OEM XM satellite radio poor reception

[cb1111]

I have been there 3 time I pretty much go to the dealer every Friday and they just say it's my phone not their radio. and they say the vibration at 60 is fixed until I get it back up to 60 and the steering wheel shakes violently.

OK, now there is more info.

How are you connecting the phone? Have you tried a different phone?

What's wrong with the XM/Sirius? Low signal doesn't mean much.

 

[Cyberwhale]

Do you have the navigation head unit? If so, did you lose the GPS for that? I don't use the head unit nav so I guess it doesn't matter for me, but am just curious.

You shouldn't have any nav loss.

I have the upgraded JBL soundsystem/head-unit which was offered for my model year. In either case, the navigation data is stored on a DVD. They use XM/Sirius for traffic only. Traffic should work just fine provided you get an antenna which can pull in all the data (which I think they all do).

 

[drewsro]

Two people in the past month or so have asked, so let me post the full rundown here:

My Equipment:

2012 Limited Edition with JBL sound. No customization done to audio system​

Isolating the issue:

As I mentioned before, I had been in and out of the dealership trying to figure out the issue. I was getting a "No Signal" error on the radio.
At my latest dealership service appointment, they told me they think the XM control unit is faulty and I need a new one. Not wanting to drop $2k on the issue I dug in myself and noticed that when I unplugged the antenna from the control unit, my error switched from "No Signal" to "Check Antenna". I ordered a replacement (refurbed) control unit and was getting the same errors. Ordered replacement antenna and problem solved​

Parts:

• Control Unit - BuyAutoParts 18-43036R - Buy Auto Parts
• Antenna - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HRCTD0G?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
• Antenna Adapter - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R59P0S6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Details:

For me, that control unit sits under the front passenger seat.
All the connections are facing forward, so you can carefully peel back the carpet (with the seat moved all the way back) and expose them. The antenna dongle is the gray one (smallest). I swapped the shark fin for the new one and ran the cable under the carpet, up the a-frame pillar and behind the dash. My new antenna sits next to the front passenger speaker and is held there with a little double sided tape. Yes, I could have put the antenna on the exterior, but I didn't want to make any holes or deal with waterproofing, and the new setup is strong enough that the windshield doesn't cause any signal loss.

I also didnt replace the shark fin, because: fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice... OEM fin replacement is ~$250+ for a part we know will deteriorate again. No thanks...​

Just did the swap on mine. Have a 2012 Trail. I do not have the module so didn't have to bother with that. The adapter for the XM antenna didn't end up fitting properly into the spot in the back of the radio, so I had to trim the plastic channels and it fits good now. I first tried it up in the corner of the windshield but it was even worse than before. I then rerouted it all the way to the back of the car, out the hatch, and onto the roof right behind the sharkfin. Works perfect now. I realized I could of just plugged the adapter right in to where the sharkfin plugs in, but I already had a lot of the interior apart, so eh. I had the wire run out underneath a rubber grommet on the body that has wires that go to the hatch, just need to figure out how to seal it up better.

 

[Cyberwhale]

Even Better Reception with External Mounting

Just did the swap on mine. Have a 2012 Trail. I do not have the module so didn't have to bother with that. The adapter for the XM antenna didn't end up fitting properly into the spot in the back of the radio, so I had to trim the plastic channels and it fits good now. I first tried it up in the corner of the windshield but it was even worse than before. I then rerouted it all the way to the back of the car, out the hatch, and onto the roof right behind the sharkfin. Works perfect now. I realized I could of just plugged the adapter right in to where the sharkfin plugs in, but I already had a lot of the interior apart, so eh. I had the wire run out underneath a rubber grommet on the body that has wires that go to the hatch, just need to figure out how to seal it up better.

:clap2:

I dont think this should come as a surprise to anyone, but while my original specs had the antenna mounted behind the windshield, placement on an external location improved quality even more.

I had some time a few weeks ago so I re-routed my antenna per this posts' suggestion, except I went forwards and placed the receiver next to the terrestrial radio antenna.

I've noticed even better results with minimal drops in tunnels, underpasses and even some parking structures.

 

[Mkhart2]

No activity here in a while, but....

2012 limited, and have had this problem for almost two years with it slowly getting worse and worse over that time. Really bothered me since I’m a fan of the XM, use it for traffic, and just wanted it to work.

Been in and out of the dealership service department and checking multiple online forums (not just this one but all makes and models).

So it seems to be a relatively “known” issue with Toyota XM antenna across the board - they break down over time.

After a quick search, found an adapter for about $50 and then an external antenna replacement for about $20.

Perfect signal since...

Dealerships latest guess was to replace the whole receiver for about $2k. Glad I pressed the issue and kept checking!

Happy to supply instructions, parts, etc if needed...

Sorry if I missed it but would you be able to tell me what parts you got? My satellite antenna is completely out. The dealer wants $1200 to fix it which is insane since my car is 10 years old. I would love to be able to do this myself. Much appreciated in advance!