Jim_bo

I have a 2006 IS 350 with XM radio. The dealer put the antenna on the side of the trunk. It looked like crap. Then, after I complained, he moved it inside the rear window. Still looks like crap and it doesn't work well. I have asked about the "shark fin" for the 2007 antenna to be installed on my car and he only says "it isn't pre-wired". Well... I'm not buying it. Does anyone have any info on the shark fin? How is it attached? What kind of hole is in the roof? Any other info is really appreciated. I couldn't even get the parts manager to come up with a part number for the fin so I could try to do the install myself. I don't understand why these guys are making something easy into something so hard.

jimbo

ecr527

I think it would be a serious undertaking for you to install a shark fin on your 2006. Not saying that it can't be done, but it may be more trouble than it's worth. I installed XM into my 06 IS with the help of my brother. We installed the antenna on the trunk lid in the center, right in front of the third brake light. Luckily, when I ordered the XM receiver from Sewell, it came with the micro antenna (about 1/2 inch X 1/2 inch X 1 inch) compared to some of the other antennas I've seen with the OEM kit (about the size of a good brownie ). I'm not too sure either why they insist that it be installed on the edge of the trunk lid, but I'm guessing that they're trying to place it somewhere that would get the least amount of interference.

Jim_bo

Well... I don't understand why it would be such a major undertaking. It can be nothing more than a couple of holes drilled and some re-routing of wires.

skorpio

Iim just speculating but you would have to remove the headliner, and so you would have to remove all frames running all around the headliner, and remember, you have airbags all over this thing... plus a sunroof.... seems simple but it might be a nightmare removing all of this to just run a simple wire to the middle of the roof.

regards, Bart.

Soda

I wish they would've used the sharkfins last year. I hate when they make cool changes like that when you already spent 40k on the car & then make almost impossible to get one.

Jim_bo

Well, I don't see removing the headliner as a huge deal.

I'm pretty upset at my dealer right now as I told him that the sale of the car was conditional upon XM Radio. I purchased the car on a Tuesday and had XM installed on Friday only to find a little black wart in the middle of the trunk of my $40k+ car. I told him that this was an unacceptable installation job. Then he starts talking about "well... the 2006's were not pre-wired for the sharkfin antenna". My response was simply, if Lexus was not ready to provide XM radio in their vehicle, then it should not have been made an option. At a minimum, if installation of a wart on the trunk was required, then it at least deserved a disclaimer before the sale. Had I known that this would be the way XM was installed, I would have bought a BMW or an Acura.

Since I was clear that the sale of the car was conditional on the XM, I told him that he should consider replacing the car with an 07. That didn't go over too well.

I really want to make this thing right and I am more than a little pissed that the dealer is trying to make it my responsibility. This is a Lexus problem that Lexus needs to make right.

Jimbo

phattie

i have a 2007 awd is 250 with the shark fin. i have the premium radio. no nav. i got an terk xm reciever with the VAIS interface for it because the dealer quoted me $600 for the xm installation! i had it installed yesterday at circuit city (saved myself about $300) and the installer told me that he could not use the shark fin because it was for sirius sat radio.. different frequencies or something like that.. he said it's a toyota thing..so i have the xm antena inside the car ride in front of the third brake light.

does anyone know if i could have had it wired to the shark fin?

phattie

does anyone know if i could have had my xm radio wired to the shark fin?[/QUOTE]

Jim_bo

Do you have the shark fin without XM Radio???

rhsmd

Shark fin is on all 2007's.
it is there regardless of radio option.
it only is used for XM. NOT sirius.
sorry

Evitzee

Sorry, can't agree with you on this one. You ordered XM, you got XM the way Lexus was installing it on the 2006. And he was correct in stating the shark fin was not the system used on the '06's. Putting in a shark fin now is not a simple operation, imo. I see no requirement for the dealer to state the procedure used as it was per Lexus procedure for that model year. Yeah, it may have been nice, but the lack of him telling you how it was going to be installed is no reason to come back at him after the fact. It's not a Lexus 'problem' to fix as far as I can see. Others will probably disagree.

I don't think you are going to get anywhere asking for a new car over this issue. I think the best you are going to get is maybe relocating the antenna inside the vehicle, and maybe some $$ off on future service, or something along those lines.

Sad that this issue has clouded your ability to enjoy this car, and that you would have bought a BMW or Acura if you had known about it. I just don't think it is that kind of deal breaker. My opinion only.

iobidder

You have to wonder why Lexus did not do it in the first place and that Honda/Acura and BMW have long before 2006.

No one is disagreeing it is a flaw on Lexus' part, but it most certainly does not warrant the dealer to give you a new car. A lot of BMW guys with earlier models such as the E36 have done the sharkfin mod, so if you are determined, go on a BMW forum and see how they do their installations.

Evitzee

I heard it had something to do with a licensing delay, but who really knows the reason. Personally, I don't see why Lexus had to ape BMW in the design. The whole sharkfin design is pretty homely, imo. Lexus could have done a much less conspicuous design which would have fit in better with the overall lines of the IS. The sharkfin is just too obvious a copy of a BMW design. Lexus can do better, and they should have.

iobidder

+1 never a fan of the sharkfin, I like the Honda/Acura design better. Nice and low.

ecr527

You could certainly try asking them to give you an '07 just for the fact that the car you purchased does not have the shark fin antenna for your XM. I think you'll be wasting your time doing so IMO.

If it bothers you that much that you have a "big wart" on your trunk lid, then try doing a search. This topic was been discussed numerous times, and I think someone has already installed one on their car just for cosmetic reasons. A word of warning though, if you install one of these, you'll have to be drilling through your roof. Doesn't sound so hard to do right? Right, until your roof starts leaking. Make sure you seal that bad boy good, otherwise, your problems will be just beginning.