Satellite Radio Q & A (Have a Satellite question, check here first)

Am I just stupid or what....I activated my sirius radio yesterday when I got my truck...when I turn it on all I get is the weather station (184)...how in the heck do I change that to a music station or any station for that fact??? Have hit the scan button and tuning button but nothing happens. Please help if you can....thanks. By the way, so I dont sound too stupid I have never had sirius radio before so this is a learning process for me.

If all you are getting is the info/weather channel (184), then your receiver did not pick up the signal that was sent to it when you tried to activate the system. You will need to call the 800 number again to try and reactivate the system.

Thanks ranger31..I will do that.

Am I just stupid or what....I activated my sirius radio yesterday when I got my truck...when I turn it on all I get is the weather station (184)...how in the heck do I change that to a music station or any station for that fact??? Have hit the scan button and tuning button but nothing happens. Please help if you can....thanks. By the way, so I dont sound too stupid I have never had sirius radio before so this is a learning process for me.

Sounds like a very "Sirius" problem.....hahahahahahahahahaha :D

I had them activate it this afternoon and I still only had 184, They gave me a user name and password to get on my account on the internet and I was able to send myself another activation signal and it worked. I moved my vehicle further away from my house the second time.

Thanks orucco I was thinking that may have been my problem when I initially activated it that it was too close to my house or something which prevented a good signal or something...will try again tomorrow.

If you were listening to 184, then you didn't have a bad signal. :) You do need to have the radio on for a period of time, however. Best bet is to do it right before taking a 10-15 min drive somewhere, which isn't hard to arrange in a new Commander. :D

So you wait a period of time and then try to tune in other stations? You are right a so called "few" minutes in the Commander ends up being much longer...haha.

Sounds like the city you live in has terrestrial based signal repeators. Basically if you live in a bigger city (like here in Denver) we have ground based antennas that give us the sirius fed in case we drive too close to a building or under a bridge. I had the same problem and the Sirius rep told me to make sure the car has a clear view of the sky, regardless if I could hear 184 or not.. Once I got it out were it would see line of sight to the moon, and then activated it, the unit downloaded all the channels. The trick is the ground based repeators don't work for activating, only the satellite is capable of activating the unit. So if you are going to be activating your unit, make sure it can see all the way up.

ew, denver co.

Mine took a few days to activate after I called Sirius. I was actually on hold with them, calling to ask why it wasn't working, when it started receiving the signal.

Few days? [removed] you some 'sirrius' patience. ;) ;)

Free Sirius for a year with your new purchase. I just set mine up the other day, what a great way to check out the service. I have always wanted Sirius radio but didn't want to add a unit on my dash. Now it is all integrated into the radio and you get one year free! You can't beat that deal!

I never had sirius before in any car so was skeptical about having it in the jeep but now that I have it I wish every one of my cars did. There are too many channels to choose from which is great except it is hard to pick which to listen to....what a problem huh? haha. Anyway, enjoy it because I know I am. Great choice for color on your jeep too reedjohnson!!!

Yeah, my question is between the XM in the ZJ and the Sirius in the XK, which do I like more? :D So far, there are things to like about each.

i wasn't thrilled

i'm a die hard XM guy, mostly b/c of their comedy channel and Opie and Anthony. I despise Howard Stern.

Activated my Sirius...only to find that the rock stations are a million times better than XMs and there are some other cool talk stations (MAXIM Radio, NFL Channel) that I don't have on XM

For now, my wifes car will be my XM car and the Commander my Sirus-mobile...I just can't give up O&A. I might end up installing a portable XM unit in the commander and have both...just wish the NAV unit had an aux in :(

ah well...FM modulation will work.

If you didn't know you can also get the playboy channel as well. FREE. You have to request it though. Obviously for purposes you should know.

I got Sirius radio when I bought my Commander but I had to pay for it. When ordered from the factory it is a $195 option that gives you the satellite set up and a years subscribtion. Hardly free.

Mine was free; included with the REC radio.

so was this for limiteds only?

I think the one year comes free with any preinstalled Sirius radio. If you had Sirius in your car when you bought the Jeep it is worth a try to call them to see if you qualify. When I called all they needed was my VIN number and my home address. Hope this helps!

I cannot beleive what I am reading... my sat radio was active by the time I left the dealership..... they actually called Sirus and had it activated for me. I already had an existing account so I gave them my e-mail address and now I am all set to have my account chared when the free period is over.

The sat is nice... BUT ... the ability to have 6 MP3s loaded at one time is awsom!

I am sure that you have all discussed this before. I have just bought my new Commander and the Dealership did not give me the users maual for the the NAV system. I am trying to setup my SIRIUS radio and cannot figure out how to get the ESN displayed. Can anyone help?
:confused:

I found out that you really do not need to have the ESN for the factory installed Sat Radios because SIRIUS already has them registered to your VIN.

That's correct. All I had to do is give Sirius the VIN, and they took it from there!

Make sure you give them an email address & password so you can go online and add the Playboy channel. Wouldn't want you to miss all that sex. Hint: Leave the wife at home if you tune it in; it's VERY risque' !

I did get the Online part activated and of course added the playboy channel. Have not had that chance to listen to it yet.

I love Sirius, and at least the Playboy channel is free, but don't get to excited it sucks, the programming on that channel is horrible they could never charge for it, no one would subscribe that is why it is free

I just bought a new Commander with the AM/FM/CD and the Boston Acustic upgrade. But no Sirius, the Dealership told the radio is Sirius Ready and they can install a kit which includes the antenna, and it should be the same as if installed by the facotry? and will work through the same radio, does this sound right? Anyone else do this?

The kit costs $324 I don't know what the installation charge will be yet. I would rather have Sirius through the exisiting radio instead of having to install somehting after market.

David

David-had the same thing done to my new commander. yes, it is a simple bolt in and plays through the factory head unit. I will, however, warn you that they will drill your roof to install the antenae. Kind of freaked me out when they told me what they were going to do. Also, one of the down sides is that the sirisu will play through the head unit but the display doesnt show channel name, artist, song title, etc. Apparently that is only available on the Sat/Nav display. Other than that, no issues with the unit. You wouldnt even know that it is in there.

Spenser, someone here in another forum said if you press the info button you can view the additional informaiton like channel name, however my radio does not have an info button so I guess I am out of luck. Can anyone confirm this?

David

What unit do you have? As for as I am aware the unit that is being referred to is the Sat/Nav rec unit. I have this unit and there is an "info" button that when pressed will alternate the information on the display lines. It is also used to "ask" the Nav system to repeat last instruction... why...:confused: I do not know since you can eaisly look a the screen and determine if you need to make a turn soon :D

Not sure what dealership you guys purchased from... Jasper Jeep in Jasper, GA made sure my Sirius was registered before I ever left the lot :)

I already had an existing account and all I did was give them my e-mail address. Even set up so when the free year is up they will auto-bill the annual amount.

Great Service from dealer! :D

Well maybe the NAV units have the info button. I have a standard single CD/FM/AM radio and the Boston Aucistics upgrade. The radio does not have an info button, and I was told I could only see the channel number that there was no way to view channel name or other info with my radio and Sirius.

:eek: Sounds like DC missed the boat on the standard radio with Sirus. Even the cheap sat radios you can buy at Wal-Mart will display the station name, category and song title!

David-you are right. With the standard head unit (ie no sat nav display) no song, artist or channel name prints out or scrolls across the display, it just shows channel number and time. Kind of disappointing when an aftermarket unit would give you all of the info. :(

I will, however, warn you that they will drill your roof to install the antenae. Kind of freaked me out when they told me what they were going to do.

The factory antenna mounts the same way, hole in the roof, two actually, one for the bolt/clamp and one for a locating pin. I am actually a little surprised that I have not seen any water leaks from them yet. Sunroof drains blocked and roof rack rail bolts seem to be where most of the roof related water leaks come from.

Well the install is scheduled in 2 weeks, they ordered the antenna, tuner and install kit with new wiring harness, they quoted me two hours for the install. Hopefully it will go smoothly.

i wasn't thrilled

i'm a die hard XM guy, mostly b/c of their comedy channel and Opie and Anthony. I despise Howard Stern.

Activated my Sirius...only to find that the rock stations are a million times better than XMs and there are some other cool talk stations (MAXIM Radio, NFL Channel) that I don't have on XM

For now, my wifes car will be my XM car and the Commander my Sirus-mobile...I just can't give up O&A. I might end up installing a portable XM unit in the commander and have both...just wish the NAV unit had an aux in :(

ah well...FM modulation will work.
i have the exact same problem-diehard O&A fan and then I get the free Sirius on the JC and kind of like the other Sirius channels. My solution- Using my Roadie with the FM modulator. Luckily the slot just in front of the gear shift fits it nicely and the Delphi antenna magnetically sticks to the allen bolts in the dash (saaaweeeeeet!!) It would be really nice to have XM integrated but oh well...

