phillyfan

Just installed a plug and play Sirus satellite radio in my '99 RX. Running the antenna was very easy through molding. The power plug was also easy to use the adapter in the back of the console and running the wire underneath it to the unit mounted at front of console (on the floor). I was wondering if there is an easy way to hard-wire (not use the plug) to splice into the wire feeding into the floor console and free up the power adapter in the back again.


Thanks

03RX300

I know that you can tap into the Cigarette lighter plugs and get power when the car is on, I did this yesterday for my Cell Phone hard wire kit. the Pink is 12v and the BW striped other is Ground

phillyfan

It sounds as if I have to buy a hard-wiring kit. Is this simply a 12 v small plug with a wire attached to it? I'm guessing I can't simply cut my cigarette adapter 12 v plug / wire and join that wire to the necessary wires.

Anyone with experience in doing this to an RX and tips on removing the center console to expose the necessary wires?

Thanks for you help.

03RX300

Pry up under the wood grain bezel between the plastic console in the center down at the lower area of the bezel using a screwdriver with a rag or piece of cloth or tape wrapped around it. It pops up really easy.

I had to put the car in low gear with my foot on the brake to egt the bezel off the shifter and I unplugged the two heated seat and the lighter plugs,,,, piece of cake.

bob2200

The proper technique IMO is not to cut the wires, but to burn off maybe 1/8" of insulation using a soldering iron/gun from a point on the wires and wrap the new wire around the bared point and solder. Then wrap with electrical tape.

KeysRx300

On your Radio. Where do you have it located? I put my XM Roady in the Sunglass holder. I got tired of it being in the way. Now when I want to change stations. I just pop it down.

http://rx300how2.home.comcast.net/radar_detector.htm

I used this procedure to pick up power. I had to buy a cigarette lighter receptacle. And an extension cable for the cassette adapter. When you mount the radio. Dont cut the plastic untill all of the cables are installed. I centered mine in the holder. But had to move it over to compensate for the cables.

I stowed the power wires behind the sunglass holder. The antenna and audio wire I ran to the right. Then down the door post. I mounted the antenna in the center of the dash. Works just fine.
The audio wire I ran down the door post. Then up under the glove box. If you pull the U shaped wood trim piece. You can bring the audio wire up from behind.

To pull the U Shaped trim. Get a metal scribe with a curved tip. And push it between the trim and plastic. Turn the scribe and slowly pull the trim piece. Its tight at first. But once you have done it a couple of times. It justs pops off.

03RX300

I agree that you should not cut the wires, I bought a package of Quick Splice wire splicing connectors that you pinch onto the exsisting wire and it pierces the plastic of the two wires and makes a nice contact.

phillyfan

I mounted my unit on the tray on the floor. The top unit (soda holder) can slide out all of the way but the bottom unit can only slid out 1 click (half way) but I don't use it for much any way. I had wanted to do a sunglass mount but the unit I got from the in-laws wasn't the one I wanted (oh well). It was last year's Audiovox PNP3 which is too bulky for that location. I mounted my antenna center rear and ran the wire inside at rear door, tucked wire into molding, ran it to back of rear side door then down to the floor then to front of car and just followed along the floor around passenger's feet area to lower center console. All wiring is hidden except where it comes out behind satellite unit on floor (about 2" exposed and of course you would have to be laying on the floor to see it).

I guess I am still unsure of the exact steps of hardwiring the power to free up the rear cigarette plug. Can the 12 v wire that powers the satellite unit be cut at the cigarrette adapter and spliced to a wire going into a cigarette plug (whether it be the dash or the floor console)? The 12 v wire has 2 wires, which goes to what? The splice connector described above sounds like the way to go but I am still unsure of the process. Someone had mentioned the need to buy a cigarette adapter and I was wondering why that would be.

I am familiar with home wiring and have done some of that but never did an auto project.

Thanks for the help.

03RX300

Just unlpug the plug at the back of the cig-lighter, and use the red wire for power and the white w/black stripped wire as the ground, or you can put your ground wire onto a bolt on the steel chassis, it is that easy.

Do not cut the 12v wire, if you like, just strip back some of the insulation about 1/4" and wrap your power wire for your new radio around this wire tightly and then wrap it with black electrical tape tightly too.

Then plug the cig-lighter connector back onto the cig-lighter and you will have use of the cig-lighter and no one can tell.

tbone4474

hey Phillfan, I too mounted my Sirius in the tray between the two front seats. I'm not really that happy with it being there so I may buy a mount off E-Bay that hooks to the left Front nut on the passenger seat (I need to take a look at the seat to see if it's that easy). Anyhow, there's also a guy on E-Bay that claims he has the instructions to hardwire the satellite to the stereo using an auxiliary input, bypassing the need for the FM modulator. I had a pie adaptor for my Camry but they don't sell these for any Lexus. The sound was awesome, it was as good as playing a CD. If I have any luck with it I'll post the info. here.

steevr

Philly,

Before you hook your Sirius directly up to 12 volts, look at the manual and make sure the unit actually runs on 12v. I almost blew out my XM radio this way. Turns out the the Roady runs on 6V and that the cigarette plug actually reduced the voltage. Therefore, I bought a female plug with bare wires and hard wired that out of site. The Roady plug then plugged into it.

How/where did you run the antenna wire to the outside? Any chance of posting a picture?

Thanks.

phillyfan

steevr -

I attached a sequence of pictures to show how I ran the antenna wire. I couldn't make the pictures larger due to restrictions by the website. If you need help with them let me know. The yellow arrows show the course of the wire. The wire is completely hidden when inside the car. If unloading the car from the rear door (hatch) you can see the wire coming into the car there (nothing to do to hide that). Run the wire across the top of the rear of the car (in the plastic molding) to the back of the rear passenger door then go down to the floor. Follow that all the way to the front of the car. Curve it around the feet of the passenger front and tuck under the front center console. The blue arrow shows the power wire (what I'd like to do a hard install with) coming from the rear cigarette lighter (tucks underneath floor console very easily).

The floor mount works out ok for the model I have as the display is large and a quick glance you can read it. Also the remote is easy to navigate by feel. It's not one of those credit card types with all of the buttons with the same feel. Crutchfield (among other sites) sells a vehicle specific mount that goes to the right of the transmission shifter but the floor mount is working well so far.

My wife is enjoying the radio so I may be buying a 2nd unit (probably would go with a Replay unit) and try a sunglass mount as they are significantly smaller and move this radio (Audiovox PNP3) to her car.

O3RX300 - Thanks for the wiring help, I'll give it a try when I have a chance.

phillyfan

Not sure why the picture showed up twice (only showed up once on preview post). Guess I have to learn how to attach pictures in posts as well.

03RX300

Looks good!, I drive @ 30k per year, I may have to get ione of these things!

I would say the hard part is done and that you are only 20 minutes from being done by pulling the bezel off, then wiring the unit, and putting the bezel back on!

steevr

Thanks Phillyfan for the pics. Did you route the antenna wire under the rear hatch weatherseal? I had a hard time thinking of getting the wire to the roof of the RX, so I took the lazy way and just put it on the dash. Worked out ok for me since the unit was up in the sunglass holder.

BTW, in the pic, the Valentine-1 is hardwired also.