I need some help with this. I have a portable XM radio (Inno2), with the car kit, im trying to make it as hidden as possible. Its powered through the cigarette lighter, If i cut the end off the power supply, where would i splice in the 2 wires? Can i just run them from the back of the cigarette lighter or something? I cant remember off the top of my head, is the power in my car AC or DC? Can someone also explain how to properly use a multimeter, in this situation, how would i use it to find out which wire gets spliced to which wire, that kinda thing.

For the multimeter......before you cut anything, set the multimeter on DC, unplug the cable from the XM unit, plug in the cigarette lighter adapter and put the red probe in the center hole of the end that plugs in to the XM and touch the black probe to the outside silver portion of the connector. The meter should read 12 volts. If it say -12volts, the wires are backwards. It is important that you know if the center of the connector is positive or negative. 99% of all electronics are positive in the center connector but we just want to make sure. Once you find that out, unplug the cigarette adapter and you can now cut the cigarette adapter off. Now set the meter to read ohms which is the upside down horseshoe looking character. Plug either probe into the center hole again and take the other one and touch it to one of the wires that you just cut. When the meter reads 00, you will know which wire is the positive lead. Now you can wire it to a power source in the car.

[This message has been edited by IMSA GT (edited 11-05-2008).]

You can cut the cigarette lighter off and get a 12v power strip (cut the end off this as well), then splice those wires together (they both have a marked power and ground) . You can then mount the power strip hidden under your passenger seat. That'll let you route the XM charger (and any other chargers you have) under the center console, under the carpet (cut a little hole in it under the seat), and up to the new strip. That's what I did when I wanted hidden power for my GPS, XM, and PSP.

(Edit to add: I wouldn't splice the wires from the XM power cord straight onto the cigarette lighter. For one, the Cig outlet is powered all the time which means it could drain your battery, and second I believe the XM Charger converts the power to 5.5 volts (I know the one for the SportCaster radio does anyway) so I don't know what problems you might encounter there. If you do it my way you don't risk ruining any changers and you have an On/Off switch on the power strip.)

[This message has been edited by pumpkincarriage (edited 11-05-2008).]

quote Originally posted by IMSA GT: For the multimeter......before you cut anything, set the multimeter on DC, unplug the cable from the XM unit, plug in the cigarette lighter adapter and put the red probe in the center hole of the end that plugs in to the XM and touch the black probe to the outside silver portion of the connector. The meter should read 12 volts. If it say -12volts, the wires are backwards. It is important that you know if the center of the connector is positive or negative. 99% of all electronics are positive in the center connector but we just want to make sure. Once you find that out, unplug the cigarette adapter and you can now cut the cigarette adapter off. Now set the meter to read ohms which is the upside down horseshoe looking character. Plug either probe into the center hole again and take the other one and touch it to one of the wires that you just cut. When the meter reads 00, you will know which wire is the positive lead. Now you can wire it to a power source in the car.

thanks alot, that is a very helpful response + for you

You can also wire it into the fuse panel and use a fuse to protect it. This would be easier and can be done as a plug in, without the need to cut or modify any factory wiring.

quote Originally posted by kawana: by power strip, you mean one of these?? edit: So, if i put the prongs from the multimeter in the way described, and it reads 5.5 instead of 12, ill know it converts it right? Either way, id install some kind of power switch to turn it off.

Yes....that is how you will know if it converts it. If so, you will have to leave the lighter adapter attached......and I don't think that is the power strip that pumpkincarriage is talking about.

[This message has been edited by IMSA GT (edited 11-05-2008).]

quote Originally posted by avengador1: You can also wire it into the fuse panel and use a fuse to protect it. This would be easier and can be done as a plug in, without the need to cut or modify any factory wiring.

Ya, that might be a better idea. Ive never run anything into the fuse pannel before though, how would i do that, if all the spots are taken? (i dont know that they are, i haven't looked yet)

quote Originally posted by IMSA GT: Yes....that is how you will know if it converts it. If so, you will have to leave the lighter adapter attached......and I don't think that is the power strip that pumpkincarriage is talking about.

ya, i didn't think so, but thats the first thing that came up when i searched 'power strip' :P

[This message has been edited by kawana (edited 11-05-2008).]

Heh, no... not quite. What I am talking about has a wire with a cig lighter plug on one end connected to a box with 2, 3, or 4 cig lighter (12v) power sockets and an On/Off switch. You can wire it directly to the factory cig lighter wiring by cutting the plug end off the power strip. And they are usually long and flat so you can mount it under a seat (driver or pass, but pass is easier to get to) and plug all your chargers directly into it.

No pictures on the AutoZone site, but these are what I am talking about : http://www.autozone.com/A,t...cessoriesResults.htm

Aaah, ok, gotcha.

