XM Radio installed!

[neile]

My XM radio's been in for about three weeks now, and I'm finally getting around to posting about it.

I knew I wanted to make the jump to satellite for more tunes and less ads. I'm very pleased with the difference, but it was quite tricky to find a good install point. I searched this forum and a few others, and was never really happy with anything I saw. I finally found a photo of an in-airvent (http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=151271&highlight=xm+commander) install at e46 fanatics. So, with my Dremel in hand and no fear (a new airvent is only $50) I went to work.

Here's what I wound up with:

http://www.badcasserole.com/xmradio/indash_wide.jpg

http://www.badcasserole.com/xmradio/indash.jpg

Don't laugh too hard! I know, there's a circuit board hanging out, but short of getting a custom cable built (I'm chasing that down) there's no way to get the board from the docking cradle hidden in the airvent too. So I'm living with it as-is for now, and you know what? It looks sufficiently geeky to be cool. At least, that's what I keep telling myself :D

Neil

[TLudwig]

Wow, that XM unit fits seemingly perfectly in that air vent slot. You mentioned using a dremel; did you have to expand the opening at all, or was it already the right size? Except for the hanging board, it looks fantastic. Let us know where you're able to find a custom cable. Once you do, I think a lot of people would be interested in trying this install. :thumbup:

[neile]

did you have to expand the opening at all, or was it already the right size?

You have to expand the opening quite a bit. I used the dremel to not only expand the opening (about 1.5 hours of fiddling with the sanding bits) but to hack out a good portion of the air vent pieces behind the surround to make it fit.

Neil

[TKrotchko]

You have to expand the opening quite a bit. I used the dremel to not only expand the opening (about 1.5 hours of fiddling with the sanding bits) but to hack out a good portion of the air vent pieces behind the surround to make it fit.


That's pretty good. Its too bad they don't make that in black; it would be perfect.

But I'm not criticizing. Its a helluva job. Very nice.

[tgravo2]

I woudln't like it blocking my air vent. It gets way too hot around here.

[neile]

That's pretty good. Its too bad they don't make that in black; it would be perfect.

Yeah, although the orange is a dead on match for the rest of the orange that BMW uses. If I got some nice silver rings on my gauges though it would look good :)

Neil

[neile]

I woudln't like it blocking my air vent. It gets way too hot around here.

It's not so bad actually. We've had some 94+ days lately and the second vent (for the passenger) can actually be swung around to point at the driver.

Neil

[brybarrett]

any reason you didn't go this route?

xm direct (http://www.myradiostore.us/bundles/car/xm-direct-receiver-bmw-mini-cooper.html)

[solsurfr]

http://www.badcasserole.com/xmradio/indash.jpg

Neil.. uh... congrats... I think... :eek:

[DN325CI]

Neil,

Just a thought - I used this Pro-Fit bracket, which requires no modification to dash - just bolts to an stud behind the dash trim.

Don

[solsurfr]

I thought Sirus was an available option for e46's now? Or is it only for MY04?

[mrtm2004]

I thought Sirus was an available option for e46's now? Or is it only for MY04?

Sirius radio is available for both stock radio & Navigation...I had it with my M3 nav & now in my 330i ZHP stock radio. If your dealership says it isn't available is uneducated.

Example:

I was just looking into used 330is at Chatman BMW before I picked up my 330i ZHP at North Scottsdale BMW and the guy at Chatman told me that Siruis radio wasn't available yet. I told him that it is because I have it in my M3 with Nav, that I was trading back in. The salesman still insisted it wasn't available, so I knew that I wasn't gonna ever use any other dealership than the North Scottsdale BMW...they have had a Sirius radio display since Sept. '03.

I have serius radio in my 330i ZHP right now.

FYI...there is also smaller magnet antennas available for Sirius...not as small as the 1"X1" XM one, but not too bad looking.

[jhwe46]

any reason you didn't go this route?

xm direct (http://www.myradiostore.us/bundles/car/xm-direct-receiver-bmw-mini-cooper.html)

No good on '01's.

[kurichan]

I woudln't like it blocking my air vent. It gets way too hot around here.I think it looks cool (maybe black would be better) so, I'd block my air vent and move away from Louisiana! :D

[jeffh325]

No good on '01's.

If you scroll down a bit more there's a link for the pre-2003 models.

http://www.myradiostore.us/bundles/car/bmw-xm-bundle.html

Unfortunately, you only get a station number instead of the station and song name on the head unit. But I'd take that any day over a new head unit that you can't put anywhere cleanly.

[neile]

any reason you didn't go this route?

xm direct (http://www.myradiostore.us/bundles/car/xm-direct-receiver-bmw-mini-cooper.html)

I have a 2001 :(

Neil

[neile]

Just a thought - I used this Pro-Fit bracket, which requires no modification to dash - just bolts to an stud behind the dash trim.


Yeah, I thought about that. My wife rides in the passenger seat an awful lot though and we didn't like how it would be in the way of her legs and positioned so she couldn't see the display.

We also tried having it near the parking brake for a while, where the cupholders were. That was too hard to look at while driving. We also tried in front of the shifter near the ash tray compartment. That was pretty easy to push at, but again too hard to see and easy to bump while shifting.

I talked with one of the AutoPC hardware guys at work this week and he suggested removing the board connector from inside the head unit and then re-soldering it on rotated 90 degrees. That would put the connector out the back of the head unit so I could hide everything in the vent. Maybe someday I'll get around to doing that...

Neil

[neile]

you only get a station number instead of the station and song name on the head unit. But I'd take that any day over a new head unit that you can't put anywhere cleanly.

Song and artist name is killer on the display, and is the main reason I got the SkyFi unit instead of the others. It's so much fun to be crusing along and using the remote to see if there's something better on. But, that's just the tradeoff I made :) Whatever floats your boat!

Neil