Raaaammoooooone!!!!!!!!....... Bring me a Jeep Commander with XM satellite radio!!!!!

I bought my Commander in March. It was the dealership owner's daily driver with about 4,000 miles on the odometer.

He had registered Sirius already.

I called in mid-July to get it transferred over to me and the Sirius people were EXCELLENT! Great customer service!

They gave me one full year STARTING in JULY!! They did not have to do that since I told them honestly that I bought the vehicle in March.

They just landed a subscriber. Content is much, much better than XM.

I am pretty happy with sirius and will renew my subscription at the end of the free trial. I love channel 98- 100% Stones.

There's no free lunch even with the Limited. In other words, the Sirius radio package costs are buried in the cost of either the options or the basic cost of the "Limited".

I purchased a new navigation system with Sirius sat radio. I don't want to install the factory sirius antenna because I don't want to drill a hole. I am just curious who has an aftermarket antenna and how you routed the cable into the car.

The antenna need a clear line of site to the sky... therefore inside mounting is pretty much out. About your only option is the magnetic mount and run the cable through the cabin hiding it in the rubber trim where possible.

We purchased our Limited Hemi 4x4 last week from a dealer. The car was on the "pre-owned lot" Long story short... we didn't get to take advantage of the 0% finance deal, yada yada yada. Our Sirius Satellite radio was already activated when we purchased the vehicle so we are not sure how long the radio sevice has been activated since you are supposed to get a year free.

Does anyone know how to find out how much time you have remaining on your Sirius subscription? I emailed Sirius several days ago and I have not heard anything back.

Thanks

Call Them. They Can Tell You. You May Need Some Info Of The Reciver Box.it Is Under The Rear Seat On The Passenger Side.

Go to link below and they can tell you.

http://www.sirius.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Sirius/CachedPage&c=Page&cid=1018209032790

If you look in your owners manual, it will tell you how to get the radio serial number, get it out of the radio, then call the sirius number in the owners manual, they should be able to tell you. When I activated mine, they made it clear that it wouyld be better to renue or etend it rather than to let it run out, as you renew/extend at the rate you first signed up. Dont know if that is true or not.

Have your VIN with you also

Thanks everyone for your help. I called this weekend and got everything straightened out so I know that I have until next June to renew.

Sirius has fantastic service.

I bought my Commander in March as a demonstrator.

I called Sirius in July about the account so I could access it online (and add the Playboy channel).

Sirius gave me one year free service from July! Therefore, I will get a total of over 17 months of free Sirius.

Service like that will make me sign up for the lifetime subscription once it runs out!

How did you get them to deactivate the dealer account. I also have one that the owner drove, they told me they could not change accts without authorization or wait until it runs out next month Then call them back. dealer says to wait so I guess I wait and see if they give me a free year.

Hey All - I have noticed over the past few weeks that when tuning the Sat radio (I have the Nav/Sat) that occassionaly I loose audio :confused: I can switch to regular "old" radio or to CD and get audio. Initially I thought - gee Sirius must be having an issue.

The problem happened again yesterday on my way home from the office - I tuned using the steering control and no audio! As soon as I pulled into the drive I shut the engine off and opened the door - just to turn the radio off - turned ignition switch to accessory and audio was back :rolleyes:

I have checked and could not find a TSB on this - Are any of you experiancing this issue??

Cheers
Chad

Silly question, but you didn't bump one of the other buttons behind the wheel that might have muted it did you?

Otherwise, sounds like some sort of wiring / short issue. The only time I lose my satellite audio is in a garage / gas station or if I pass under and overpass at slow speed (under 30mph).

Rubicontrail - I did not do this either. I actually thought that might be the case the second time this happened - tried adjusting the volume with the control knob and still no audio. Oddly enough I can leave it on and watch the title/artist text change at each song title - there is just no audio. Not sure it is a short as I do get audio when I switch to either CD or FM radio. I have even tried switching to and from SAT/CD/FM/AM a few times with the same results.

Thanks for the input though.

Hmmm... if the titles didn't change it would sound like a satellite antenna issue. That is just very odd.

Just checked AllData for TSB's. I don't have a subscription, but there is one covering this:

08-042-05 AUG 05 Audio System - Satellite Radio Mutes While Driving

Have your dealer check it.

Check your roof rack. If the rear cross member is positioned too close to the reciever (I think Jeep should move it further back or closer to the front) it will block the signal temporarily depending upon the direction the vehicle is facing and/or your geographical location in the US. Look at Sirius' website for the best antenna placement configurations based upon geography.

the bad part of the placement of the reciever is if you are on a road trip (in my opinion, the best time to use SAT radio) and you are carrying a cargo hold on the roof or some snowboards, your signal is lost. Jeep should have really placed the reciever up front.

Check your roof rack. If the rear cross member is positioned too close to the reciever (I think Jeep should move it further back or closer to the front) it will block the signal temporarily depending upon the direction the vehicle is facing and/or your geographical location in the US. Look at Sirius' website for the best antenna placement configurations based upon geography.

the bad part of the placement of the reciever is if you are on a road trip (in my opinion, the best time to use SAT radio) and you are carrying a cargo hold on the roof or some snowboards, your signal is lost. Jeep should have really placed the reciever up front.

I wish this were just the placement of the roof cross rail.. it is in the correct position. If it were a signal issue I should get the "No Signal" message on the display... this is not the case... it actually will display the song playing and change the title... you just cannot hear audio :confused:

sgilbert - thanks for the tip on the TSB - unfortunatly this covers the placement of the roof rack cross rail. My cross rail is where it needs to be... and the sat works fine up until a point where I change the channel and it just does not play

I'll update if I evee get this resolved.

I noticed mine pauses when I change channels, but the audio eventually comes back. It is just finding itself. I have noticed the my signal fades a lot more lately.

I have noticed it generally takes a couple of seconds to adjust audio when changing stations also... but on mine it sometimes stays with no audio... no matter how loud I turn the volume up.

I haven't been very impressed with the Sirius satellite reception on our 2006 Commander.

Where is the antenna located? I thought that it was the one stuck on the inside of the windshield behind the rear view mirror. If it isn't then where is it and what is that other thing stuck to the windshield?

Thanks,

Check your roof utility cross bars if you have them. If the rear cross bar is not in the proper setting it will cause this. The antenna is located on the top rear of the commander.

The other thing stuck to your windshield is for the auto rain sensing auto wipers and such thingy.

As CR said, check your cross rails. The rear one should be on the second to last arrow, otherwise it blocks the Sat antenna on the back. The other problem could be trees or tall buildings in your area, if you have a lot of either they can cause you to lose the signal. Sat reception is line of site and needs a clear path to the sat.

I took my rails completely off and I still get a lot of dropped signals. Sirius has some great programming, but it's slightly not ready for prime time with the erratic service. I wonder if the design of the antenna on the roof is the problem?

I took my rails completely off and I still get a lot of dropped signals. Sirius has some great programming, but it's slightly not ready for prime time with the erratic service. I wonder if the design of the antenna on the roof is the problem?

Yes it has to be the worst antenna ever. i have an S50 with the Dot Micro antenna on my Work Truck F150, and it never drops out even passing under over passes. i also have the older XACT style antenna on our toyota and it is also much better than the OEM one on our commander. Im 100% sure replacing the OEM antenna with the DOT MICRO style will improve reception dramitically as it likely has a much higher Gain than that OEM piece of Crap. ive seen them for about $23 so this is a cheap mod i will be doing in the future.

Yes it has to be the worst antenna ever. i have an S50 with the Dot Micro antenna on my Work Truck F150, and it never drops out even passing under over passes. i also have the older XACT style antenna on our toyota and it is also much better than the OEM one on our commander. Im 100% sure replacing the OEM antenna with the DOT MICRO style will improve reception dramitically as it likely has a much higher Gain than that OEM piece of Crap. ive seen them for about $23 so this is a cheap mod i will be doing in the future.


Probably has more to do with a built in buffer on the reciever, or a supplemental radio signal with that service. If they have a large built in buffer, like some CD players do for skipping over bumps, then you could lose reception for however long the buffer is and not notice. Sirius in the DCX products seems to have none or a very small one, I lose it allmost as soon as the car is all the way in the shop, and pick it up again as I turn for my bay passing under one of the skylights in our shop.

i dont know how much differance a buffer would make. its a live streaming thing. i would imagine it couldnt go back and get information you missed while under a tree or overpass for any decent length of time.