I haven't put one in my Fiero, but I have 3 radios in my other cars. What I did was get a "Power Port" (looks like a cigarette lighter socket) at Radio Shack. I found which wires were power and ground on the back of my factory radio, then I connected the Power Port to the factory wiring with two crimp splices. This way, I didn't have to cut any wiring...just place the power or ground wire in one side of the splice, put the corresponding wire to the Power Port in the other side, and then fold it over and crimp it with a pair of pliers. If I ever want to pull the XM radio out of the car, I can do it, and the factory harness will be intact. This also powers your XM radio on or off with your ignition key, just as the factory radio does. Then, I put the "cigarette lighter" end of the XM radio power cord into the Power Port, take a wire tie and tie the two together so that they won't come apart, and then run my wiring, hiding it behind the dash/under the console, etc. As pumpkincarriage said, do NOT cut off the "cigarette lighter" end of the power cord...that is your transformer to change 12 volts to whatever your radio requires. Anyway, it works great, and you can remove the XM radio from the car in the future and no one will ever know it was there. As for the wires you need....if you have a service manual, you can find the wires in there. If not...ask in the technical questions area....I'm sure someone there can check their manual, and tell you which wires you need to be looking for.

Edit...here's a link to a "Power Port" on the Radio Shack website, so you know what I'm talking about. http://www.radioshack.com/p...sp?productId=2062272

[This message has been edited by litespd (edited 11-05-2008).]

Whatever you do DO NOT CUT OFF THE END OF THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER PLUG. There is a DC-DC converter in there that drops the voltage down to 5 or 6 volts, (depending on the model) If you hook 12V up to the radio you will burn it up.

What I did was to solder wires directly to the cigarette light plug THEN I was able to wire it in directly and hide it.

Another solution is to buy the 12V extension cords, and cut off the plug and wire that in directly then you can hide the plug on the XM side.

I mounted the cradle for my Sirius radio where the Aux Guages go on GT models. The cradle is hard mounted, and the power is jumped from the car radio, and I mounted the antena between the headliner & the roof. so, you see NOTHING but the cradle and the radio. yes, the antena picks up thru the plastic roof. but, not that great. I do plan on adjusting that. it works - but it could work better.

Im gunna mount the antenna in the front air duct thing up front, under the black mesh looking stuff that filters the leaves out. Thats one idea anyways. I have that 'sure connect' dealy, it hooks up to your antenna to help your reception, so im not too worried about its location.

What about using the pink wire (for the power antenna, unused) that goes to the stock stereo? That's what I used to power the stock subwoofer I added with an aftermarket stereo.

Ok, so if i hook the power up to the pink wire, where would i run the ground? And is it a bad idea to run like 2 of those 12VDC Car Power Accessory Outlet from the same wire? Like if i ran them all off the pink wire? Forgive my electrical ignorance, im still learning this stuff lol :P



or if i used one of these:


and cut the plug off, how do i find out which is the power, and which is the ground? And should i run a fuse like the other one has?

[This message has been edited by kawana (edited 11-07-2008).]

If you cut the plug off that extension you should use a meter to check the polarity and make sure the center of the jack is positive. If you don't you risk blowing up you XM radio.

If you can't find a meter sometimes the plug can be disassembled and you can see which wire is positive and which is ground.

If you connect to an existing circuit you don't need a fuse. Only when you connect directly to the battery do you need to have a separate fuse but it's safer if you have one anyway.

With radios you have to be careful how you provide power and groud or you will get whine and other issues. You might still need a power filter.

I guess you know, that there has been some serious talk of XM/Sirius going banckrupt? Their stock is selling for about $0.25/share last I heard. A big call is due in 2009 for their convertible bonds--dunno if they will be able to cover it.

Sirius XM in Talks to Refinance Debt, Cuts Forecast (Update4)

By James Callan

Nov. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Sirius XM Radio Inc., the only U.S. pay-radio broadcaster, began talks with banks to refinance debt and lowered its forecast for subscriber growth after U.S. car sales plummeted.

The company is seeking to replace 2.5 percent convertible notes due next year, Sirius XM said in a statement today. It faces about $1 billion in loan repayments in 2009, including $250 million in convertible bonds in February.

Chief Executive Officer Mel Karmazin is trying to refinance as credit markets have dried up and the auto industry, Sirius XM's biggest single source of customers, has endured 12 straight months of declining sales. The stock has traded below $1 since Sept. 10 as investors lose confidence in Karmazin's ability to manage debt and meet growth projections.

``The threat of refinancing debt in hostile market conditions is the biggest issue weighing on the stock,'' James Goss, an analyst with Barrington Research in Chicago, said in an interview. Goss rates the shares ``outperform'' and doesn't own the shares.

