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XM install by bypassing the casette?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by mdb654, Aug 17, 2006.

  1. mdb654

    mdb654 Junior Member

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    Feb 20, 2005
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    I have an XM unit and want to install it, but I've seen some negative chatter about the FM Modulator. I really don't want to have to use the casette adapter. Its just messy to have that extra wire. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this solution: Hard wiring the output from the XM unit into the audio line out from the casette deck. I'm not sure if both lines are at the same level. One might be line level and one might be sound level.

    With this, if you wanted to listen to a tape, you'd just turn off the XM unit; and if you want to listen to XM (which would probably be 99% of the time anyway), you just don't have a tape in there.

    One potential problem is that I don't know if the system will switch to the "Tape" mode if there is no tape in the deck, and if there is a tape, then I'll get the sound from the tape. I guess I could interrupt the tape audio line with a toggle, but that would be pushing my capabilities of keeping it neat.

    Are there any other hard wire solutions short of the AUX-BOX, which seems very involved, and would also require me to spend more on parts for the install than the XM unit costs?! (CoastalTech's solution seems to be on back order, i.e. not available right now.)

    Thanks for any help. I only want to take the car apart once!

    mb
     
    #1 mdb654, Aug 17, 2006
  2. ralphbongo

    ralphbongo New Member

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    May 9, 2006
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    XM sells a direct antenna adapter but I don't know how good it is. I went through the aux jack on my 06 that works great. My wife uses a delfi myfi in her Highlander and going through the antenna works ok with her vehicle. The xm antenna is on the dash just inside the window from the fm antenna. If you mount the xm antenna on the roof near the fm antenna it should work a lot better. Hope this helps
     
    #2 ralphbongo, Aug 17, 2006
  3. aaf709

    aaf709 Ravenpaw of ThunderClan

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2005
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    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Vehicle:
    2022 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    I know that narf cut a wire in the JBL box under the passenger's seat and added a plug. The problem was that the CD player worked at the same time. That was solved by having a CD which had nothing.

    As I have an iPod, I got a DICE unit and have my portable XM plugged into the AUX input there.
     
    #3 aaf709, Aug 17, 2006
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