I have no drop outs other than when going under a gas station canopy, parking garage, or passing under an overpass (going under 30mph, at higher speeds it is perfect).

Not having to listen to advertisements and radio "personalities" running their mouths makes it worth it.

In fact, just having the Sirius for two weeks, I became addicted and installed an aftermarket addon Sirius unit in my Cherokee too.

Thanks for the info. The rear rail was directly over the antenna. I moved it and seemed better but I was only driving around for 15 minutes or so. I'm hoping for the best.

I noticed one handy feature that the aftermarket Sirius unit on my Cherokee has that the factory Commander unit is missing... a traffic jump button.

You press the button and the radio will wait until the traffic report is ready and then it switches to that channel (so I don't have to sit and listen to the San Diego report when I want to hear the Phoenix one). You press the button again and it goes back to whatever channel you were listening to.

Final report.

It seems like all of the dropouts are gone now. All I needed to do was move the roof rack cross bar forward one position so that that antenna was uncovered.

Seems like they could have put the antenna between two of the set positions available for the cross bars.

Oh well, now I'm happy.
Thanks for all of the input.

I have a 2006 Commander in Canada. It has the REC navigation radio but did not have SIRIUS. I believe it was an option if ordered from the factory but not 100% sure. When checking on the www mopar ca site they don't show the SIRIUS upgrade and install kit. When looking on www mopar com they show 2 Satellite radio kits. 82208881AA and 82209719AB. The first # doesn't show on the dealers system but the second number shows up as the SIRIUS upgrade for a 2007 Dodge Caliber. 82209501 is listed as the install kit on the mopar.com website.

Anyone add SIRIUS satellite to their Canadian Commander? Or US Commander?

Are there any differences in a Canadian REC radio and US REC radio?

I am assuming that I can add SIRIUS to my Commander but I don't want to waste the dealers time (or mine) trying to source parts or even worse, finding out during install that it won't work.

Any advice appreciated. Thanks, Paul.

Anyone have info on the availability of XM for the 6 disc Boston Acousictics stock radio? How it will interface? What options will work? I understand the parts needed are the XMDRDS100 and XMD1000. Audiovox/TERK is the manufacturer. Thanks all.

Whats the easiest way to add sirius to my RAQ unit. Is the Mopar add on compatible? I see it on ebay for $299. Or should I just go with an add on like say an S50 that i can carry into the house too?
Advice is appreciated.

I can't really say which is better, but we have the sportster unit that goes in our other car and in the homeport - we use it in the house ALL the time. It's great!

The Mopar addon will keep the interior uncluttered with gadgets as the unit gets hidden away.

On the other hand the Sirius units offer some cool features (time shift up to 45 minutes of audio, song alerts, game alerts, traffic jump).

I have the factory unit in my Commander and a Sirius Replay ST with the Sirius antenna relay in my Cherokee.

Whats the easiest way to add sirius to my RAQ unit. Is the Mopar add on compatible? I see it on ebay for $299. Or should I just go with an add on like say an S50 that i can carry into the house too?
Advice is appreciated.

Plus you can get the sirius unit at wal-mart for under $100 with home and mobile kits and everything.

Thanks, I am leaning towards the add on Sirius. How about the roof antenna? Have people run it up the side of the back leftgate? Or do you have to drill a hole in the roof (which I am not inclined to do).

Thanks, I am leaning towards the add on Sirius. How about the roof antenna? Have people run it up the side of the back leftgate? Or do you have to drill a hole in the roof (which I am not inclined to do).

On my Cherokee I was able to run it along under the base trim (just had to loosen a few screws) and then the wire was thin enough to slide around the weatherstripping in the back (be sure to do this at the bottom so you don't get leaks) and then up along the left side of the cargo area.

I am guessing it would be about the same on the Commander but as I said, I have the factory unit in the Commander so I haven't had to do that.

you most definitely do not want to drill any holes in the roof. The wire is so tiny that your vehicle should not leak from running it out the weatherstripping. I have a portable unit in my mercedes that works great. I don't even run the antenna outside. I just lay it on the dash in the front and it "sees" out the windshield just fine. The signal meter even shows full strength. They also make a glass mount antenna for satellite radio installations. Kind of like the old cellular antennas that would stick on the inside and outside of the glass and the signal was transmitted through the glass . No holes to drill. i think those things are around 50 bucks.

I have a roady 2 which uses a FM transmitter to get the signal to the radio. Havn't had any problems with it. Now I started to use the AUX jack on the front of the stock radio. Both worked about equally.

I know they make a converter for GM vehicles that allows you to get Sirius on your factory XM radio.

However, I have not heard about the reverse.


Sirius is more popular anyways.....or will be within a year.

I just got the free XM RoadyXT radio when I signed up for my GMC vehicle. I figure I'll put it in my wife's new Commander. Has anyone installed one? Any Ideas on mounting and connection to the radio? I know it has an FM modulator, but I may want to try to use the Aux jack in the front of the radio.

Thanks

I had a roady2 in my rubicon, if the XT is anything like the 2, you should have a swivel pad that sticks quite nicely to any flat area. (Then the radio slides into it.) Just make sure to wipe it down with the pad they give you first, or it won't stick. Also, make sure that's where you want it to be forever - it doesn't come off too cleanly.

If you have an aux jack, def. use that. While the roady's tend to be more powerful than most FM modulators, it still sucks.

!c

I just got the free XM RoadyXT radio when I signed up for my GMC vehicle. I figure I'll put it in my wife's new Commander. Has anyone installed one? Any Ideas on mounting and connection to the radio? I know it has an FM modulator, but I may want to try to use the Aux jack in the front of the radio.

Thanks

I had a Roady in my Grand, but it had a tape player so I was able to use it instead. I did use the FM modulator just to try it out. It is OK if you stay in a certain range....but if you go into an area that has a station close in frequency to what you have programmed in, you will get interference and have to change the setting. I used the vent clips to mount mine....not a big fan of taping anything to the inside of my car. When I got my Commander, I refused to use the Roady and purchased a head unit with XM built in. Much cleaner look.

....but if you go into an area that has a station close in frequency to what you have programmed in, you will get interference and have to change the setting.

I am not sure for XM, but for Sirius there is an antenna relay available which helps out tremendously.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8116585&st=sirius+relay&type=product&id=1158319078975

Rubicon

No to highjack this thread, but noticed that the last three messages you have posted you message counter shows 699. Does it not count any higher?. Just checked mine last few and it is not counting either. We must be stuck in a time warp. lol

I have a roady XT. It works great. It should have came with a clip that allows you to clip it to a vent in the vehicle. For the record, I think the FM modulator works really well on this particular unit. I have one in me Mercedes and it works really well. If you have the aux in on your stereo then I would use it because it does get frustrating when a radio station starts to step on your station and you have to find a new one. I bought the home docking kit as well and the remote is handy in the vehicle.

Anyone have pics of the Roady installed?

Rubicon

No to highjack this thread, but noticed that the last three messages you have posted you message counter shows 699. Does it not count any higher?. Just checked mine last few and it is not counting either. We must be stuck in a time warp. lol Every one of your posts will read the current number of posts you have wrote, regardless of when you wrote them.

Here is a nice mounting system I used.

http://www.panaviseonline.com/product.php?id=1461

or...... for a cell phine add this: http://www.lashen.com/vendors/panavise/cellular/clipcaddy.asp

Every one of your posts will read the current number of posts you have wrote, regardless of when you wrote them.


I did not know that. Thanks B By the way what part of O Town are you from when you are here? Wekiva Springs State Park area for me.

I just put my Roady 2 into the CMDR. I tried comparing the sound quality of the aux jack vs. the FM modulator and there was no difference. so, I went with using the FM since I didn't want an extra unnecessary wire hanging around.

Mine works very well also, I have been very happy with it.

I did not know that. Thanks B By the way what part of O Town are you from when you are here? Wekiva Springs State Park area for me.
S. Semoran just north of the airport.

Side note..... XMDRDS100 and XMD1000 Audiovox/TERK is the manufacturer will be coming out in 07 for a factory install like XM.......... So I am told. Plugs into the stock radio.

Work on E Semoran just East of Apopka. Small world. Thanks for what you are doing for us here at home and keep safe.

Just picked up my commander and had a quick question about the sirius radio. Right now I am enjoying the free year of service (which was activated prior to my purchase) Would calling sirius with my VIN # be enough info to pull up the info on the jeep? I know the portable units have ESN # etc for ID purposes - I didnt seem to find one on mine.

