Aftermarket Sirius radio install in Infiniti M?

Post by **bossku69** » Mon May 22, 2006 9:07 pm

I have a Sirius component, the kenwood one that first came out in 2003. I loved the thing. I bought the lifetime thing for it, but a few months ago it craped out. I called sirius and they said if I got a new unit, they would transfer it (it took a LOT of complaining).

When I just got my car, I figured id pass on the sirius unit. Instead, now I regret it. I called the dealership today and they want full price PLUS install now. They told me probably about $1000 including attachment, antenna and install. I found the necessary parts online for about $250. I know this isnt something I can install myself, but will I get ripped off if I buy it and bring it to somewhere else to install? Any thoughts?

I have sirius on my other car and I cant stand the regular radio. The external head unit is dead that I have and would be great if I could get the one installed in the M.

Post by **jshattner** » Tue May 23, 2006 2:11 am

DIY install of the OEM unit is quite simple, if you can live with the antenna on the package shelf (mine is there and it seems to work fine with minimal dropouts). Even if you want it on the roof, it's just a question of routing the wire under the rear window weatherstripping and cutting a small notch in the trunk "groove" that holds the weatherstripping.

Package shelf install takes about 30 minutes. Biggest pain is one tight screw point (out of 4) to fasten the head unit to its bracket behind the trunk liner.

$1000 is ridiculous. A local installer shouldn't cost more than $100 - $200, depending on roof vs package shelf, plus the OEM kit. If you're reasonably handy with a screwdriver, DIY is fun.

BTW, none of the above includes the shark fin antenna cover. It's not part of the OEM kit you can order and it requires drilling on the roof (not recommended). If your dealer is planning that, it might add a few more $$ (the part costs about $35), but I wouldn't recommend it as an aftermarket install.

Post by **bossku69** » Tue May 23, 2006 7:23 am

The one I had, I put the antenna on the trunk instead of the roof. I didnt experience any issues with it there.

The guy said to me that it would NOT work with the steering wheel controls... WTF? How can that be true. I figure for $1k it better work. I dont think these people know what they are talking about. I might just go drive to the dealership this weekend and say this is what I want...

I like the fin antenna tho, looks neat. Im thinking maybe Ill just pick up a new unit from Bestbuy and just use an fm mod if i run into problems.

Post by **szh** » Tue May 23, 2006 7:56 am

bossku69 wrote:The one I had, I put the antenna on the trunk instead of the roof. I didnt experience any issues with it there.

The guy said to me that it would NOT work with the steering wheel controls... WTF? How can that be true. I figure for $1k it better work. I dont think these people know what they are talking about. I might just go drive to the dealership this weekend and say this is what I want...

I like the fin antenna tho, looks neat. Im thinking maybe Ill just pick up a new unit from Bestbuy and just use an fm mod if i run into problems.

I would also recommend contacting Joe Tsensky at Everything Infiniti. He is an Infiniti dealer in Arizona who sells all the OEM equipment and parts and has always been very, very helpful to us NICO folks. His prices are excellent! The link is here: http://www.nicoclub.com/addirectory.shtml.

Joe will be able to tell you how much work is involved in doing it yourself, or how much work would be involved for a local stereo shop near you.

Z

Post by **jshattner** » Tue May 23, 2006 11:46 am

Buy the OEM kit from Grubbs or InfinitiPartsUSA (or I suspect many others). They don't know ^$*( at your dealer (one more reason to not trust them with a sharfin install) and mine wasn't any better, but at least he admitted to not knowing. It works like a charm with the M audio system; all the controls, category searches, steering wheel, etc. It IS the factory unit.

Trunk mount should also work well, but if you want the antenna hidden, put it on the package shelf. It will work fine even with a heavy tint, and you can always move it outside with zero trace if you find dropouts anyways.

That being said, it'll cost more than a Best Buy unit and won't be portable.....

Post by **jshattner** » Tue May 23, 2006 11:54 am

On second thought..... From re-reading your original post about not choosing Sat it's not clear what options you have on your car. In Canada, Sat radio was not an option, but my M45 Sport comes standard here with everything else, including the tech package, so it's all set up to receive either OEM Sat kit. I believe in the US, when you order the Tech package (?) it comes with Sat radio installed. So from your post it sounds like you don't have this package. In that case, I'm not certain whether the OEM radio harnesses are there (mine were) and the control functions from the audio system, so perhaps you would be better to verify this with the suggested contact in this thread and/or the OEM kit source you've talked with.

