just got my new roadster... graphite limited with two-tone interior. i love this car!

but i miss my xm radio i had in my denali before i traded.

ive researched the forum already, but im looking for some specifics thati couldnt find in previous posts.

i would like to add a new xm headunit to my xfire (i really dont want an xm receiver mounted to the dash. what is the best location for the antenna to be installed? ive read a few posts about the front dash, and possibly even the rear deck between the seats. if anyone has installed satellite, where was your antenna installed? how exactly was the antenna wiring routed back to the receiver?

ive also thought about a cd changer. whats the best place to install a changer? how exactly is the wiring routed from it to the head unit? what trim parts are lifted to pass the wiring beneath?

finally, im guessing that the stock stereo doesnt have mere preamp outs. is the stock stereo only a two channel-out system? how does it connect to the amplifier? does the amplifier then send a signal to a crossover that divides the signal between the subwoofer, midrange, and tweeters? how would a replacement head unit, that has both front and rear speaker outs, be installed in place of this unit without losing some of the signal? or, maybe im just thinking too much.

either way, any help, suggestions, or instructions you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

did i say i love this car?

 

Post pics and we'll give you info. Just kidding. I'm sure there are a bunch of people who can help you out. Unfortunately I'm not one of them. :cry:

 

You're not asking anything that hasn't been asked already!

Lots of us would like to know more, and have tried to ellicit more info from folks that've done upgrades. Either they people don't come back, or they didn't do the work themselves and the shop they used isn't giving up the info, or this, or that, or you get the idea...

Adam has a nice VFAQ on his dfwsbr.com web site. But even it doesn't answer all the questions.

Try doing a bit more exhaustive search through the Technical portion of the board, you really can find answers to a LOT of your questions. There are even some posts somewhere where people put up the circuit diagrams of the whole system. I have that somewhere, if I can find it I'll put it on a web site a drop a URL in here.

 

Check out the information I provided in the thread titled "Aftermarket Stereo" under the Technical & Modifications forum.

I did quite a bit of reading in these forums before I started out with the radio installation. Like you, I did not want to deface the beautiful interior with an add-on XM control unit. So the only choice was to replace the head unit with an XM-ready unit. From what I could read, the stock unit only puts out two channels and the amp and crossover do the work in driving the subs behind the seat. We connected my unit's front outputs only, and left the rear outputs unconnected. I think it sounds better than the stock unit, which I felt was disappointing. Of course, if you want a killer system, you're going to need to replace the stock amp and maybe also the speakers. That was just a little too much work (and expense) for me.

If you have any questions, you can PM me.

 

thanks for the responses so far

ron, i saw your info on the tech forum. how did you run the antenna wire to keep it out of view?

also, how do you gain access to the floorboard kickpanel to install the tuner? im considering the alpine unit with the tuner built-in, so that may not even be an issue.

are there any problems with connecting a head unit that has an internal amplifier?

again, thanks for the help

 

Here's the audio system diagram I said I'd post:

http://home.comcast.net/~burnsdg/audio_diagram.pdf

I also have these 5 single pages, they do not agree 100% with above large diagram. I can't say for sure which is correct.

http://home.comcast.net/~burnsdg/xfi...reo/Page_1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~burnsdg/xfi...reo/Page_2.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~burnsdg/xfi...reo/Page_3.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~burnsdg/xfi...reo/Page_4.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~burnsdg/xfi...reo/Page_5.jpg

Good Luck :!: And PLEASE, let us know how it turns out.

 

We ran the antenna wire back along the console, tucking it up under the cover. Not sure how to remove the kick panel -- I'll need to check with my friend who installed it. The Pioneer head unit I chose has a whopping 22 watts per channel and has not presented a problem.

One caution about the Alpine CDA-9820XM -- this unit is not silver and, as such, will look out-of-place in your dash. The head unit you choose needs to have silver or chrome trim.