The Electronic Serial Number/Sirius Identification Number is needed to activate your Sirius Satellite Radio system. To access the ESN/SID, refer to the following steps:

ESN/SID Access With REF Radios
With the ignition switch in the ACCESSORY position and the radio OFF, press the Eject or CD Eject (depending on the radio type) and Time buttons simultaneously for 3 seconds. The first four digits of the twelve-digit ESN/SID number will be displayed. Press the SEEK UP button to display the next four digits. Continue to press the SEEK UP button until all twelve ESN/SID digits have been displayed. The SEEK DOWN will page down until the first four digits are displayed. The radio will exit the ESN/SID mode when any other button is pushed, the ignition is turned OFF, or 5 minutes has passed since any button was pushed.

ESN/SID Access With RAQ Radios
With the ignition switch in the ACCESSORY position and the radio OFF, press the CD Eject and TIME buttons simultaneously for 3 seconds. All twelve ESN/SID numbers will be displayed. The radio will exit the ESN/SID mode when any other button is pushed, the ignition is turned OFF, or 5 minutes has passed since any button was pushed.


Source: http://www.wkjeeps.com/wk_sirius.htm

Awesome! Thanks a million!

Was yours a demo? The dealer drove mine 5k before I bought it, I had it for 8 months before his free year expired. When I called they gave me another year free. I had to ask, but they did give it to me. I actually received a bill. I was about to send a check. I decided to call and pay. When they pulled up my accoutn they said the balance was zero and I was good for a year. Pretty cool. ;)

Hi folks. New to the forum and also a new Commander owner. I am looking for some advice and answers on a couple of problems. I have the stock stereo with the built-in Sirius satellite radio. The display on the radio is too simple and merely shows channel numbers. I have a Sirius Starmate that I used in my last truck and I loved the display on it. Here's where the questions start... Should I install the Starmate in the Commander or buy a new head unit? If I do install the Starmate is there a way to use the antenna that is built in to the Jeep or do I have to run the one that came with the Sirius car kit? If I do install the car kit antenna how do I get through the firewall? If I get a new head unit.. is the sirius part built in or is it an external part that can just be plugged into the new head unit or do I have to buy a satellite ready head unit as well as a satellite tuner? I am so sorry to ask so many questions on my first day, but I want to do this right.

TIA
Have a great weekend folks.

My display shows the song, channel, and artist (although the artist is wrong sometimes, which is odd). It's much better than the display on my old sirius radio. Good luck.

Katy

I'm sure that most people are aware of this but since I was completely new to satellite radio I thought this may happen to somebody out there. My satellite radio was sporadically loosing signal. This would happen all over the place, right out in the open. To make a long story short (after calling Sirius) I found that the rear roof rack crossbar was positioned directly over the satellite radio antena. I'm not sure if all antenas are located in the same spot (I think they would be if installed at the factory). But I moved the bar and problem gone. Perfect reception. Hope this helps somebody.

A lot of people might have had this same issue. I believe this might even been in the manual.

You will also lose your signal under overpasses if moving under 35mph unless you are close to one of the terrestrial transmitters. This is annoying but normal.

HemiCommander - Did you ever find resolution to this when your sat. radio mutes while driving. I had this happen for the first time today. I was listening to sat radio then when I changed stations it just muted. I still had signal and the station read out but no sound. All of the other functions worked fine. After I got home and turned it off and then restarted it worked fine.

I was disappointed to discover that tall trees and mountains can make it unusable as well. On a recent trip in the Sierras reception got bad at the bottom of the hill and continued to get worse. I thought I would be able to listen to Sirius in the middle of nowhere but it only worked when I would stop in a clear area.

I do not know about you all but I like my XM.......!
Until.....
These are some excerpts
I am about to go Sirius now...?!?!?

Thank you Trudy (CSR)
I have contacted XM CSRs and left extremely poor feedback regarding your products. As well, I will leave this on forums on the internet.

Your company claimed to have a product coming.... then available. I have contacted no less than five dealers who even say it is available but no stock and also claim confusion as to really what you plan or have available.

I have had XM since 2002 and love it. My contract is well up into 2008. However, they are offering to return all payment for Sirius as your company failed to deliver.

Even some of the product companies I contacted said they had to threat to get higher responses regarding products?

Some answers were:

I cringe when I think about having to talk to Terk. I've sent some pretty strong nasty grams to their sales rep. It's gotten me to someone a little higher up the food chain, but not to anyone who actually puts their hands on a radio on a daily basis.
I usually call Terk's competitors for info about the Terk stuff, because the competition actually buys the terk stuff and tries it. The Terk guys just read the charts.
The info below was from one of their competitors! What kinda info would've I gotten from Terk?

We placed a large order for the RDS units around July of last year. When/if they are ever released, we will be one of the first stores who receive shipment. When speaking with XM (who actually develops and manufactures the hardware) it doesn't look like the piece will be coming out. Audiovox/Terk is just a distribution partner of XM, and they do not actually manufacture the product.

I am checking with my suppliers on this. One of them has the part number in the system but no product yet. I will let you know if I hear anything from the others.

They've been threatening to release that for over a year now. The last
version in testing takes ~13 seconds to change channels, only will
change channels with the remote, requires an IR port be installed on the dash and is FM modulated. And those are the good things about it.

I am not sure what Terk tech support is stating. From what I've been told by XM, this piece will not be coming out any time soon. If/when it does become available, we will post a date on XMFanStore.com and XMFan.com

That's the same answer we got, hence my confusion about it. Apparently, those guys don't know their own product. We appreciate the heads-up so we can pass it along to other RDS-equipped Commander owners.

That's the same answer we got, hence my confusion about it. Apparently, those guys don't know their own product. We appreciate the heads-up so we can pass it along to other RDS-equipped Commander owners.

I am going to post this on my JEEP forums. They deserve to know how XM has let them down because of your company.
Regards

I will keep you all abreast........... honestly too!

I had XM for a year. I now have Sirius and think it is a lot better, but its all up to the end user not my opinion! I have yet to see anything for XM on DCX vehicles.

I was disappointed to discover that tall trees and mountains can make it unusable as well. On a recent trip in the Sierras reception got bad at the bottom of the hill and continued to get worse. I thought I would be able to listen to Sirius in the middle of nowhere but it only worked when I would stop in a clear area.

It is one of the trade offs of satellite radio. You get to avoid all the non-stop chatter and ads of FM radio but yes, there are times when you get no signal.

After reading your thread about moving the roof rack cross bar I tried it. Well that definately helped with my satelite reception. There were areas on my commute home where I was loosing signal. Since moving the cross bar I haven't lost signal yet.
Up until that point I was very dissapointed with satelite radio. Personally Unless they offer me a deal I can't refuse, and when my 1-year trial is up, I won't be renewing..I hate having to pay for it!

After reading your thread about moving the roof rack cross bar I tried it. Well that definately helped with my satelite reception. There were areas on my commute home where I was loosing signal. Since moving the cross bar I haven't lost signal yet.
Up until that point I was very dissapointed with satelite radio. Personally Unless they offer me a deal I can't refuse, and when my 1-year trial is up, I won't be renewing..I hate having to pay for it!

Look at their "lifetime" subscriptions. Not exactly cheap but you pay up one time and never have to pay another bill for this and the next two Sirius units you own.

Be careful of the lifetime subscriptions. I did a 5 year deal where you pay up front for internet service, the following year they where bought by another company and they did not oner existing long term customers. I got burnt. I love the Sirius programing and I was real close to giving them 500.00 for lifetime membership, but I remembered what I went through before. Who is to say that Sirius and XM will not merge at a later date.;)

Personally Unless they offer me a deal I can't refuse, and when my 1-year trial is up, I won't be renewing..I hate having to pay for it!

I agree with that one...

I have the cargo rack up top which makes reception even worse, and there's no way to move it.

It's an absolutely terrible location for the antenna. The engineers knew people would be putting things on the roof, and this is where they decided to put it, right under the cross bar area :rolleyes:

I did enjoy the NFL games...when I had a signal, but I'll pass on renewal.

It is annoying to loss the signal, but man, Sirius blows away FM radio. Its addicting, and I cant live without it now!!!

Just saw this "Breaking News" bulletin from TWICE:

http://www.twice.com/contents/images/twicelogo.gif (http://www.twice.com/)
XM, Sirius Announce Merger Plan
By Amy Gilroy New York — Capping months of rumor and speculation, XM and Sirius announced today they will merge with Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin to become CEO and XM chairman Gary Parsons to become chairman of the new company.

XM CEO Hugh Panero will continue in his current position until the close of the merger, which is expected by the end of the year, said the companies. The all stock merger of equals will create an enterprise valued at approximately $13 billion, which includes a net debt of approximately $1.6 billion.

