michelerea

New to the forum - recently updated from a 1999 land cruiser to a 2008 GX 470. Would like advice on adding satellite radio function. Have ML stereo with navigation and CD changer in glove box. AM-SAT button on dash near tape player. Thanks for the help.

RickC5

FYI- the factory XM add-on set-up will be cost-prohibitive IF you can even find one--like $600-900 installed. VAIS Tech makes a superb add-on XM or Sirius for Lexus & Toyotas at a fairly reasonable cost. I paid $250 for the VAIS Tech radio and an additional $100 for a local car stereo store to install it in our '08 ES350. Although if you're handy working on cars, maybe you can install it yourself. Running the antenna wire will be the most difficult thing to do.

You can buy from VAIS Tech direct, or check on eBay for possibly better prices. BTW- VAIS Tech has outstanding customer support if you have a problem with their gear.

Before you buy anything, make sure you don't already have XM. There will be a small black box on the roof, right above the center of the rear door. That's the factory antenna. There's also a big black box that fills up the storage bin behind the second seat on the left side panel. Maybe all you have to do is turn the thing on? And pay of course....

michelerea

I have the factory sat. antennae mounted on the roof in front of the rear spoiler. There are two compartments in the rear left (driver) side of the car. One is next to the third seat and opens to a tray. Pulled out the tray to see if the receiver was underneath. No luck. Could you mean the back left compartment behind the third seat - where the jack is stored? When you look above the jack, there seems to be some box with numbers on it but very hard to see without taking the entire panel off. I stopped at Lexus dealer asking them to tell me where the sat receiver is (if i have one) and they knew nothing about this SUV. I had to tell them where the radio antennae was : ) Any more advice? I find it hard to believe that i have the sat antennae but not other parts. Is that typical?
Thanks - Michele

Ryan37

You should just be able to call XM directly and sign up for a package (go to their website for a phone number). Just give them your VIN #, pick a package, and you will have XM in just a few minutes.

Rendell

ok, this is an old thread. But I'm new, and I have what looks like the same set up, maybe. Above the rear door, in the center, there is a black square with a short antenna on it. I will look again to ensure that I have a black box on the inside of the jack compartment. I realize that I do not have service, but I do have the AM/SAT button, but I do not see anything else on the stereo, or screen that show me anything about SAT. is it that this is just non-existent if the service is not present. Then if I can Xm and give my VIN they will turn on service and the XM stuff will magically appear? I'm asking because it seems that SAT would be the 1 missing feature on this car.

Then this question to go one step further. Has anyone installed an USB connection system to the car? if so what is it? then flaws, issues, and review?

ShellyGX

One way to get XM in the truck as well as good hands free phone and Bluetooth music from your phone is to install a BT 45-TOY. That is a Bluetooth module installed into the radio wiring, easy to do check threads here to do it.

Then use the XM app on your phone. If you already have XM on another vehicle the app is free and goes over Bluetooth into the BT45-TOY. Not sure if you can sign up for XM without having an XM radio.