tboo72

I was hell bent on getting XM in my 06 IS350 so after mucho searching, I found the ultra rare harness and mounting bracket. I also picked up a used tuner off ebay. I wasnt aware until now, however, that the 06 models had to use the stick on wart antenna. II do not want to put it where Lexus says(near the right edge of the trunk) so Im curious if other 06 owners have their antenna mounted in other spots.

Thanks

A1cntrler

iTrader: (2)

I don't have XM in a IS, but I did have XM the day it was launched and have installed it myself in 6 different vehicles. On all of the XM tuners I've seen (OEM, Pioneer and Terk ones) the Antenna connection has always been the same. Meaning you can use whatever XM antenna you can find for it. If you can find an OEM Sharkfin and want to drop the headliner to put it in it will work for you. You may even be able to find one from another manufacturer that will work.

How big is the wart one they say you need to use? On my wife's 300M Special I ran the antenna out the back onto the trunklid right at the base of the windshield. Be advised though that sticking magnetic things on the paint of cars drives me crazy. It attracts/traps dirt and it will scratch the paint over time.

The XM signal will travel through most glass too, so if you don't want to put it outside on the car, give it a try on the dash in the corner, or on the back package tray. I'm not familiar with where the Tuner box goes in the IS to suggest another location. Worst case, if it doesn't work inside the window you need to find a place outside to mount it (Use 3M tape though, less damage to the paint).

Gville350

iTrader: (10)

Don't the '06 models have a rear-integrated window antenna? Perhaps the XM radio taps into it for signal?

tboo72

Apparently not. Lexus's official XM install sheet has a wart antenna being installed on the right side of the trunk right near the edge. It looks hideous. Im not sure why they didn't have it installed at the back edge of the trunk right in the middle. At least that would look more symmetrical.

Jesse350IS

I've been thinking about installing XM in my 06 IS350 as well.. Dropping the headliner seems like it would be more worth it because you wont have that hideous side antenna lol. This installation will definitely be a lot of work though!

vapid2323

I dont believe glass will block the signal, just find a decent spot on the rear deck. Use some basic tape at first just in case the signal is bad, then move it as needed till you find the best spot.

tboo72

What about tint? My rear widows in my IS350 are tinted.

A1cntrler

iTrader: (2)

What are they tinted with? As long as it is normal tint (not the reflective metallic one) it should be fine. Keep in mind the reason they want the XM antenna outside is because it needs a clear view of the sky to see at least 1 satellite. XM has 5 satellites in orbit (their satellites are in geosynchronous orbit, meaning they remain in a fixed location over North America). When I first got XM there were only 2 up there (One named Rock and the other Roll.) and if I drove into a valley or between tall buildings I would lose the signal. Since then they have more satellites (Google shows they are names Rhythm and Blues) which means chance of one being in view of your antenna are pretty good, and also in urban areas they use terrestrial repeaters to fill the spaces that can't see the sky (between tall buildings).

I'd recommend trying it out on the rear package shelf, tint or not. Worse that happens is that you end up moving it outside for better reception.

tboo72

I think Im going to give it a whirl and mount the antenna on the top rear center of the trunk right near the edge.

A1cntrler

iTrader: (2)

That's where I put it on my wife's car when I did it. I was able to run the wire up through a loom that went to the lid (300M 3rd brake light wires were in there) and to under the liner for the trunk. I also put it under the weatherstripping there and it looked pretty nice. Remember: don't trust the magnet there if it is a magnetic antenna. It will scratch your paint as it collects dirt under it. Use some 3M tape to hold it in place.

tboo72

Thanks for the heads up. My antenna is still on order but Im pretty sure it uses 3M tape to attach and isnt magnetic. Im also wondering it I can get away with painting it with a bottle of touch-up paint in my car's color?

A1cntrler

iTrader: (2)

I think it would depend on how much if any metallic is in your paint. If you're willing to try it out though, paint a sheet of paper or even like a SOLO party cup and put over it to see if you still get good reception. Also you can Google "painting XM antenna". I had a lot of hits but didn't ever find a definitive answer when I looked.

tboo72

Got mine installed today. Wasnt too bad. Worst part was getting the side panel back into its proper place. It didnt want to cooperate with the new harness installed.

I put the antenna right at the center back of the trunk. It looks fine in that spot & I get good reception. The Lexus antenna was magnetic but it also had a sticky backing as well.

I am happy to report that the XM install parts are still available new from oemlexusparts.com. I was a little skeptical but all the install parts I ordered from them work like a charm.

A1cntrler

iTrader: (2)

How do you rate the sound quality? I was an early adopter of xm (I had it installed and ready to activate on the day it launched service) but canceled it a couple years back. I always had hard wired systems (never used FM modulation) but the music always sounded muddy and compressed. I had it in 3 vehicles, and all were the same. Noticed it mostly when switching from a CD or even just FM. How do you think it sounds compared to other sources?

tboo72

Sounds no different than FM radio to me.