A merger between the two companies was openly discussed by Parsons and Karmazin when each spoke at a Citigroup conference in early January. Both men stated at that time that a merger would benefit shareholders.
The new company’s board of directors will consist of 12 directors including Karmazin and Parsons and four members designated by each company in additional to one representative from General Motors and one from American Honda.

XM and Sirius said they will continue to operate independently until the transaction is complete. They will decide on a company name and headquarters location prior to closing of the merger.
The merger creates a company of 14 million subscribers and $1.5 billion in revenues based on analyst estimates.

Consumers will have the opportunity to "pick and choose the channels and content they want on a more a la carte basis." The merger will also create improved products such as real-time traffic and rear seat video, they said.
The transaction is subject to regulatory review from agencies including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and stockholder approval.
The FCC said in the past it would examine any merger proposals from XM and Sirius. FCC chairman Kevin Martin acknowledged earlier this year that there exists a prohibition on one company owning both satellite radio licenses, although analysts have noted that XM and Sirius could ask the FCC to modify their licenses to permit a merger.

Karmazin said in a prepared statement, "This combination is the next logical step in the evolution of audio entertainment. Together, our best-in-class management team and programming content will create unprecedented choice for consumers, while creating long-term value for shareholders of both companies. The combined company will be positioned to capitalize on Sirius and XM's complementary distribution and licensing agreements to enhance availability of satellite radios, offer expanded content to subscribers, drive increased advertising revenue and reduce expenses."

A conference call discussing the merger will be held tomorrow morning.

Interesting, wonder how that will really affect customers like me!

No kidding I wonder what they will continue to call it? I hope the whole Sat. radio doesn't tank because of the merger and no more competition. I don't even listen to "free" radio anymore.

Monopoly - wonder if they will raise the rates?
Anyone got a satellite? We could get DJs from the forum.

I wonder how the reception will work? One would think that there's no difference but why is it that aftermarket headunits only accept one or the other?

I wonder how the reception will work? One would think that there's no difference but why is it that aftermarket headunits only accept one or the other?

There must be a difference of some sort because even on SatReady systems from Pioneer you need either a XM or Sirius module.

I wonder how the reception will work? One would think that there's no difference but why is it that aftermarket headunits only accept one or the other?
I don't know for sure so I'm just guessing, but there is probably a code imbedded in the signal that identifies the signal to the receiver. If this is so the code could be changed.

I don't know for sure so I'm just guessing, but there is probably a code imbedded in the signal that identifies the signal to the receiver. If this is so the code could be changed.

Which means that current subscribers w/ their players would have to buy new units possibly? That would suck.

I highly dought that the government will allow this because of a monoply. But how knows that is why I didn't become lifetime Sirius subscriber even though it was only $500.00 I was sure they would change hands and other party would not honor agreement. Happened to me before with interent provider.:(

I'm new to this forum, so if this has already been addressed, I apologize. I have an aftermarket Sirius radio that I removed from my old vehicle and want to install in my '06 Commander. Getting to the wiring running to the cigarette lighter in my old truck (a GMC Sierra) was very easy. I had cut off the plug on the radio and spliced it w/ the cigarette lighter in order to make all the wires invisible. It actually looked great. I'd like to do the same in the commander, but I can't access the cigarette lighters to get to the wiring. Has anyone run into this or found a fix around it? I had purchased the factory satellite kit but wasn't comfortable with having a hole cut in the roof for the antenna, so I decided to try and reinstall my aftermarket radio. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Bill

I am going to get the factory Sirius installed in my 06 Commander but I am not sure which version to have the dealer order. On mopar.com there are two versions to choose from: 82208881AA which is Generation 1 and also the same one on other websites and 82209719AC Generation 2.5. The only installation kit available is the Gen. 2.5 (82210405). Anyone know what the difference is or has any input on this? Thanks

I just got my Sirius kit and the instructions say that you need to activate a portion of it through the Starscan system. Is this needed as I have the RAQ radio? If so, should I do the install myself or just let the dealer do the install?

Yes you'll need it. Install yourself and have the dealer activate for approx $35 vs. $80 per hour install plus the $35.

I just got my Sirius kit and the instructions say that you need to activate a portion of it through the Starscan system. Is this needed as I have the RAQ radio? If so, should I do the install myself or just let the dealer do the install?

I agree with RedCommander, install it yourself unless your not comfortable in doing this install. The Starscan is required. If you have a good relationship with your service writer you might be able to get them to turn this on for free otherwise it will cost but it only takes a few minutes if I remember right and you should be on the road rocking out to your Sirius provided you paid your subscription fees.:cool:

Cool, I'll install it Sunday and have the dealer activate it on Monday. Thanks for the info.

Just installed and activated the Sirius unit and it came right on, no StarScan activation needed. It might be just with the REC Navigation radios that this needs to be done. Either way I'm glad I don't have to make a trip to the dealer to do this and keep $50 in my pocket.

awesome, good to know.

Hi,

I have the stock REC radio with sirius and the Boston upgrade. I'm thinking of changing the HU and was wondering if there is any way to make the stock Sirius tuner work with an aftermarket HU or do I have to buy a new tuner as well. If I buy a new tuner, do I lose the rest of my free year?

Thanks

maymud

We bought our 2007 with 5k miles on it. It has Sirrius radio (or is it XM?). Anyway, does that service ever expire? If so, how do I let them know that I want to continue it?

The Sirius subscription is paid for one year. You can than either then pay a subscription or a "lifetime" fee (last I checked this fee can be transferred from your current system to your next system and then yet again to the following system).

We bought our 2007 with 5k miles on it. It has Sirrius radio (or is it XM?). Anyway, does that service ever expire? If so, how do I let them know that I want to continue it?

Sirius service is free for one year on a new vehicle from the time it is activated by the owner. In your case you need to find out when it was activated so you will know when it expires. Sirius can most likely give you this info if the dealer can't. Call Sirius at 1-888-539-7474 or sirius.com. You will need your VIN.

FYI you can also listen to Sirius online free if you have it in your vehicle.

I bought my XK in Feb 06. It was the dealers personal vehicle. When Sirius was shut off in October I called and told them I was told that I would get a year free so they activated it for another year for free. I saw this on another thread on this board. I guess I will have to renew in a couple of months. There is a number you will have to get on the unit. It is in the software and your book should tell you how to get it

This has happened to me twice, when I'm using nav and listening to Sat radio it is like the radio volume mutes, I press mode button and Cd player & radio are functional but I can't get sound on SAT. I have to turn vehicle off and then turn back on to get sound in Sat mode, and yes I had a good signal.:confused: Anybody else experience this?

My satelite radio just stopped working today while I was driving down the road. It told me I needed to call sirius and activate my radio, the nice people on the phone said my system was active so they told me to take it to the dealer. Anyone else have a similar issue?

I have an appointment Monday for my stuck down third row seat so I will have then check the radio while it is there.

I have a 2006 Commander with factory GPS & Sirius radio and the satellite reception is terrible! As I drive along the radio / nav. screen goes to "No Signal" and stops playing. I can even be in an open area like a large parking lot and it loses signal. My roof rack cross bars are in the correct location and no where near the satellite antenna. I had Sirius radio previously added to my last truck and it worked a lot better! I asked my local Jeep dealer to check it out but the mechanic said there was no problem. Do any of you have any suggestions to correct my problem?:confused:

Did you add a roof rack? It took me day to really feel stupid and realize the rack was over it.

My roof rack cross bars are in the correct location and no where near the satellite antenna.
I do believe he said the roof rack is no where near the antenna... I guess the factory antenna isn't as good as the OEM Sirius antenna?

My rear rail on the roof rack had to be moved forward a notch so it would not block reception. If yours is out of the way, then maybe a bad antenna?

If you are talking about out of the way, like a few inches above, then slide the rail forward. The antenna needs plenty of unblocked area over and around it.

I had the same problem and moving the cross bar fixed the issue for me. Thanks to this forum for pointing out the error in design.

If they would have placed the antenna further back, or up in the front, behind/around the sunroof area, it would have been a much better placement. However, it is what it is...

If they would have placed the antenna further back, or up in the front, behind/around the sunroof area, it would have been a much better placement. However, it is what it is...

That is a concern of mine as I have a full roof rack and when I ever decide to use it I will end up blocking the anntenia.

That is a concern of mine as I have a full roof rack and when I ever decide to use it I will end up blocking the anntenia.

Thats exactly what has kept me from buying one so far. I just have a big Thule bag that I put on the XK only when I need it, and it can mount with the rear cross bar a notch forward.

That is a concern of mine as I have a full roof rack and when I ever decide to use it I will end up blocking the anntenia.

Same here. I have a rack like Phunkeydude's and it does block the antenna somewhat. Need to reposition the rack further back so the the antenna is in the clear.

