Odd Sirius/XM receiver behavior in '05 LS430.
06-19-13, 08:55 AM
#1
Intermediate
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Odd Sirius/XM receiver behavior in '05 LS430.
I recently purchased a '05 LS430 w/ the Mark Levinson sound system. The previous owner had installed the OEM Sirius/XM receiver which integrates perfectly with the ML/nav system via the AM/SAT button. When I bought the car I was (and still am) on the fence about activating an XM plan in the '05 LS since I have it in another car. In any event, since the previous owner's plan is still active I decided to try it out. I've noticed a few weird things with XM in this car:
1. The right channel is very quiet; when you turn the balance to the right the sound is almost inperceptible
2. The bass with XM is considerably lower than AM, FM, and CD
3. The volume level fluctuates on and between XM channels
4. Sometimes XM does not work unless the car is restarted.
I think that there is something wrong with the XM receiver because the ML system works perfectly on AM, FM, and CD. In fact, the ML system in the '05 sounds better than the ML system in my old '03 which leads me to believe that the previous owner had some or all of the speakers replaced or upgraded.
I'm leaning against pursuing this because of the cost and headache of finding the problem.
In any event, any thoughts on how much it would cost to diagnose the problem and/or replace the XM receiver?
1. The right channel is very quiet; when you turn the balance to the right the sound is almost inperceptible
2. The bass with XM is considerably lower than AM, FM, and CD
3. The volume level fluctuates on and between XM channels
4. Sometimes XM does not work unless the car is restarted.
I think that there is something wrong with the XM receiver because the ML system works perfectly on AM, FM, and CD. In fact, the ML system in the '05 sounds better than the ML system in my old '03 which leads me to believe that the previous owner had some or all of the speakers replaced or upgraded.
I'm leaning against pursuing this because of the cost and headache of finding the problem.
In any event, any thoughts on how much it would cost to diagnose the problem and/or replace the XM receiver?
06-19-13, 09:54 AM
#2
One thing I've noticed is Satellite radio doesn't have great sound quality in general, even if everything is working perfectly. Some channels are really compressed and it can almost sound like it's an AM reception, very "mono" sounding. It's definitely not CD quality, it's more like an MP3 file.
That being said, I still think XM/Sirius is worthwhile, as modern radio is absolutely awful.
One other thing you might want to check is the "sound" options. When I bought my car, I found the previous owner had turned the Bass down to the lowest setting in order to mask the blown subwoofer. The previous owner may have messed around with the settings as the ML system is known for having problems with speakers rotting.
That being said, I still think XM/Sirius is worthwhile, as modern radio is absolutely awful.
One other thing you might want to check is the "sound" options. When I bought my car, I found the previous owner had turned the Bass down to the lowest setting in order to mask the blown subwoofer. The previous owner may have messed around with the settings as the ML system is known for having problems with speakers rotting.
06-19-13, 03:01 PM
#3
Intermediate
Thread Starter
One thing I've noticed is Satellite radio doesn't have great sound quality in general, even if everything is working perfectly. Some channels are really compressed and it can almost sound like it's an AM reception, very "mono" sounding. It's definitely not CD quality, it's more like an MP3 file.
That being said, I still think XM/Sirius is worthwhile, as modern radio is absolutely awful.
One other thing you might want to check is the "sound" options. When I bought my car, I found the previous owner had turned the Bass down to the lowest setting in order to mask the blown subwoofer. The previous owner may have messed around with the settings as the ML system is known for having problems with speakers rotting.
That being said, I still think XM/Sirius is worthwhile, as modern radio is absolutely awful.
One other thing you might want to check is the "sound" options. When I bought my car, I found the previous owner had turned the Bass down to the lowest setting in order to mask the blown subwoofer. The previous owner may have messed around with the settings as the ML system is known for having problems with speakers rotting.
06-27-13, 01:35 PM
#4
Intermediate
Thread Starter
06-30-13, 04:54 AM
#5
I have 06 LS430 that I bought 4 years ago and installed Sirius right away.
A while ago I noticed the same strange behavior:
On some random occasion satellite radio would not work unless the car is restarted (sometimes even several times) BIZARRE !
Perhaps I have to go back to the installer which is very respectable shop and was recommended by my Lexus dealer.
Please, let me know if you be able to fix it.
A while ago I noticed the same strange behavior:
On some random occasion satellite radio would not work unless the car is restarted (sometimes even several times) BIZARRE !
Perhaps I have to go back to the installer which is very respectable shop and was recommended by my Lexus dealer.
Please, let me know if you be able to fix it.
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