Installing SiriusXM when not factory installed

[rcr1340]

I am looking at a Sport that doesn't have Sirius from the factory. Can it be added? I looked for a Mopar kit and couldn't find one. I would think it wouldn't be that complicated.

Sponsored

 

[TrailTorque]

You can put Sirius on any vehicle now-a-days.

I would just tell the dealer you want it installed or no deal.

Reason I say that is because my dealer gave me 1 entire year free!

 

[TrailTorque]

Get to the table and say “throw in XM and you got a deal” lol

 

[rcr1340]

You can put Sirius on any vehicle now-a-days.

I would just tell the dealer you want it installed or no deal.

Reason I say that is because my dealer gave me 1 entire year free!

I mean that can be played thru factory radio like it was installed from the factory.

 

[TrailTorque]

I would ask the dealership to be sure.

I would imagine you would have to buy it, wire it/install it and then have the dealership program it.

However, one of my other vehicles had the option embedded just not turned on, so I activated XM and boom it was there.

 

[TrailTorque]

Much easier to just have the dealership simply throw that in as a part of the purchase.

 

[rcr1340]

Has anyone installed it in there JL?

 

[TimmH]

1) what radio do you have?
2) You could just get the Sirius XM internet subscription and use Bluetooth to run it to your radio from your phone app. (Of course this will use your cells data plan, so you have to account for that if you are not on unlimited)
3) there are 3rd party devices you can hookup in many different ways depending on how unobtrusive and integrated you want it.

But it all starts with the radio you have, and if it is Sirius enabled, then all you would have to do is subscribe and input your radio ID.

 

[WXman]

I can't confirm on the JL.

On the JK, you had to have a SiriusXM capable head unit AND the wiring kit with antenna. It was quite expensive to add after the fact, if you wanted it to look and function like a factory option.

 

[rcr1340]

I just spoke to infotainment.com and they said if JL didn't come with Sirius from the factory you only have to add the antenna and it will work. No add on box or anything. Not sure if it needs a dealer flash though.

 

[RyanV1977]

I just spoke to infotainment.com and they said if JL didn't come with Sirius from the factory you only have to add the antenna and it will work. No add on box or anything. Not sure if it needs a dealer flash though.

Hey Mike.
How did it end up for you? Similar situation... have car play and the 7inch color radio screen but no XM directly built in. Was it just an antenna add on from infotainment.com or was an additional software reflash required?
Thanks!

 

[jason0341]

Hey Mike.
How did it end up for you? Similar situation... have car play and the 7inch color radio screen but no XM directly built in. Was it just an antenna add on from infotainment.com or was an additional software reflash required?
Thanks!

It won’t work. I tried this way a week or so ago. You have to get an actual Sirius capable unit.

 

[captainstabbins]

You can buy a radio from XM and then wire it in yourself. I had a JK and that is what I did. Worked great. Used the Onyx Plus. Here is a link to the radios. https://shop.siriusxm.com/radios/?intcmp=SHOP-HP-PROMO1

 

[gregus73]

My JL does not have SiriusXM. I ended up just connecting my iPhoneX using Bluetooth, then launch the SiriusXM app.
I already pay for SiriusXM All Access on my Macan.

I use Spotify this way as well.

 

[jeepoch]

I went through this hassle as well. The dealer told me to go to Car Toys and buy an external SiriusXM tuner.

The UConnect 3 5" that came from the factory in my JL is not in any way capable of satellite connectivity. No antenna and no SiriusXM integration.

I did not want to by some ugly bolt on head unit and certainly did not want to upgrade to UConnect 4 either the 7 or 8.4" units forcing a front panel nightmare with the hvac panel. Those units have the volume and tuning knobs on the panel whereas the 5" radio, these knobs are built into the radio itself.

An upgrade from a 5" to either a 7 or 8.4" requires a lot more conversion to the Jeep than just a radio head replacement. So many other poor souls with this 5" radio are blindly going this route. They are dealing with a lot more headaches than just being forced at using the steering wheel volume and tuning buttons.

Granted, they are gaining other functionality like nav and carplay, which I for one believe are for the truly directionally challenged and therefore should have their Jeep credentials revoked, for not knowing just where they are on this planet. But I digress...

Fortunately, I found a more tightly integrated solution from VAIS Technology. They have a unit (GRS FC02 kit) that integrates a SiriusXM SXV300 tuner into the UConnect 3 5" via one of the standard USB ports.

The satellite radio then shows up as an iPod1 connection from the Media interface on the UConnect 3. The GRS has the capability to store up to 36 SiriusXM channels and they can all be controlled via either the touchscreen or steering wheel switches.

The setup of the preset channels is a little kludgy but once configured works pretty well. Nowhere near as elegant as a designed in interface via the radio presentation with the SiriusXM enabled 7 and 8.4" head units, but WAY better than replacing it with a radio that was never intended within a build without the dedicated hvac panel with the volume and tuning knobs.

While I wish I had the forethought to have ordered the rig with a cooler radio (like a JVC), unfortunately the UConnect 3 5" turned out to be a really BIG disappointment. However at least the VAIS Technology GRS-FC02 has made it a whole lot more tolerable. I now have a clean, integrated SiriusXM satellite capability within the radio that came from the factory.

Now if we can only keep this POS UChannel 3 from losing 5 minutes a month on its not so real-time clock...

Sponsored