Is it possible to add XM Satellite radio for $50?
Well, I'm going to find out. I scored a 6-disc head unit from a 2011 RAV4 with built-in XM tuner on Ebay. I couldn't believe that nobody else bid on it:
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Toyota Rav4 06 07 08 09 10 11 OEM 6 Disc CD Radio w/ XM Satellite radio | eBay
For $49 + $16 shipping I just couldn't pass it up. I'm going to try to swap out my 2008 head unit for this one and see what happens.
All I need is the XM antenna and a place to mount it. The seller says he's including that square blue antenna plug. Does anyone have any suggestions on an antenna and where to mount it?
For $49 + $16 shipping I just couldn't pass it up. I'm going to try to swap out my 2008 head unit for this one and see what happens.
All I need is the XM antenna and a place to mount it. The seller says he's including that square blue antenna plug. Does anyone have any suggestions on an antenna and where to mount it?
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On the roof is best. On my Ford Ranger I tried on the dash and it worked, except whenever I was headed SW I would loose the signal. Guess the satellite was blanked out by the top or something. Finallly mounted it on the roof just aft of the windshield trim and it worked fine ever since.
If anyone is interested in a similar deal, here's the same unit being sold by a Toyota dealer for $60 (Buy it now) plus $8.20 shipping:
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2009 2010 2011 TOYOTA RAV4 FACTORY RADIO STEREO HEAD UNIT 51874 86120-42300 | eBay
This same dealer has 3 more at the same price but they are non-XM single disc units.
This same dealer has 3 more at the same price but they are non-XM single disc units.
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JuneBug, that's a great deal! I took a look at the radio on ebay, what caught my attention was the picture of the rav with those sweet rims. If anyone recognizes the rims, please let us know.
OK, the head unit arrived today, and it is absolutely pristine! The seller said it came out of a 2011 RAV4 and had only been used for 1 week. He even included the mounting brackets and a magnetic antenna which you can see stuck to the back of the unit. I'll be swapping my old head unit for this one in the next couple of days and I'll report back here. Interesting note: This new unit is made by Panasonic--my old one is made by Fujitsu Ten.
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It works! I swapped out my old head unit for the new XM model and it was indeed plug and play. Took about 30 minutes to do the swap and most of that time was spent running and hiding the XM antenna cable. I stuck the antenna on the dash for now, but I will be relocating it on the roof soon. The unit worked perfectly as I ran it through its paces and tested all functions. Apparently the XM free trial is still in effect because I'm receiving all the satellite channels.
Consider this: Adding XM to the old head unit meant buying the XM tuner and fit kit to the tune of $300 for the parts alone! And from what I've read the installation is a bear, requiring mounting the tuner under the passenger seat and running lots of wires. Replacing the head unit with the 2011 model cost me a total of $65 including shipping, and the installation was a breeze! I think it turned out well:
Partially installed for testing:
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Antenna on dash:
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Before:
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After:
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Consider this: Adding XM to the old head unit meant buying the XM tuner and fit kit to the tune of $300 for the parts alone! And from what I've read the installation is a bear, requiring mounting the tuner under the passenger seat and running lots of wires. Replacing the head unit with the 2011 model cost me a total of $65 including shipping, and the installation was a breeze! I think it turned out well:
Partially installed for testing:
Antenna on dash:
Before:
After:
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190 Posts
Glad to hear it worked out for you. I'm gonna visit ebay more often for a deal on this same radio. Hopefully for $50
Yes, I'm sure it will work in your 2006. It is the 6 CD changer. You can tell by looking for the LOAD button under the TUNE knob. The single CD model doesn't have that.
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This morning I relocated the XM antenna. It worked on the dash, but not very well. If I got anywhere near large trees, the signal would drop out. So I knew it had to be on the roof, but where? Another user here said something about installing his inside one of the plastic covers on the roof rack. So I popped off the front passenger side cover to take a look. I attached the magnetized antenna to one of the bolts, but it stuck up to high for the cover to snap on. I nestled it in between the bolts and secured it with 3M Command double sided tape. Snapped the cover back on and routed the cable down the roof slot and under the edge of the rubber windshield molding. Down the rear fender seam and under the black triangular trim piece just in front of the mirror. That piece is easily snapped out. Then into the door, down the edge of the dash and then underneath. Totally stealth antenna! And it works so much better, no more signal drop outs.
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Update: OK, the antenna didn't work out mounted like this. The cable was being crushed under the rubber gasket. So here is a better way to install it:
It doesn't come with installation instructions. First, you need to cut or file off a bit of plastic on the square plug so it will plug into the head unit. Then run the cable under the dash over to the passenger door. Tuck the cable under the weatherstripping and across to the triangular plastic trim in front of the mirror. You can pry off that triangular piece, place the cable under it and carefully snap the piece back into place.
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Then from the triangular piece, tuck the cable into the seam between the fender and the a pillar and then tuck it under the rubber weatherstrip along the side of the windshield:
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Continue by tucking the cable under the rubber lip of the weatherstripping all the way up and then under the roof lip. At this point, I cut an old wiper blade and wedged it into that lip to keep the cable secure:
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Finally, run the cable underneath the rubber skirt on the roof rack mount. If the cable is too long you can stuff some of the slack underneath the rubber skirt:
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Update: OK, the antenna didn't work out mounted like this. The cable was being crushed under the rubber gasket. So here is a better way to install it:
It doesn't come with installation instructions. First, you need to cut or file off a bit of plastic on the square plug so it will plug into the head unit. Then run the cable under the dash over to the passenger door. Tuck the cable under the weatherstripping and across to the triangular plastic trim in front of the mirror. You can pry off that triangular piece, place the cable under it and carefully snap the piece back into place.
Then from the triangular piece, tuck the cable into the seam between the fender and the a pillar and then tuck it under the rubber weatherstrip along the side of the windshield:
Continue by tucking the cable under the rubber lip of the weatherstripping all the way up and then under the roof lip. At this point, I cut an old wiper blade and wedged it into that lip to keep the cable secure:
Finally, run the cable underneath the rubber skirt on the roof rack mount. If the cable is too long you can stuff some of the slack underneath the rubber skirt:
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