Thanks for your responses on my reception problem.
The Sirus antenna is at least a foot away from the factory roof rack cross bar.

Your roof rack needs to be at the 2nd dimple from the rear.

Want to hook up my XM radio. My radio says its mp3 ready, does anyone no if it has a mp3 jack anywhere. If it does I can plug in the XM through that port. I cant find a plug anywhere!!

Which radio are you using? Usually MP3 refers to MP3s burned to CD for playback.

My 07 Sport has the single cd player. There is a jack on the front of the radio, on the driver's side. I went to Radio Shack, and bought a cord, and plugged my XM Roady XT right into it. Works great. My 06 Limited has the cd changer and sirius radio. On it, I had to use the wire that runs out to the antenna and broadcasts through the radio frequency.

I used the converter from best buy. It blocks radio stations when xm is on.

What would I look for at best buy???

Ok, so today I got the update in my Commander. A few new stations, and some seem to have merged with others from XM. Seems like a good deal adding a little more variety...

So, I found this link:

New Line Up (http://www.sirius.com/newlineup)

Love them tunes...

I knew something was different with my stations when I fired up the Commander this morning! Do XM users have the same programming as the Sirius users?

I think that they do, but I am not sure. I have been wondering about that myself.

Does anyone know if Jeep's going to be offering an update to the OEM Sirius tuner so that it can receive the Best of XM programming, or is it better to wait and See what happens as they consolidate their channels? The Sirius site says that my tuner is incompatible with the Best of XM programming.

They have already merged some of the channels, and I believe more is to come. I would probably just hold out and see what happens. They had so many hold ups in this process that they might have come up with a few good things for us...

Which head unit do you have?

navi or non-navi

I have the non navi head unit. I might change it up some day, but I have a GPS unit. I don't know what rwmorrisonjr is running in his XK, but I would think it would have the same interface as the non navi unit.

The sirius channels are merged with the XM channels, Sirius 61 prime country = XM 17. And oh yes I love me some country music.

One of my 6 presets was changed to some pop crap. Of the presets that are left, the variety of music played has gone downhill quite a bit since I was first a subscriber 3 years ago.

Alt Nation and Octane are unlistenable every 3rd song due to vice-grip on the nutsack boy bands, or phlegm clearing metal. Faction is about every other song due to the above reasons. The Beat seems like it merged with an XM station and now sucks.

I'll probably just have mine stuck on Area 38, or whatever they call it these days and only expand out when something pops up on my seek list.

Of all the shuffling the only positive thing i've seen is that POTUS sounds cool..

Before ya ask, I don't have the built in model, but have a Starmate Replay mounted to the dash and hard-wired.

Antares, I used to listen to those 3 as well but have since moved on for the same reason as you. You may want to check out 24 Lithium but it still has some of the same issues. The new 90's ON 9 seems to be an OK one also. I'm thinking of trying the Sirius XM U as well. I still have the original sirius starmate that I got in 2005 and there has been alot of music that has come and gone and now I never hear thing that I used to hear 10 times a day.

I almost blamed my wife for changing the presets yesterday. Couldn't figure out why some of my channels were different. This explains a lot! Thanks for the lineup link!

The sirius channels are merged with the XM channels, Sirius 61 prime country = XM 17. And oh yes I love me some country music.

Sirius 61 is my primary channel as well and I heard them announce it as XM 17 on my way to work this morning.

I have the non navi head unit. I might change it up some day, but I have a GPS unit. I don't know what rwmorrisonjr is running in his XK, but I would think it would have the same interface as the non navi unit.

I have the REC NAV unit, but the Sirius receivers are all the same.

Antares, I have to agree with you, the "improvements" from the merger are hardly that. I'll give it a little more time, but once football season's over, I might just let my subscription expire and not look back...

I think it's interesting how we all seem to listen to similar stations. I still listen to what was formerly The Beat. I also switch between The Pulse, Alt Nation, and Sirius Pops. I'll have to check out some of the changed Alternative stations.

I took my XM out for a few days.....it is the Roady XT, hard wired.
I turned it on today and it was different. Different names, music, I was confused. I knew it was going to happen.....Didnt know when......
I enjoy satellite radio, I listen to it almost exclusive....Some AM for local stuff on occasion. That's it.

all my channels are changed today. some are gone. i'm sad and happy.

On 2008 RER units you're already wired for Best of XM -- you just need to call Sirius with your plastic handy.

On 2008 RER units you're already wired for Best of XM -- you just need to call Sirius with your plastic handy.

But not on 2006-7 units. Does anyone know if Chrysler's going to release an updated receiver for us?

Sirius and XM are now a merged company, and for all practical purposes, a single entity. That means you will get the same service whether you have XM or Sirius.

You need to stop worrying about which channels you get if you have Sirius or XM (subscription or hardware). They will eventually be the same. The only difference is what package you buy from the single company Sirius/XM. The confusion now is because there are two entities merged to one. And, there is different hardware that receives the blended satellite providers (Sirius and XM).

Please “hang it there.” Very soon you will get what you want with your current hardware and subscriptions.

--Spike

So I guess it wasn't worth it to purchase the "Best of XM" package on my Sportster 5? :(

^^ That was a good purchase if you receive the stations you want. The "Best of XM" package was not available before the merger.

--Spike

I got it mainly for the ACC football, could care less about the Oprah channel!

I added the "Best of Sirius" to my subscription so I could listen to Stern when O&A are in commercial.

One or two of the shows on Playboy radio aren't too bad either.

I actually can't believe that they started a Christmas channel about 2 or 3 weeks ago. :icon_confused:

I want to add integrated Sirius to my 2007 Commander Sport. It is currently equipped with the REF (basic) radio/CD. Here is my tentative plan. Please point out any pitfalls, etc.

-Purchase a RAQ radio because the REF I have now will not display RDS content. Part # 05091175AF

-Purchase Sirius Receiver and Antenna. Part # 82209719AC

-Purchase Install Kit for the 2007 XK. Part # 82209501

-Do install myself.


Questions:

-Can anyone verify if the RAQ will display song info from Sirius. Do you have to hit the INFO button each time or just once per session?

-What is the difficulty level of the install? I have switched out radios before in my previous vehicles. But how hard is the Sirius receiver part?

-From online research I believe I have the correct part #'s. I notice that there are similar part #'s out there...eg, the ending will be AD instead of AC. Does that matter? Can anyone verify that I have the correct #'s.

-Is any computer flashing at the dealer necessary for this to work. I prefer not to have to make a dealer trip. I have heard conflicting answers to this but I hope it's no.


Please give any suggestions, information, encouragement, etc. Thanks. John

Here are the answers based on my experience:

The RAQ will display the Sirius info, but you'll need to press the INFO button to display extra info. The RAQ defaults to channel & artist.
Swapping the head unit is easy, its plug-n-play. Installing the Sirius receiver is also easy, but you have to drill through the roof to install the OEM antenna and remove the rear trim panels to route the wire. The unit itself fits under the right middle row seat, there's a space for it to fit. You'll also have to route the control cable from the dash to the receiver, this fits under the door sill trim panels. The instructions are very good and will walk you through it.
You can verify the part numbers at www.justforjeeps.com, they have a great compatibility chart on the site.
Yes, you'll need to have the satellite setting enabled in the computer by the dealer through a StarScan unit. The radio will work, but it'll throw a weird trouble code & cause your Check Engine light to come on. Also, have the dealer add the sales code for Sirius (located on an orange hang tag) to your vehicle's built sheet so you'll get the free initial subscription.


Hope this helps. It took me about 2 hours to install it including installing the antenna, it was actually very easy. Good luck with the install.

At this point my question comes down to the part # for the receiver/antenna. I have seen the following part #'s for it. They all claim to be for the 2007 Commander.
82209719AB
82209719AC
82209719AD
The difference is the 2 letters at the end. Can anyone advise if the 2 letters at the end are critical or are they slight variations that don't matter.
If you know, please take a minute to reply so I can order the parts and get started. Thanks. John

My XM cuts in and out quite frequently,and the radio display says, "No Signal"

Any body have any suggestions on what may be wrong? I pulled the radio, to check the antenna connection, and it seemed ok. I have driven several GM vehicles with XM, and have never had this kind of cutting in and out. Or is it normal to get no signal on occasion.

Check the position of your rear roof cross rail. You may need to move it forward a bit.

Happens to me all the time with my Sirius - especially going under trees. I also get no signal in my garage or the parking garage where I work. My wife has XM in her car and the signal is much better - does not drop even in the parking garage. I always assumed that it was just a weak antenna in the Commander than in my wife's Nissan. One thing that seemed helped was to make sure the cross-bar was moved up so it wasn't close to the antenna.

