XM Radio in the FJ
As of this writing, its common knowledge that the Toyota accessory module for XM Radio in a word, sucks. I was told by my dealer that it was no longer available as a option "until some minor problems were cleared up." Ok, there is a $460 option off the list of "wants" for the FJ.
Luckily, I had a
Delphi SkyFi2
which was had been mounted in my other car. Even if I did not have one,
the Delphi is 1/4 the cost of the Toyota module. All I had to do was find
power, mount the head unit and antenna then run the audio line into the
"Accessory" input on the FJ. It all turned out to be quite easy.
I choose to mount the XM antenna to the top of the roof rack to provide and unobstructed view of the sky. Mounted with black tie-wraps, it works wonderfully. I expect that I'll run its antenna wire behind the roof rack upright at a later date. That should make the tiny cable even less obtrusive.
The antenna wires for both the XM antenna and GPS are anchored with a product called coax seal then run down the outside of the rear door seal. The cables enter the vehicle at the bottom of the rear door, run under the mats and removable door sills. The cables then......
Make their way up to the XM receiver by running them inboard, between the door seal and body. While its not as clean as factory, the cables are out of your way and very hard to see when the door is closed.
The XM works just fine. Got it installed and powered up just in time to hear one of my favorite shows, Cigar Dave.