Sirius XM, home to Howard Stern and the National Football League, was unchanged at 26 cents at 4 p.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The shares have declined 91 percent this year.

Karmazin's $2.76 billion all-stock purchase of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. in July created a company with more than 18.5 million subscribers. Sirius XM today predicted 19.1 million users by year-end, less than its earlier forecast for 19.5 million, and lowered next year's projection by almost a million.

More Stock

Last month, Sirius XM announced it was issuing more stock to pay down $50 million of its $300 million in February 2009 notes and asked shareholders to approve a reverse split. That was a change from August, when Karmazin said the company had no plans for a reverse split.

``Current economic conditions, particularly the dramatic and recent slowdown in auto sales, have negatively impacted subscriber growth for 2008 and 2009,'' Sirius XM said today. The company reiterated its forecast for adjusted earnings of $300 million in 2009 on revenue of $2.7 billion.

Sirius XM has agreements with automakers to preinstall its satellite radios in cars and trucks. U.S. auto sales plummeted 32 percent in October in what General Motors Corp. called the worst month for the industry since 1945 after accounting for population growth. Reduced access to loans kept people away from car dealerships as consumer spending slowed the most in 28 years. In August, Karmazin said Sirius XM could weather the decline because carmakers were putting his radios in more vehicles.

`Bad Situation'

``Mel Karmazin is making the best of a bad situation that seems to have gotten worse because of economic conditions which are beyond his control,'' Fred Moran, a Boca Raton, Florida-based analyst with Stanford Financial Group, said in an interview. Moran recommends holding the shares and doesn't own any.

Credit terms have loosened recently. The benchmark London interbank offered rate, what banks charge each other for three- month loans in dollars, dropped today to 2.39 percent, the lowest level in four years, after reaching a 12-month high of 5.15 on Dec. 5.

The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 on July 25 to approve the merger of the XM and Sirius. Concerned that traditional radio operators might get a judge to block the combination, Sirius struck an ``ugly'' debt deal to quickly complete the purchase of Washington-based XM, Karmazin said


OK-I'm a buzzkiller--back to the install!!

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 11-07-2008).]

lol, they damned well better not! anywho, i found a 3 plug adapter like the first one i posted, comes with a fuse. If i were to hook them right up to the black and red wire going to the stock radio, how should i do that? Splice them in? Or is there a less destructive way?

quote Originally posted by kawana: If i were to hook them right up to the black and red wire going to the stock radio, how should i do that? Splice them in? Or is there a less destructive way?

These are the connectors I was talking about....

http://www.radioshack.com/p...sp?productId=2104093

The chances of you finding "red and black" wires going to the back of your stock radio are pretty nil. If you do, that doesn't mean that they're going to be power and ground. An easy way to check is to unplug the main connector from the back of the radio. Get yourself a test light....looks like a small screwdriver with a wire and alligator clip coming out of the handle, but has a point at the end of the shaft, rather than a flat blade or Phillips head. You can buy one for a couple of bucks at most parts stores, Wal Mart, etc. Clamp the alligator clip on metal...a screw, bolt, etc., under the dash, or to something you KNOW is a ground on your car. Turn the key to the "accessory" position, and then check each slot on the connector. If you touch one that is powered up, the "handle" on the test light will light up. Keeping it lit, turn the key to the off position...if it's switched, it should turn off. If not...turn the key back to the accessory position, and check another slot until you find one that causes the test light to go out when you shut the key off. Once you've found that, turn the key to the "run" position, to make sure that it once again has power. Once you've found that wire, then you can use one of the tap splices to connect your wires from your accessory plug to the right wires for the radio. You can connect the black wire from the accessory plug to any known ground...it does not have to go to the radio ground wire. Once you've made your wire connections, you can reinstall your radio, run your wiring, and connect your XM radio. Be sure to change the settings in the XM radio menu to allow it to turn on and off with the ignition switch.

Ok, that makes sense. I already checked my radio, and it has a red and black wire that are grouped together, but are separate from all the other wires, ill test them like you said.

Ok, so i checked the black and red wires, and when i use the multimeter, set to DCV, it reads 12.40V +/- when i touch both of those wires, how do i find out now, which is power, and which is ground? I cant find a place to ground it, thats near the radio, my cords dont reach that far. And i dont have one of those light things.

[This message has been edited by kawana (edited 11-08-2008).]

quote Originally posted by kawana: Ok, so i checked the black and red wires, and when i use the multimeter, set to DCV, it reads 12.40V +/- when i touch both of those wires, how do i find out now, which is power, and which is ground? I cant find a place to ground it, thats near the radio, my cords dont reach that far. And i dont have one of those light things.

If your meter is showing positive 12.4V then the red wire of the meter is connected to the positive wire of the car. If you are not sure take the black wire of the meter and touch it to a metal part of the car instead of a wire and you should still have +12.4V.