Are the roof rack crossrails part of the system? I have worked at GM and their roof antennas for XM are special. they have a seperate wire going to the antennas for the XM system.

Are the roof rack crossrails part of the system?

No, the antenna is back there and the signal is easily blocked.

I would assume that the antenna is mounted to the headliner. I had re-positioned the rails a couple of weeks ago, when I bought the vehicle. Haags, do you know the exact location, so I move the rails to the right position?

where is the antenna mounted? Front ? Back ? You mentioned mounting the antenna to the headliner? Since you are using XM, it isnt a factory install.

I have an XM, after market radio. I ran the antenna along the passenger side and it is mounted behind the rear crossbar.

I had trouble with it losing signal, but I found the cable was cut on the installation. Now I lose signal only when I get close to buildings or get in an area where I can not see the sky.

I would assume that the antenna is mounted to the headliner. I had re-positioned the rails a couple of weeks ago, when I bought the vehicle. Haags, do you know the exact location, so I move the rails to the right position?
Are you talking about an aftermarket XM radio or the factory installed Sirius radio ?

The stock location of the XK antenna is stupid, you cannot use your roof rack and antenna at the same time. poor design!

Motorcity, if you have a factory setup like mine, the antenna is the small black square on the roof close to the back. Can't miss it - unless you have an aftermarket, which it sounds like you might since it's XM.

Motorcity, if you have a factory setup like mine, the antenna is the small black square on the roof close to the back. Can't miss it - unless you have an aftermarket, which it sounds like you might since it's XM.



Thanks Haags. I was just referencing that my experiance with XM, and GM vehicles. I have a factory system.

OK...I got the following parts and am ready to do the install--82209719AD and 82210405. I find that the instructions are less than clear. They are mainly pictures and not much text. Here is a link to them so you can see what I'm talking about.
http://www.mopar-accessories.com/en-US/imagehandler.ashx?id=1677
I have two main questions. One has to do with the drilling on the roof for the antenna and one has to do with the placement of the receiver.

Drilling

What size drill bits do you use for the 2 holes? This is where the instructions are confusing. On page 1 where it shows you what you need it shows a picture of 2 drill bits (1/8 and 13/64) and another picture of a 3/4 drill piece. Again, on page 6 it refers to 3 sizes for 2 holes. It would seem that you would need the 3/4 for the larger of the 2 holes in order to fit the part that the bolt goes into and the plug at the end of the wire through the hole. Is that correct? Then, how is it held in place? The bolt and the piece it goes into seem to be smaller than a 3/4 hole. And finally what size for the smaller hole for the little anchor piece on the antenna?

Receiver Placement

The instructions (page 8) refer to a storage bin. It says to fold the seat forward and then remove the lid of the storage bin and align the pins on the bottom of the receiver with holes that are in the storage bin. What on earth storage bin are they talking about?? I've seached and find no storage bin in my 07 Commander in the vicinity of the seat bottoms. Am I missing something? What are they talking about?

I appreciate any help that anyone can offer with the above. Thanks in advance. John

Hope I can clarify this. Use the hole saw (3/4") for the larger hole for the antenna, but use the 1/8" bit to drill the pilot hole for BOTH antenna holes. The "storage" bin isn't really a bin, but a small compartment under the seat the "stores" the Sirius receiver. Tip the right middle seat forward, then lift up on the loose carpet covered panel directly under the seat where you step to get in to the rear seat. Its velcroed in and will pull off easily, that's where the Sirius unit goes.

Hi, I have an 07 Commander that came equipped with factory satellite radio. I replaced the factory head unit with a Pioneer AVH-P4000DVD (which is Sirius Sat. ready) about 2 weeks ago. I now want satellite radio back, so today I bought the Pioneer IP Bus "black connector box",and the Sirius tuner (all the parts necessary to connect to Sirius). I usually don't install these kinds of things myself, but this seemed easy enough. I removed the dash and have the aftermarket head unit hanging out, all the connections seem easy to make, except for the satellite antenna. The tuner I bought comes with an antenna, but because I have the factory satellite antenna already on the roof, I'd much rather use that. Is this possible, to use the factory satellite antenna with an aftermarket headunit and tuner? If this is possible can someone tell me the location of the antenna wire? Because I can not find the antenna behind the headunit, I'm not sure where it is because I did not remove the factory head unit, so I don't know where to find it.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

-CJ

UPDATE: I lifted up the 2nd row seats and found a couple of electrical boxes, but none of them have the antenna connection. Am I getting closer?

The antenna is on the roof in the back and runs to the unit under the second row seat. I have not messed with mine so I do not know what wire goes to the antenna and what one goes to the head unit. Your in the right area however.

This is the installation guide for the Sirius antenna.

Sirius Antenna (http://cwbbs.net/Docs/DOCS1/siriusinstall.pdf)

Note page 4 Number 12 shows you the pins used for the antenna.

Many of these say Grand Cherokee because many of the applications are the same.

thank you, i returned the equipment after realizing you cant use the factory antenna. Oh well i will just use one of my iPhones radio applications through my speakers..

So… I bought the Commander about 3 weeks ago. The Sirius is still working fine. It was a lease return vehicle.

I don’t want to rock the boat, but… I’m not sure just why the sat radio’s still going. And… I’m not gonna’ ask either. The dealer said to just ‘’Leave things alone, and ask no questions.’’ Sometimes the sat radio works quite a while before going dead, others never do, and if it does you call Sirius with the VIN and radio’s ID number and start an account.

Anyone else have a satellite radio still going strong in their ‘new’ rigs? Is an unnamed corporation still paying the Sirius bill along with 267 other leased vehicles?

My thoughts are the thing will die while we’re on a trip. I’ll be trying to set up a Sirius account from deep within a rock fin canyon somewhere around Moab Utah. :D

I bought my XK used. The Sirius radio worked for several months on somebody else's dime. As soon as I rolled over 36,000 miles, it quit working. I don't know if that was the reason or a coincidence. I just pulled over and stopped, called Sirius on my cell, gave them the identifier from the radio (they know how to prompt you through the steps to get the ID and gave them my credit card number and bingo, I was back in operation in a couple of minutes.

I paid for one year of Sirius, 3 years later it's still on.

I paid for one year of Sirius, 3 years later it's still on.

That's cool. Are you sure that they haven't billed your credit card?

I paid up for one year so, we'll see if I get more.

I paid for one year of Sirius, 3 years later it's still on.
Check your credit card. If you pay for a one year subscription, it renew automatically every year.

Mine "expired" earlier this month. They sent me a ton of reminders and stuff to get me to pay more (I had been on a quarterly program), but I never responded or renewed. Mine still works - but it has only been a month since it expired. I haven't been recharged.

Ya, I bought my Commander 6 months old from a fleet, and the Sirius worked in it for about 6 months.

My guess is, most subscriptions are 1-year, and the Fleet paid for a 1-year subsciption, then sold the truck off, and the subscription simply ran it's course. It shut off after 6 months, and I had to renew it on my own dime.

The past owner had 2 choices, lifetime (doubt it) or one year membership. When the year is up the radio will quite working and an 800 number will show on your screen for you to renew the subscription.

I haven't even looked into the Sirius thing... I know mine isn't active and I have the 'call to activate' screen.

Never had Sirius before, so what are the typical charges for the service?

1 million dollars

Never had Sirius before, so what are the typical charges for the service?

When I signed up it was $12 per month or $120 for the year.

49er, you got a better deal

The price was good but I most likely will not renew since I never drive the XK except to 4x4, I have 9,500 miles and have had my XK for two years next week.

^^^

LOL!!! I see the packages start at $6.99 and up... hmmmm... I may have to consider that! :)

What ever you decide to do I would not recommend lifetime subscription. SirusXM is not a stable company at this time. I have 4 radios with 4 subscriptions, my Stiletto broke (its like a Ipod) and I called to cancel that particular radio, I explained to them that it had broke and I did not care to spend 200.00 for a new one. Well they sent me a new Stiletto and 6 mos free sub. just to keep my 4 radios on line.

They sent me a ton of reminders and stuff to get me to pay more (I had been on a quarterly program), but I never responded or renewed. Mine still works - but it has only been a month since it expired. I haven't been recharged.They did the same to me when mine was getting ready to expire--phone calls and emails. I told them I was thinking about it and please don't call any more. Expiration date came and went and the radio was still working. Kept working and kept working and I was like "Hey, they forgot to turn it off. Lucky me." Then on Halloween night, after about a month past expiration, they finally turned it off.

