Folks,
I just bought an Outback Limited 2005. I love the car but have been quite annoyed to realize that I can't get an XM satellite radio installed without using crappy (non-radio-connected) FM modulation?
I went to my local Tweeter and bought a new XM Commander unit and scheduled an installation date. I was going to place the Commander in the center dash opening above the current CD changer. I dropped the car off and returned two hours later only to be told by the install tech that the installation was impossible with the 2005 factory radio. The tech said that Subaru had changed the radio antenna hook-up and it now sported a funky new connector which wasn't compatible with any current XM or Sirius FM modulation units. Also, there were no direct AUX inputs available because of the standard 6 CD changer already attached. Tweeter claimed that the local XM rep actually came over and looked at my radio and promptly called corporate in an effort to make them aware that there is an entire class of car which won't work with existing XM hardware. The Tweeter tech claimed that within six months or so, someone "should" come out with an adaptor but until then, I was out of luck.
This left me with no real options. External FM modulation (not connected directly to the radio antenna) isn't a valid solution for me. I live between Baltimore and Washington and between these two markets, the FM frequency spectrum is totally flooded. Hence, when I initially tried to go this route in my old VW Jetta, I was constantly getting bleed through from broadcast stations and had to retune the FM modulator constantly. I even bought a relatively expensive C Crane & Co. FM transmitter and still experienced bleed through.
Has anyone else run into these problems? If so, did you find a reasonable solution? The thought of not having satellite radio for the next six months is killing me.
If I had known this problem was going to surface, I would have spent the extra 5k and gotten the Audi Avant! ;-/ Nah, just kidding.
Thanks,
--Stefan