In my experience you are better off using the same ground as the radio, if you ground in some random location you risk setting up a ground loop which will contribute to alternator whine and static in the audio.

Ok, ill just do that then, thanks for the quick response.

Here is what I sugest.
1. Find a friend who claims they know what they are doing.
2. Watch friend closely and have him explane what he is doing
3. If all goes well you've learned a little about how electrical sytsems in cars work, if he ruins you xm radio then find a new friend.

[This message has been edited by jmbishop (edited 11-08-2008).]

if i had a friend like that, i wouldn't be asking you guys lol

If in doubt go to an easy source of power...the cig lighter is one, the fuse box would be the other.

getting power from this cig lighter will give your xm radio power while the ignition is off also, at least thats the way it is in my fiero.

[This message has been edited by jmbishop (edited 11-09-2008).]

quote Originally posted by jmbishop: , at least thats the way it is in my fiero.

not sure since my cig lighter in my stock Fiero doesn't work

Mine didn't work either. I bought the car from the original owner, since the guy bought it for his wife he didn't want her to smoke in it so the day he got it he disconected the power windows and cig lighter, thats why my power windows work like new.

guess yall didn't see my other post, getting power isn't what i need help with now, its figuring out why my radio is all staticy now, and how i can get the cassette out...

I've never had a tape adaptor work right in my stock radios. I tried adding a aux input but I couldn't find good enough information to get it working. You might wan to look into something like this http://cgi.ebay.com/7-Ch-SU...C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

[This message has been edited by jmbishop (edited 11-09-2008).]

Pull the cassette out with pliers or whatever you need to and get a FM Transmitter (available for less than $20).

This is another reason you should have hooked a 12v power strip to the cig lighter like I said, the FM Transmitter will probably need power too (unless it one which uses batteries, but those are bulky). With the transmitter you'll just select a static radio station, then select the same station with your XM box and voila... better sound than the cassette and far neater looking.

Or you could just invest in a radio with a AUX input, for $100 you should be able to get a decent one (and free installation) or you could get a radio with a built in XM reciever (and also free installation).

but why would it still be staticy even after i removed the wires i spliced in?

Hey Kawana

I put a Sirrus car kit in my 85 Notchie,

What ever you do, don't cut the power supply off, as it does convert 12vdc to 5.5vdc.
Hooking it directly to 12vdc will definitely blow it up.

I went to Canadian Tire, and got a "Power Outlet" in the Automotive electrical section.
Costs about $13.99. (Did the same thing in my travel trailer, so I can use it camping, as well.)
Used two 3m Scotchlok connectors, and tied it into the power leads to my stereo, (the power adapter does not draw a large amount of power).

Plug your cigarette power supply ito it, and hide it in the radio pod section, of your console, on the left side. Lots of room to do this.
Then your satellite radio will switch on with the radio.

I put the magnetic mount antenna, in the center of the metal mesh grille, on the front windsield defroster vent,
ran the cable to the right, at the base of the windshield, aroung the passenger side vent, under the dash, to where I mounted the dock, on the center left vent, above the heater controls.
The antenna gets plenty of signal, even going in a northward direction.

You might want to wrap the outlet/power supply in electrical tape, to keep it from slipping out of the outlet, though.
I found out, you might have to replug it in once in a while.

Marko

------------------
'85 SE 2M6

quote Originally posted by kawana: but why would it still be staticy even after i removed the wires i spliced in?

We are trying to help here, but we are driving blind. Pictures would help.

Also, in the future if you don' feel comfortable working on electrical aspects of your car, you might want to consider having an experienced installer do the work. Electricity is not very forgiving if you do it wrong. You will either hurt yourself or burn something up.

quote Originally posted by jscott1: We are trying to help here, but we are driving blind. Pictures would help. Also, in the future if you don' feel comfortable working on electrical aspects of your car, you might want to consider having an experienced installer do the work. Electricity is not very forgiving if you do it wrong. You will either hurt yourself or burn something up.

If its not a huge job, ill always try to do it myself.. I didn't cut the XM's power supply, so im not doing anything that would damage the XM radio, worst case is the stock radio goes, which isn't something i care about. Anywho, what do you need pictures of exactly? Heres one i just snapped, these are the 2 wires i spliced into. Red to red, black to brown. I used the method above to find out which is the power.




edit:

sorry guys, i got the static issue worked out, it had to do with the cassette deal. i pulled it out, and the radio stations come in clear as usual, and i bought a hardwired FM transmitter (goes between the antenna and radio), and the XM plays very clearly. Just working out the best way to power the xm radio, i think ill use those 2 wires again, as i now know the static sound wasn't caused by me powering the radio off those wires.

[This message has been edited by kawana (edited 11-09-2008).]