2003 M45 Satellite Radio Integration

[dickie]

by Bag302

Tools:

- Phillips screwdriver- Small flathead screwdriver (appropriate for removing wiring harness clips)- Wire stripper/cutter

Materials:

- Satellite radio receiver kit- Shop rag or towel- Electrical tape or heat-shrink tubing

Procedure:

Using the towel, grab the shift knob and unscrew it.



Remove the trim around the shifter.



carefully pull off the cassette player trim...



... and remove the screws that are now exposed.





Open the armrest and remove the cupholder assembly.



Remove more screws.



Pull out the center console trim. Be careful not to scratch anything with the metal tabs holding it down.



More screws to remove.



Pull the ashtray out.



4x more screws holding the cassette player in.



Pull out cassette player and un-clip plug furthest to the left (facing radio). This is where you will plug in the piggy back from the SAT wiring harness into the radio. Plug the factory harness into the piggy back.



Unplug the harness plug from the furthest right (not the antenna plug) and plug in the second plug from the SAT harness, leaving the original plug un-installed. The other end of the harness plugs into the SAT receiver.



Now, here's where my installation differs from the factory. I chose to put the satellite receiver in the dash instead of running those hefty cables all the way back to the trunk.

I just removed the radio/HVAC controls by pulling on the A/C vents. It just pops right out. Undo to the harnesses and remove:



Back:



In-dash receiver located:



If you want to place the receiver in the trunk:

Begin by removing the trim on the passenger kick panel and follow it all the way back to the trunk. (It will require you to remove the rear seats also).









Here is the CD changer harness. This end plugs into the SAT receiver.



This end with the piggy back goes to the CD changer itself:



After removing the glovebox (sorry, I forgot to take pics of this) you have access to the CD changer, harness plugs into the left side.



Here is the piggy back to the CD changer.



I had to shorten my harness, as the bulkiness of this cable would leave too much excess when placing the SAT receiver in the dash. No need for this if your mounting the unit in the trunk!



The other end of the CD changer harness goes into the SAT receiver:



I placed the antenna inside the car as I did not want the paint to get scratched.



Put everything back together in reverse order after verifying that the system works. That's it, you're done!

Here are some pics of the unit in action: