My brother bought our mother a SiriusXM Onyx tuner for Christmas, and my contribution is going to be installing it. I’ve looked at some videos, and I’ve priced installation at places like Best Buy. My initial feeling is that the $50-80 Best Buy wants is money well spent.
I’ve installed plenty of car stereos, but the part where I have to run that antenna wire along/under the windshield gasket and then through the door gasket and up under the dash just looks like trouble I don’t need.
When I did that, the instructions had me pop off the A-pillar trim, run it down that way and then reinstall it. It wasn’t difficult, but it was kind of a PITA. Since then, I’ve hard wired dash cams into two cars. I just tuck the cable up above the headliner and when I get to the edge, instead of removing the trim, I pull the weather seal/gasket off and run it on that side.
Door gaskets pop off and go back on (for the most part) very, very easily.
You could try it on your own car, just grab a section and give it a good tug and pull a few inches of it out, then you can push it right back in.
It doesn’t seem like it should be that easy, but it is.
I installed one on a Saturn Ion many years back and the rear widow gasket was no problem at all. I just used an old plastic gift card to lift the edge enough to tuck the wire under.
On most cars the outer gasket is more about appearance than weatherproofing.
Are the directions online somewhere? I’m curious as to why the windshield gasket would need to be removed.
I assume this is for mounting the antenna on the windshield. Typically you just stuff the wire up between the windshield and headliner until you get to the A pillar.
YouTube has shown me several videos. The antenna mounts on the outside of the car, the wire runs under the weatherstripping (which I have been erroneously calling a gasket) down to the base of the A pillar, then through the door opening and under the door gasket, under the dash, to wherever the actual unit is mounted.
That would be completely acceptable to my if this were my car. But it’s my mother’s car, and there’s also the factor of how much fun my brother will make of me if I do too half-assed a job on the install.
Thanks again, everyone, for the input and feedback.
That makes more sense then.
When I’ve done mine I installed it on the inside of the windshield. My kits even came with a black sticker to put opposite the antenna on the exterior part of the windshield to hide it. However, that’s how the instructions explained it.
If it’s a small antenna (as opposed to a big shark fin) you could try putting holding it on the upper corner interior of the windshield and see if that works.
Another option is find a place to sneak the wire through the firewall and then pull it up onto the windshield that way.
For years I drove around with a Sportster Sirius radio, with practically no install at all. The antenna wire I just ran along the floor to the back, out the open door, and stuck to the roof. It was plugged into the cigarette lighter for power, plugged into the AUX for audio, and sitting on my passenger seat (I rarely had passengers). I didn’t even bother to mount it to anything.
I guess what I’m saying is, with an older car, don’t kill yourself on the install. Makes it easier to move the radio to another car later.
One of mine had a magnetic antenna for mounting on the exterior. I popped off the trim that runs next to the door from the front and back, ran the wire under them and found a way into the trunk with it. Then, with some zip ties and a little bit of slack, I brought it up along one of the bars that the trunk lid is mounted to and stuck it right on top of the trunk.
I think I spent more time futzing with the trim than anything else.
I’ve had Best Buy install SiriusXMs (well, one XM, and one SiriusXM) into two cars. Good price, good work, done quickly.
They used to have a policy where they would replace the SiriusXM with the original radio for free when you decided to get rid of the car. (Then you can put the satellite radio in your new car. I assume Best Buy charges for that.)
Well, thanks for all the input everyone. My mom made this whole thread moot by arranging professional installation herself. I don’t know whether to be proud of her initiative or concerned about her lack of faith that I’d get it done.
