2003 Es300 And Xm

[Kyle Petree]

Hi everyone, I have a 2003 ES300 and I have an XM radio, I have been hesitant installing the radio because I don't want to do anything to the interior, I didn't mind doing it to my old Pontiac G6 but my Lexus I'm trying to keep it in mint condition.

Anyway the real question, If I take my car to the Lexus dealer can they put XM radio into the stock radio. I know that later years of the ES, 2006 for sure, had an XM option.

[SW03ES]

No, the OEM Lexus kit will not work.

I have a Sirius kit (a standard plug and play kit) installed ib the armrest of my car and connected via an AUX-in from www.vaistech.com

I have the iPod kit so I can control the iPod through the car's audio controls, but because of that I cannot control the Sirius tuner with the car's audio system, I have to open up the armrest to do that.

BUT, if you don't care about the iPod they do have kits that will control the XM/Sirius directly.

[BoaR]

I just returned a XM kit i bought yesterday actually. for that reason as a matter of fact.

unless you hotplug it into the AUX jack then you'll have static no matter what you do. kinda sucky for those not wanting to add in the ipod kit or mod the oem stereo.

another thing is the damn antenna. even with the very strong magnet attaching it to the car, I had (some) little difficulty muscling it right off the top. If someone was determined then off it goes without that much hassle. and that will end up with you rebuying another antenna, undoing your trims again and repassing the wires.

bah no thanks not for a simple radio. I'll stick with a mp3 player and the jack ;)

[SW03ES]

Nobody's going to steal your XM antenna...

You can hardwire the FM modulator in with an FM switchbox into the antenna jack behind the radio. This is how mine was set up before I had the Vaistech unit. No static this way because while the XM tuner is on the FM reception from the FM antenna is totally shut off.

[BoaR]

One day I hope to live in a city where people dont take/break stuff like yours :(

mirrors, antenna's, logo's are constantly being messed with here.

my friends saab had his little roof shark fin busted off just last week *sigh*

and as for the static thing, ahh you used a switchbox. makes sense actually. once you have xm why would you bother with standard fm radio hehe. is your headunit the OEM or a aftermarket though? did you mean this is how you set it up before installing your aftermarket?

and that being asked did you use your actualy car antenna to pull the signal? or the little square xm one that is in the kit.... I dont see how you could swap them if its the standard antenna...

[SW03ES]

My headunit is OEM, I have the OEM Mark Levinson/Nav unit.

I use the standard Sirius antenna. Mine is actually installed inside on the rear parcel shelf next to the brake light.

The wireless FM modulators don't work well if you aren't in an area with no or few FM stations.

[amf1932]

The wireless FM modulators don't work well if you aren't in an area with no or few FM stations.

I think you have that backwards. FM modulators work better in areas that have less FM stations. Reason being, you get less cross channel interference on the station you use to tune.

For example, somebody living in a major metropolitan area, using a wireless modulator, will no doubt experience poor reception along with the frequent and often debilitating interference from other radio stations.

[SW03ES]

Read what I said Alan ;)

The wireless FM modulators don't work well if you aren't in an area with no or few FM stations.

If you aren't in an area with no or few FM stations

I did in fact say that the FM modulator does not work as well in areas with many FM stations, or thusly it works better in areas with few active FM stations.

[amf1932]

Sorry, I took it the wrong way.....I mixed up aren't and are.

[SW03ES]

I probably could have put the ol' college degree to work making my sentance make a little more sense lol