Bubby

Good Morning Everyone!

My wife has a 2004 525i, build date 12/03. I have done some research on adding Sat. Radio to her car, and I have a couple of questions.

Her car does not have Satellite Prep. It seems that I can had the harness based on some posts on this forum. I have read that the Sirius Antenna is in the shark fin on the roof, but no one has been able to tell me if I can tap into the antenna versus adding a Sirius Hockey Puck on the trunk.

I pulled back the panel in the trunk on the driver side, and I found a wire that looks exactly like the end of a sirius antenna, Can I tap into this?

My dealer says that I can only get Satellite Radio with the Sat Prep because of the TCU is not correct. Is this true?

This is my plan. Get the Sirius BMW box. Wire the harness into the system, as described in this forum. Tap into the Antenna, and then have the dealer update the software. Will this work?

Thanks!

Jason

ObD

The wire you found is the cell phone antenna. Wrong frequency. I'd recommend putting an aftermarket Sirius antenna on the rear package shelf and get reception inside the rear window. They are fairly small theses days and will be hardly noticeable with no reception issues. Wiring the box in and upgrading the software should get ya the dog.

Bubby

Thank you very much!

So I do not have to worry about the TCU?

ObD

Here is a link of how an E90 got upgraded without SAT prep.

Summary:

Step 1, have the dealer upgrade your current options to the latest software.
Step 2, wire in the Sirius box where the CD changer is, can use the glove box position if you don't want to wire your own in the trunk.
Step 3, have dealer code car for SAT.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10536

Rudy

It's been done on an E60 as well...

http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=48379

JPJ

If you are going with Sirius and can tap into the sharkfin antenna that is certainly best. If that will not work, here is my solution. I have XM and just mount the small antenna near the windshield on top of the dash. This is the second car I've done this way and reception is fine.

530ibimmer

Were you able to install the Sirius in your car? If so, what did you eventually find out about using the shark fin antennea?

cinergi

Hi JPJ,

Just saw the picture of your sat radio antenna mounted at the right corner of the dash. Could you please tell me how you routed the cable, and what trim panels had to be removed?

Thanks!
cinergi

bigbadbull

The BMW Sat radio kits are getting very hard to find now. BMW have stopped producing them for the time being, and the rumor is the a BMW has sourced the new ones to Alpine.

If your dealer has one you may want to get one quick.