Post by **szh** » Tue May 23, 2006 1:40 pm

jshattner wrote:They don't know ^$*( at your dealer

Mostly true, with some exceptions, and Joe Tsensky is an excellent exception!

Everything Infiniti is the parts department of Scottsdale Infiniti, and Joe has been working on Infiniti's for a long, long time. He will help NICO members in a heartbeat and does special things for us all the time (like shipping DHL Air and charging for ground, fixing shipping mistakes - yeah, they happen - with overnight shipments at no charge, etc.)!

Z

Post by **jshattner** » Tue May 23, 2006 4:24 pm

Z. Not taking digs at the good ones, only at the one mentioned in the first post; it's clear that "Boss"'s dealer, like unfortunately too many, obviously didn't know what he/she was talking about, and it's irritating to see how readily they were prepared to rip him off AND provide bad information.

Post by **tkeskic** » Tue May 23, 2006 4:27 pm

Most carshave the nbus connectors required for the OEM Sat radio to be installed, Joe (infinitipartusa.com - who I used to buy mine from for my Canadian car) is very smart with this; he provided a serial number range that was supported;

The install was painless, my installer took 60 min, and he had never done one. once he found the n-bus connector it was about 10 min to install, and put the car back together;

IOts likly worth seeing fi you have the connector in your car, its hidden away under rear windsheld on the right hand side of the car, with a twisty tie really right; Infinity said my car was not wired for it, but it was. I htink it just cost way to much to stick in different wires for each slighly different model;

The clean, intergrated look for the oem is nice.

i ddi a post backa while ago hear you can search for with some more details on the install I had done; I think the post was SAT RADIO for Canada Possible? any way use search, you will find it;

p.s. I thimk the OEM kit with overnight cost me about $450 US, my previose posts have all the numbers for your review; and Joe was GREAT to work with;

tk

Post by **bossku69** » Tue May 23, 2006 8:41 pm

jshattner wrote:Z. Not taking digs at the good ones, only at the one mentioned in the first post; it's clear that "Boss"'s dealer, like unfortunately too many, obviously didn't know what he/she was talking about, and it's irritating to see how readily they were prepared to rip him off AND provide bad information.

Indeed true.

I actually bought the car about an hour south of where I live. The sales guy really helped me out and communicated well with me on the phone, so it was worth the drive to pick up the car. However, there is a dealership about 5 miles away, which was the one I called (instead of taking it an hour to the other place, which I will probably end up doing).

I called again today, and the guy told me for the unit it was about $280 w/antenna. I asked how much for the install, he said "oh, not much, I know it takes like at most an hour, so probably $100." As Im hearing him say this, im like WTF i just called the other day and they said $1k. Right then I can hear someone in the background say "NO! install with parts and labor is $995" and the guy goes, "oh, im sorry, its $995 for parts and labor, I was thinking of something different." F* That! $700 in labor? Some of these dealerships are a joke.

Im worried about having someone else do it or do it myself because Im worried it will void the warranty. I picked up the extra warranty because of troubles Ive had in my last two cars and was totally worth it. I should of just got it when I got the car and waited for one to come in... price to pay for being impatient huh.

Post by **jshattner** » Wed May 24, 2006 1:48 am

The first guy you talked with was right on. I paid $261 + shipping for the radio / antenna and install was under an hour (not counting the time spent retrieving the screw that dropped when I was working on a very tight angle - the only pita of the install).

Post by **szh** » Wed May 24, 2006 6:13 am

jshattner wrote:Z. Not taking digs at the good ones, only at the one mentioned in the first post; it's clear that "Boss"'s dealer, like unfortunately too many, obviously didn't know what he/she was talking about, and it's irritating to see how readily they were prepared to rip him off AND provide bad information.

Oh, I understand ... I did not think you were being hard. There are clearly some places that are not to be trusted unfortunately!

I just want to make sure that we all know Joe and his helping us at NICO - quite a few of us have been buying parts from him for many years now. Nobody is perfect, but the difference I like about them is in how they fix the few problems that do occur.

