2008 XM Radio Reception Problems

Just installed the Toyota XM radio kit (bought from the Prius Shop) in my wife's 2009. The official kit and installation instructions has you sticking a ground patch on the outside of the windshield in the lower passenger side (lower right) and the antenna module on the inside directly centered under the patch. So, according to Toyota, for the their after-market kit, the antenna is on the inside.

I can confirm that reception is poor and just diving around has the signal dropping in and out. My wife has already said that it won't be acceptable; why pay for XM when it drops out all the time.

Looking at the antenna that came with the kit, it does not look like it's suitable for outside exposure. No sealing around the wire as it enters the antenna housing and the housing plastic doesn't look like it rain/snow resistant.

Giving that the reception is so bad, I'm going to temporarily relocate the antenna to the outside directly under the existing radio antenna, but I suspect it won't last very long.

Any suggestions on a better antenna made for roof mounting???

 

2010 owners ignore this!!!!

Everybody else PAY ATTENTION!

Toyota puts the XM antenna on the inside passenger side because they did not plan on putting the antenna outside. Ooops.....
That being said my antenna is on the inside because I installed the thing myself. I have no problems! However, for those of you that do have problems there is actually a little work involved fix that you can do yourself.
If you did not know this, your XM receiver is mounted under the right rear passenger seat. Toyota runs the antenna wire through the door sill forward and up the right side of the dash. There is extra cable coiled at the receiver, at least I had enough slop to do this.
You can unplug the antenna from the XM antenna jack, and completly pull it out of the current location. Being VERY carefull NOT TO DAMAGE the connector. You then place the antenna pod directly behind your radio antenna, even though its magnetic, I would place a drop of clear Silicone Sealer on the underside of the pod and as you mount it, and let it ooze out and make a good seal to the top of the car. I used that technique on my 4Runner 6 years ago, and the antenna is still rock solid in place!!!

Now here is where the problem arises, you have to make sure when you are finished you still have a weather tight seal where ever you penetrate the hatchback seal.
You can gently massage the seal away from the body of the car. slip the antenna connector trough and pull all the excess wire through. Now its up to you how you put the gasket back. Remember the antenna wire also has to fit. I would run the wire parallel to the metal lip, and I would notch out just enough metal at the lip edge so you can transition the antenna wire to the inside of the car.
You DO NOT want to bend the wire in a hard kink, THAT WOULD BE BAD EGON!!
After you have the little notch cut out and we are only talking a little bit more in diameter than that of the cable. Make sure you smooth the edges of the cut so you do not damage the wire when you pull the gasket back over the wire and lip of the hatch opening. Take a little of the Silicone and add it at the point the antenna wire exits to the outside world. On the inside run the wire along the inside of the passenger side roof, down inside of the trim pieces on the the side and under the back seat to the XM Receiver.
Close the hatch, plug the antenna back in and you should now have a good weather tight seal, as well as good reception!!!

 

Hi everybody...

I posted this today after lunch (and in the few hours that it's been posted I have already had 65 hits to the posting!!!). It might be worth reading through. If any of you have additional questions about my experience with the antenna (in my 2009 Prius), I would be happy to answer them.

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-audio-electronics/67744-xm-radio-2009-toyota-prius.html

Chris
2009 Magnetic Gray Metallic

 

I hadn't read the earlier posting but did exactly that; relocated the antenna to the outside roof just behind the radio antenna. WOW - no drop outs after 20 minutes of driving around versus a drop out every minute or two prior.

One comment; underneath the rubber hatch door seal in the exact middle is a slight notch that is intended for the Sirius radio antenna. Place a bit of sticky back foam on the metal right on the sill/notch, place the antenna wire into the notch area and place another piece of sticky back foam on top of the wire. I used some of the foam that came with the original kit but open cell foam at the hardware store should work.

Make sure that the wire is not bent too sharply and does not rub on the metal edge.

It routes nicely under the head liner, along the rear pillar, along side the air vent by the right rear seat back and into the area of the receiver.

I was able to salvage the original double stick tape on the back of the antenna but the silicon rubber suggested should work great.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Bottom line - don't follow the instructions for the XM radio. Download and follow the instructions for the Sirius radio and you'll have better luck!

 

Minor update: we now have several days with the new XM radio and with the antenna located on the roof behind the radio antenna, performance is excellent! We have gotten a few drop-outs in heavily treed areas, but only for a second. My wife remains very happy with the XM radio with the improved reception, so thanks for all the comments on relocating the antenna. That is certainly the fix!

 

Count me as one who is dissapointed in the 2008 XM Radio reception. I had the dealer install the XM radio when I bought the car. The antenna is on the dash on the passenger side. It ain't very good. The 2010 has the antenna on the roof and has virtually no drop outs. I would be willing to install a better antenna, by a good installer, but don't know what's best.
Any one out there have a good idea of what to do?

Math13 - was there any problem getting the dealer to change the location to outside?
Where did they place it?

 

Try re-reading post #22.... You can reuse your existing antenna and mount it behind the radio antenna on the roof....

 

I moved my antenna from the dash to the roof yesterday. The results are outstanding. It took about an hour of reasonable effort and well worth it.

 

Having had an '07 that I went thru this same exercise with, having XM installed with antenna on inside, then having the dealer move it outside on the upper part of the windshield on the passenger side (with excellent results, no atypical reception issues anymore), on this past Tuesday I had XM installed on my recently acquired '09. And I specifically spoke with them and got them to confirm, yes, no problem, we'll put the antenna on the outside
Well, guess where it was when I picked up the car.
Ya. Inside on the dash. Wth??
Back I go on Thursday to have them fix it... sheesh!

 

I walk back into the dealer, sit down the the service rep, and he reads my slip and says, "Ah.. move the antenna...poor reception.. must be on the dash..". It just surprises me that they didn't put it on the outside in the first place. Oh well, they moved it, it looks lovely up on the roof between the whip antenna and the wiper fluid nozzle. Happy camper

 

I had the dealer install the xm radio and they placed the antenna on the right side of the dash. Seems to work OK most of the time, but I am concerned about being up north (now in Florida) and driving in northerly direction. Also, how is the antenna installed outside?

 

Try re-reading post #22.... You can reuse your existing antenna and mount it behind the radio antenna on the roof....

 

I have a 2010 and the xm reception is poor. Will not pay for it.

 

I ran across this site a while ago, and I have had this problem since Day 1. For a long time, Bennett Toyota (Allentown, PA) turned a deaf ear whenever I mentioned it. Then about 2 yrs. ago, I got a service guy to take a ride with me so I could demo the problem. He thought the antenna was defective, so I got a new one for almost $300. That made no difference. I kept complaining and again they did not listen until a couple months ago when I emailed the service manager. By that time I was armed with info from the Sirius-XM website about NOT putting the antenna inside the car, as well as a printout of this thread, explaining that it was the location of the antenna that was the problem. We went for a ride and he took pics of the screen showing "no signal." I said I thought Toyota should move the antenna at no charge to me, since it was clearly Toyota's installation protocol that was wrong. He talked to his district manager and, lo and behold, they agreed to do it. In the end they subcontracted the job to a local independent sat radio place, because they understood this stuff better (also because it was still contrary to the protocol). Now it is fine. Although he did not formally admit that Toyota was wrong, the fact that I paid $0.00 was evidence of that. So, many thanks to this website and all who contributed to this thread. Now I am happy! When I asked the service manager where Toyota installs these sntennas now, he said it was now in the base of the antrnna that is above the hatch. I said, "Gee, I wonder why they changed it?" and he just smiled.