Scion T1808 / XM / iPod in 2006 Sport Edition
Thanks everyone for the help. I read through the archives and found the posts that suggested the Scion radios and installation. It was a perfect solution for what we needed. Special thanks to the guy that posted the dash removal instructions.
So I bought a T1808 from a guy on another forum for $80, the XM adapter from XMFanStore, and the iPod adapter from the guy on Ebay. I brought out a few tools and my laptop so I could follow along with the disassembly instructions.
The console and dash removal was even easier than the instructions implied. But I ended up doing a few things differently:
Someone suggested putting the larger XM box in the glovebox. I didn't want to do that, and I didn't want to run the antenna outside either. So I decided to do this:
1. I put the larger XM box above and behind the stereo head unit. I put foam rubber top and bottom (not covering vent holes) so it stays tight and quiet. Attach cables, position it, and press it upward with a long bar from underneath and just inside the dash while inserting the head unit. Worked great. There is room for the smaller XM box just about anywhere. Again, I put foam in place so it stays snug.
2. The iPod connecter cable is pretty long, and I thought it would be nice to have that length available inside the car, but it's not necessary. The iPod is controlled by the stereo exclusively, so no need. Anyway, I drilled the bottom of that storage bin in front of the drink holders, the one that pops out. I cut a slot large enough to pass the iPod cable through, and so it's hidden and the iPod can stay out of sight.
3. Someone also said the XM antenna works fine inside the car, so I ran the cable down, under the steering wheel, and up the side and used padded double stick tape to secure it way forward on the dash on the driver's side. I tucked the wire in with a plastic spatula and it's perfect. And it does work fine there. I test drove it under bridges, around tall buildings, and never a gap.
The T1808 is pretty nice itself. One of the knobs works like a joystick, so controlling the iPod is pretty good. And the unit has decent power.
Total cost: Headunit $80 + XM $149 (-$50 rebate someday) + $70 iPod cable is about $250. I didn't push at all and it took 3 hours. Activating XM took a few minutes (they are better than the old days for sure).
The only glitch was when I tested I had no XM, so I retraced the cables, and the DIN cable really needed some pressure to seat it. No biggie, but it wasn't obvious.
Thanks everyone for the help. I read through the archives and found the posts that suggested the Scion radios and installation. It was a perfect solution for what we needed. Special thanks to the guy that posted the dash removal instructions.
So I bought a T1808 from a guy on another forum for $80, the XM adapter from XMFanStore, and the iPod adapter from the guy on Ebay. I brought out a few tools and my laptop so I could follow along with the disassembly instructions.
The console and dash removal was even easier than the instructions implied. But I ended up doing a few things differently:
Someone suggested putting the larger XM box in the glovebox. I didn't want to do that, and I didn't want to run the antenna outside either. So I decided to do this:
1. I put the larger XM box above and behind the stereo head unit. I put foam rubber top and bottom (not covering vent holes) so it stays tight and quiet. Attach cables, position it, and press it upward with a long bar from underneath and just inside the dash while inserting the head unit. Worked great. There is room for the smaller XM box just about anywhere. Again, I put foam in place so it stays snug.
2. The iPod connecter cable is pretty long, and I thought it would be nice to have that length available inside the car, but it's not necessary. The iPod is controlled by the stereo exclusively, so no need. Anyway, I drilled the bottom of that storage bin in front of the drink holders, the one that pops out. I cut a slot large enough to pass the iPod cable through, and so it's hidden and the iPod can stay out of sight.
3. Someone also said the XM antenna works fine inside the car, so I ran the cable down, under the steering wheel, and up the side and used padded double stick tape to secure it way forward on the dash on the driver's side. I tucked the wire in with a plastic spatula and it's perfect. And it does work fine there. I test drove it under bridges, around tall buildings, and never a gap.
The T1808 is pretty nice itself. One of the knobs works like a joystick, so controlling the iPod is pretty good. And the unit has decent power.
Total cost: Headunit $80 + XM $149 (-$50 rebate someday) + $70 iPod cable is about $250. I didn't push at all and it took 3 hours. Activating XM took a few minutes (they are better than the old days for sure).
The only glitch was when I tested I had no XM, so I retraced the cables, and the DIN cable really needed some pressure to seat it. No biggie, but it wasn't obvious.
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