Z

Post by **bossku69** » Wed May 24, 2006 7:21 am

jshattner wrote:The first guy you talked with was right on. I paid $261 + shipping for the radio / antenna and install was under an hour (not counting the time spent retrieving the screw that dropped when I was working on a very tight angle - the only pita of the install).

And does it work with the car? I mean, you can change stations using the steering wheel controls, just like it was stock?

Because according to the jerk at the service dept, it wont work. I think it is 100% BS because they want me to come in there and have it done.

Post by **szh** » Wed May 24, 2006 8:12 am

bossku69 wrote:And does it work with the car? I mean, you can change stations using the steering wheel controls, just like it was stock?

Because according to the jerk at the service dept, it wont work. I think it is 100% BS because they want me to come in there and have it done.

I would think that a stock Infiniti OEM unit ought to work exactly the same as if it were factory installed.

I'd recommend calling another Infiniti dealer and asking the same questions!

Post by **jshattner** » Wed May 24, 2006 10:11 am

Bossku69

As per my earlier post, it works perfectly in every documented fashion in the instruction manual. It's a great implementation. Also, as per my earlier follow-on post, I'm not certain what this means in your case since I had my car delivered with the 5.1 Bose system, which, as I understand it, comes standard with XM or Sirius in USA deliveries. Therefore, if you are in USA it would appear that you don't have this system, so I can't vouch for the OEM functionality. I suspect, though, that Infiniti would still make only 1 head unit and control set for the radio so it should still be ok.

Best to check with Joe or another supplier of the radio to be sure. Also, as someone else mentioned, some early deliveries (before October I believe) may not have the complete wiring harness installed. Joe or others should be able to tell you this as well based on your VIN.

Post by **tkeskic** » Wed May 24, 2006 5:20 pm

There is no chance of voiding the warranty with the OEM kit, worst case if the OEM kit causes the issues they may not cover it; what are the chances of that - I got the extended warranty, and no one could tell me how it would be effected, and too lazy to ask around.

I think you will be fine with the OEM kit; They like to create fear when you do something outside the norm they are not soaking you for, in an effort to drag you back to them to get hosed; with the rare exception of Infitipartsusa.com - who has been GREAT to work with for me. good costs, and he they are fair the first time;

tk

Post by **bossku69** » Wed May 24, 2006 6:37 pm

Thanks for the replys. I called another dealer today and they said it is an easy install. I tried to get ahold of Joe, but said he was busy. His dealership said it was a pretty easy install as well. Both dealerships said it would work perfectly fine with the headunit, like you guys said.

Then for giggles, I called back this other dealership and the guy told me "no, it wont work unless we install it and it will 100% void the warranty." Funny how some dealerships set their goals to rip people off. Im considering writing a letter to the manager but dont know if it would be worth it.

Post by **tkeskic** » Thu May 25, 2006 3:12 am

Letters are almost never worth it;However taking your money elsewhere, and then dropping by to rub it in, priceless!tk

Post by **Kookla** » Tue May 30, 2006 10:36 am

TK,

Did you ever determine the cause of the rubbing sound when turning the steering wheel?

Kookla

Post by **tkeskic** » Tue May 30, 2006 3:33 pm

Nope, its kinda not even something I notice now...I spoke to the dealer about it last time I was there and they said that all of them do it, even the G35x - it has to do with the AWD syn or something warming up or just syncing up, the wheels seem to spin aty different rates ont he inside and outside on a turn, and hence the sound is a little extra rubbing...

They didnt seem to think it was a big deal, not even enough to write it up on the service visit I was there for...

I'll keep you posted if it changed... I'f got 15,000km on it now, and its still running great, engine is a little more noise then when I first got it, but still VERY quote compared to the norm...

better than my 3.5 year ould regal GS, which has a blown rear main seal now, those GM cars seem to do this to me everytime I buy something with a series II engine in it from GM!tk

Post by **szh** » Wed May 31, 2006 4:25 am

Hi, I changed the title of the thread to be more specific to the M.

Thanks,

Z

Post by **Kookla** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 12:21 pm

Many thanks for the info.