What ever you decide to do I would not recommend lifetime subscription. SirusXM is not a stable company at this time. I have 4 radios with 4 subscriptions, my Stiletto broke (its like a Ipod) and I called to cancel that particular radio, I explained to them that it had broke and I did not care to spend 200.00 for a new one. Well they sent me a new Stiletto and 6 mos free sub. just to keep my 4 radios on line.
Good thing you explained what a stiletto is because I was thinking you broke the heel on your shoe.:icon_biggrin:

That's cool. Are you sure that they haven't billed your credit card?

I paid up for one year so, we'll see if I get more.

Check your credit card. If you pay for a one year subscription, it renew automatically every year.

Yes, and Yes. They did bill my credit card. I called Sirius and canceled. Each time, I immediately called and disputed the charge. They removed the charge each time and I continue to get service.

I'm fine with them canceling it. I only listen to Bubba The Love Sponge on my way home from work to daycare, then Disney Kids Stuff from daycare to home. :orangehat:

I only listen to Bubba The Love Sponge on my way home from work to daycare, then Disney Kids Stuff from daycare to home. :orangehat:

Wow, that like going from 100 miles an hour to 1

Wow, that like going from 100 miles an hour to 1

LOL. Although the other day, Disney got a little crazy. They played a song called Welcome to the Jungle Gym, based on the GNR song. Its was pretty creative.

I bought my Commander new in July of 08 and it came with a one year subscription to Serius. I listen to Channel 74 BB King's Bluesville. I've not played one CD since ive had Serious. I will definately renew next year..
49er, I have 9,500 miles on my commander too and have only owned it 6 months. I'm retired and take frequent road trips.
HT

Let me knock on some wood because I've had mine since april of 08, it's an 07 and the sat still works. One night though, I did get a message to call Sirius, it was on for about 2 hours and then back in business... I didn't call, they have no credit card number or anything... Lucky Me I guess!

How did you like the Stilletto? ( other than it broke )

I love having Sirius. The selection is really good and way better than regular broadcast radio. I do still listen to CD's, but they are MP3 Jukebox CD's that I have mixed for more variety.

I think my favorite radio personality on Sirius is Jason Ellis (sp?) on Faction. He is damn funny!!!

How did you like the Stilletto? ( other than it broke )

Its great I use it when I'm working in the yard. however the radios seem to not last very long. I had that Stilletto for about 13mos and it just died, I took very good care of it and it was never dropped. My sporster in my Nizmo constantly keeps updating channels (getting real irritating).

Not sure about sirius, but with XM I had the same issue. End of service came up. I didnt renew it but they left it on for about 2 months. Well later on I received a bill for those 2 months. Called and told them what happened and didnt receive any more bills. However about a year later I applied for a job with a PD and a collection came up for those unpaid 2 months on my credit report. Just FYI

I bought mine in August 08....it's still on. :sneaky:

One of the greatest pluses is that you get sirus on your computer at work for free and can listen to your favorite channels comercial free.

Ya, I listen to some of the talk stations, and the news stations. Mostly, I listen to the coffeehouse and NFLRadio during the NFL season.

They have a $16.99 amonth deal mines still free until Febuary (one year free with new 2008's)

My one year of free Sirius radio and Sirius backseat TV is up this month and I've received four or five notices in the last three months reminding me to sign up to extend service. Currently, Sirius.com shows $12.95 per month for just Sirius Radio. The backseat TV can be added for $6.99 additional per month. I thought about signing up for just the backseat TV but that's not possible apparently. Plus with the news today of Circuit City going under, I figured I'd wait a month or two to make sure Sirius/XM is going to be around before I really think about signing up again.

3 years and still free :-)

My 06 XK was owned by the dealer when I bought it (Feb 06). Sirius worked until his year was up, the Sirius gave me a free year, but it did go dead at the end of each year. They sent me final warnings about terminating service, but I never received any initial warnings.

I luv me some Sirius! I have the lifetime subscription on the unit I use on my Motorcycle, truck and in the garage. I'm not sure why some are saying don't buy lifetime but to me it was a wise investment, YMMV. I've had it 3 years already and it will "pay for itself" in a few. Anyway, I didn't think you could get a lifetime subs on a vehicle. Do they offer that now? I haven't check the Sirius site in awhile but will later.

They DO offer it, but at this point for me, it is cost prohibitive.

I think I will go with the lifetime when mine runs out again, but I think I just had the auto renew go through a few months ago. I love the service so its worth it to me.

I just looked on line @ Sirius and it doesn't list lifetime subscriptions. If any one sees it let me know. I want to go the lifetime route as I don't plan on replacing the Commander, period.

I just looked on line @ Sirius and it doesn't list lifetime subscriptions. If any one sees it let me know. I want to go the lifetime route as I don't plan on replacing the Commander, period.

It's there, its just hiding. I'll see if I can find it again.

I have had my jeep since September of 07. Mine shut off at the end of the summer in 08. I called Sirius and had a nice talk with the rep. She said since mine was not activated by the dealer she would give me a free year from that date. I don't think I could go on without it now. I am hooked.

I have had my jeep since September of 07. Mine shut off at the end of the summer in 08. I called Sirius and had a nice talk with the rep. She said since mine was not activated by the dealer she would give me a free year from that date. I don't think I could go on without it now. I am hooked.
And hence why they give a free year. My neighbor had xm in her Tahoe before I got my Commander. I always asked her why anyone would pay to listen to the radio. Well, I just bought my first paid year for my Commander last Nov.:shocked:

I was the same way. I couldn't imagine anyone paying to listen to the radio. Now I can't drive down the block without bluesville channel 74 cranked. I'm hooked.
HT

It's there, its just hiding. I'll see if I can find it again.


Just got off the phone with Sirius about the lifetime subscription for the Commander. They are still offering it and it is $399.99 plus tax if applicable. Unfortunately here in TN it is. Also the monthly was $6.99. I don't know if that price is because I've already got a lifetime subscription on a portable unit or not.

I enjoyed Sirius because I got free internet radio on my comouter at work, today they announced that in march it will no longer be free and I will have to pay $2.99 per month for that service.

I drive my Commander one or two days a month so now I have to deceide if I am going to let my subscription run out or spend money for something I rarely use. I hate to pay for the service and only use it 2 days a month and I hate the idea of paying $3 more to listen at work.

Really? The streaming is going to a pay service? Also, if you let your vehicle sub expire, it may not actually go off right away. Mine expired in Dec and still lingers...

I was thinking that if I had to pay that I would get a portable with the lifetime plan and then I would keep the internet as it is free if you buy before the end of March AND be able to use it in all my cars including the XK instead of just one.

I just called Sirius and inquired about getting a portable unit and this is what I was told:

The Stratus 5 is going on sale February 2nd for $9.99 with a 3 month subscription ($39.99).

a 1 year plan is about $175
a 2 year plan is about $250 - $275
a lifetime plan is $399.99 or $499.00 with XM and can only be transfered 3 times during the contract for a fee of $75.00 per transfer.

Assuming your portable radio lasted 4 years, it would cost you about 100.00 per year for the contract and then $75 to transfer to a new radio if you wanted too with no additional fees.

Looks like a new portable with lifetime is in my future. My current contract is up March 30th 2009.

The hills around where i live made listening to news on the morning commute a real bear. I had a 25 min drive with great scenery but it took 4 different stations in order to listen to a whole report on NPR. I got my lifetime Sirius sub about 3 yrs ago, $400 and never regretted it. PS I liked it so much I bought some of the company! penny stocks that is.

Ok, I have some total "Noob" questions. I am a new owner of a 2006 Jeep Commander. It has an RDS 6-CD Changer/MP3 player (stock). I added an aftermarker Sirius reciever (which I miss!) to my last vehicle and want to install "built-in" Sirius in my new Commander.

1) What is the difference between the WK and the XK model? How do I know which one I have?

2) What is the difference between an REF, RAQ, etc? All my radio has on the front is "RDS". Is there somewhere else I should be looking? I get all of the local FM broadcast RDS info right now (Chicago area).

3) From research on the Internet, it looks like all I need is the 82209719AD Satellite Reciever + 82210405 Commander Install Kit. True?

4) I'm planning to do the install myself. Please verify the I will need to plan a trip to a dealer to reprogram the current RDS radio via StarScan to work with the new Sirius reciever? If so, what is the typical cost to have a dealer do that?

Thanks for any help!

Ok, I have some total "Noob" questions. I am a new owner of a 2006 Jeep Commander.

1) What is the difference between the WK and the XK model? How do I know which one I have?

Since you stated you have an '06 Commander you have an XK with is the letter designation for North America model Commanders.

Review this thread: http://www.jeepcommander.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5882

Since you stated you have an '06 Commander you have an XK with is the letter designation for North America model Commanders.

Review this thread: http://www.jeepcommander.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5882
The WK is also North American--it is a Grand Cherokee.