time and make you spend a lot of time trying to figure out why it's not working anymore. Good luck!


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## [email protected] (Feb 20, 2002)

*Re: (Voodoodude)*

I think it would be easier to just ger it from the back of the radio.


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## verbaldave (Jan 25, 2005)

*Re: (Voodoodude)*

Pardon the noob questions here Voodoo, but I've never spliced anything in my life.
When you say "kit", do you mean something like this:
http://www.radioshack.com/prod...-1556
Also, what do you mean by "real connectors". 
Thanks a lot,
dave


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## Voodoodude (May 27, 2005)

*Re: (verbaldave)*

Yeah, ^^ thats the kit I used. Very nice and comes with a fuse on it. Not that the XM radios have anywhere near a 10 AMP circuit load, but it's nice to have incase the wiring is done wrong and it decides to catch fire. The cigarrete lighter has no fuse, and is generally connected straight to the battery. Don't let that wire touch metal on the car before you unplug the battery. 

Here's a decent how to:
http://www.mmxpress.com/technical/connections.htm
Tools I'd suggest:
Go to any auto parts store (napa preferrably as they are cheaper for this) , go to the electrical section and get yourself a wire crimping kit which will come with a wire crimper/ cutter/ stripper, and a series of barrels (barrels are the wiring couplers that are very commonly used and work well. DO NOT USE BLUE QUICK CONNECT ONES. They save you time now but they suck in the long run)and maybe some black electrical tape. Check in the bargain bin, they may have some there too. The tool that normally comes in the kit, is ****. If you are just starting, and this is the only splice you are planning to do in a long time, then the kit will do fine. Once you start doing this more often, buying a seperate stripper, cutter, and crimper is a very good investment. Good luck!


_Modified by Voodoodude at 2:26 PM 8-4-2005_


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## verbaldave (Jan 25, 2005)

*Re: (Voodoodude)*

Voodoo you are the MAN! Thanks for all the knowledge! 
It looks as tho vortex has a problem with the tool that normally comes in the kit








If you don't mind, could you PM me the rest of that sentence. Thanks again dude.
-dave


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## verbaldave (Jan 25, 2005)

*Re: (Voodoodude)*

For future noobs searching how to tap an existing DC outlet, I'm an idiot. Ignore my last post. Voodoo was saying that "The tool that normally comes in the kit, is POOP." I don't know why I thought vortex would censor the name of the tool.


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## Voodoodude (May 27, 2005)

*Re: (verbaldave)*

Um...
BUHWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! *sniff

No seriously though the crimper that comes in those kits is horrible.


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## vwk2 (Mar 21, 2002)

_Quote, originally posted by *bcruze* »_









great channel... its crazy, nuts, insane... http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## bcruze (Jan 23, 2002)

*Re: (vwk2)*


_Quote, originally posted by *vwk2* »_
great channel... its crazy, nuts, insane... http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

Yah. I friend of mine told me that when you're listening to 202 while it's monster raining, things get all, you know, boom.


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## vwk2 (Mar 21, 2002)

*Re: (bcruze)*


_Quote, originally posted by *bcruze* »_
Yah. I friend of mine told me that when you're listening to 202 while it's monster raining, things get all, you know, boom.


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## edwardc3000 (Jul 10, 2005)

*How'd you mount that?*

Bcruze:
What do you have the bracket behind the Delphi unit fastened to..
I had my Audiovox in the cubby above the SD radio, but yesterday I installed a VW single CD player where the cubby was..
I took apart the glove box trying to find a place for the Bracketron bracket I had been using and couldn't find anywhere to bolt it to..
You obviously have it figured out..so can you tell me where the bracket is going (between the black frame and the grey trim)and how it's mounted..?
Thanks !
PS. The factory recond CD player was a welcome addition and even came with the appropriate wires for illumination and connection to the radio..Then I was able to plug the Audiovox into the cd changer port on the back of the cd player, and select it to play XM or select CD player (vs CD changer) to play a CD.. I paid $150 vs $~$500 dealer or $250 on eBay..
Safe Travels
ED in NJ


_Modified by edwardc3000 at 5:32 PM 8-17-2005_


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## crnacnac (Aug 3, 2004)

I used the direct connect Bliztsafe adapter from Enfig that plugs into the cd changer port on the double din Monsson headunit. I made a "pod" to hold the XM Commander controller.


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## bcruze (Jan 23, 2002)

I like that a lot...how much to replicate that in flanel grey?


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## vwk2 (Mar 21, 2002)

damn... sweet install...


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## veedub87 (Nov 18, 2003)

*Re: (crnacnac)*


_Quote, originally posted by *crnacnac* »_I used the direct connect Bliztsafe adapter from Enfig that plugs into the cd changer port on the double din Monsson headunit. I made a "pod" to hold the XM Commander controller.

















Hmm...I wonder why someone hasn't done something similar with an iPod...
It would be VERY feasible and easy to do now that the iPod Nano is available... http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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