Kookla

Post by **bossku69** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 9:11 pm

So I did some asking around and from two seperate dealerships I was told that the car is "prewired" but you have to remove the dash to attach components. The only models that you dont have to are ones that came installed with the unit, but removed from the car at the dealership for whatever reason.

I dont know how true it is, but I got the dealership I bought mine at to hook me up with a deal. I didnt want to take a chance of messing up the electronics, plus the cool fin on the top makes the car go faster than the aftermarket antenna hahaha

Post by **jshattner** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:00 pm

Again a load of garbage, but if you're happier with the dealer install so be it. Nothing goes near the dash. The radio installs into a pre-existing bracket behind the trunk liner. The wiring harness is there that connects to power and dash signals. The antenna plugs into the radio. That's it. Period. Full stop. It's time we had either knowledgable dealers or ones who are not rip-off artists!

Post by **tkeskic** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 4:29 am

I watched the whole process when they did my OEM version, and it installed in the trunk, one nbus connector to the unit, and the antenna wire, no screws were needed either as there was a specific place fo the reciever to be installed into that snapped into place.

The hardest part of this install was finding the nbus wire as it was twist tied up really tight and to the back right underside of the trunk roof.

I'm with jshattner on this one, the dealer you are working with has likly never did this, and is charging you full pop for a look around. Silly thing is, the kit comes with an instructional mannual, and it specifically makes NO mention of doing anything in the car, all the action is in the trunk.

Other models of Infiniti may require dash work. My installer said there is a extra nbus cable on the deck itself in some infiniti cars for the CD Changer's, He was surprised the install on the M was so easy.

Anyway, its your car, risk and cash - but I would ask to watch them install this... I'm willing to bet they never get inside the car until they have to turn on the unit (unless they are not reading the manual and basing it off another model and take apart your dash for no reason!)

p.s. unless the dealer found a way to order the "factory fin" you will not get that. The hogwash about the dealer removing parts from the new car is hog wash, and could even be illegal in some states - what would they do with the part they remove, sell it to you as new? when legally its used?

tk

Post by **jshattner** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 6:38 am

Just a slight alteration to tkeskic's post. There are in fact 4 screws required to hold the radio itself to the already-present trunk mounting bracket (he's right that none are required for the connectors). One of them (back left corner when you're standing outside the trunk) is a very tight install - needs either a smaller-size wrench or small right-angle phillips head. Or leave it off altogether - the uit will never slip out if only the other 3 screws are used. This was the worst part of my install. The socket I was using fell (I was just using the socket without the handle to get the screws finger tight - then finishing it with a box wrench) and it took me about 20 minutes to retrieve it from behind the radio.

Post by **bossku69** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 9:59 pm

Thanks for the posts. I asked 2 people I know that install stereos and said the same thing, not that I dont trust you guys or anything

This really pisses me off... they charged me $995 to install it already and tacked it on to my bill for the car. I'm pretty heated about this and the whole fact that they lied to me, let alone it was supposed to be done last week and when I brought the car in, they said it wouldnt be installed nor did they have a loaner car.

Funny how they bent over backwards to get me the car, but now its like "ah, screw you, we already got your money." Sucks that I gave them a good rating when the people called about my experience

**edit** I did pull down the truck liner and see the nbus cable and the mount right there.

Post by **tkeskic** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 3:30 pm

You should call them on this and ask for a refund, and call infiniti corp, normally they have a pub;ished price guide also...tk

Post by **chrisinct** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 9:36 am

jshatner (or anyone else who's done it), if you don't mind my asking... where did you run the antenna for the package shelf install? I'm getting ready to do the same type of installation, and I am wanting to do it without any damage to the shelf if possible - wondering how you did it.

Any help appreciated. Thanks,

Chris

Aftermarket Sirius radio install in Infiniti M?

Aftermarket Sirius radio install?

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (bossku69)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (jshattner)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (bossku69)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (bossku69)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (bossku69)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (jshattner)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (szhosain)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (szhosain)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (jshattner)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (bossku69)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (jshattner)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (jshattner)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (bossku69)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (bossku69)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (jshattner)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (jshattner)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (bossku69)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (tkeskic)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (Kookla)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (tkeskic)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install?

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (bossku69)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (jshattner)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (tkeskic)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (jshattner)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (bossku69)

Re: Aftermarket Sirius radio install? (jshattner)

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