Gave up on FM modulation and bought the XM unit, now $270

[mmcdonald]

When I first got the 2004, the XM unit was around $400 without the install so I got a Sirius tuner and used FM modulation.

That is NOT a good solution travelling around the North East (MD through ME) as you constantly have to retune the modulator to find an unused frequency. Sometimes you can't find one. Egads.

So I got the XM box and will install it next week, thanks to the many posts of the installation instructions here.

Are there any tricks to this? I have had most of the dash apart and used to service and rebuild cars. Tools are the main thing.

[mmcdonald]

Well, thanks for the replies.

What I did was to remove the upper console and storage box under the head unit. Then reached under the head unit on the right (as you face the unit) and plugged the sat cable directly in.

Then I routed the cable through the console and out under the passenger side. The console is not connected along the bottom so the cable can be pushed right out.

Then I made a small slit in the carpet along the side of the drive shaft tunnel (with no drive shaft in it [they use it for the exhaust]) and right above the end of the left seat track on the passenger seat.

Then I used a coat hanger as a fish line, and pulled the cable under the carpet to under the back seat.

From the back seat back, the installation is the same, except you have to run the sat cable under tha carpet flaps through the luggage pass through hole from the back seat.

This installation alleviated the need for me to do the following:

1. Remove the head unit
2. Remove the upper guage panel
3. Remove the glove box
4. Remove the passenger side kick panel
5. Remove the carpet and rocker sill plate
6. Remove the rear passenger side trim panel

Be sure to run the cable along the side of the trans (exhaust) tunnel, and not along the top, to prevent chaffing. There is already a set of wires running along the side, so careful of those when you make the slit in the carpet.

With the passenger seat back in it's normal position, you would never know the cable was there.

HTH

[Down2TheC]

Nice work. Couldn't you go under the center console until it ends and then go down the side of the tunnel? There's lots of room under most of it though I haven't been under the storage area/ armrest yet. Not sure what I find when I get there.

[mmcdonald]

Downtothec, that's basically what I did. I ran the cable under the center console and out under the side of it, then under the carpet. Is that what you meant?