lccalvert_1999

Unfortunately, I go down as a stupid consumer. I just picked up my brilliant silver c230K on Tuesday of last week and noticed a large black *** on the back of my car. I had ordered the sirius package and the dealer had put it in the day before... however, I did not realize that the blob would be placed on the rear of the car! I expected a painted unit like Audi or BMW on top of the vehicle...

When I orderd the package, nobody explained to me that the receiver would be placed on the trunk. I have obviously contacted the dealer that let them know of my frustration. I see this as a potential down the road problem with resale value... after all, they did put a hole in my trunk!

I have asked them to replace the trunk with OEM factory painted deck lid, and I am still waiting to hear from them. However, I am not holding my breath for them to do this for me...

Does anyone else have any experience with this. I have searched the board , and have seen that some cars have been replaced because of this. However, I ordered my car with the Xenon lights, and they are rare on the east coast, so a replacement is not easily at hand! Also, I don't think it is a reasonable thing for me to ask simply because I didn't ask the right questions.

Any advice on what to do????

FrankW

LOLz, you didn't know the receiver would be put on the top of the trunk? I think most people know about this and avoid this option. I've only seen one car that has it from previous meets.

anywayz, since this is not a factory installed option, the only way for them to put the receiver is on the top of the trunk for easy wiring, etc. BUT I think if it's one of the independent shop that does it, they would've just hide the receiver some where under the dashboard. in conclusion: dealerships are run by monkeys that can't do anything right, and you are out of luck on this one because that is how they instructed the dealership to install the sirius satellite receiver.

SteveAustin

My dealer offered the TERK aftermarket antenna, which is small and sits beneath the roof antenna. It is black, but smaller and looks fine there, it cost me an extra $150, but well worth not having a hole in the trunk. I would be angry as hell if I were you, they need to expain that first when you're ordering the option.

However, I had to call two advisors to get them to even investigate the Sirius option. He said if I didn't have a SAT button, then I couldn't get Sirius. I said RTFM, it is a soft key in the HK unit. After they recognized I knew more than they did, the dealer researched it and scheduled the install, offering me the aftermarket option. I haven't heard of an interior antenna install with Sirius, seems like the reception would be crap. Another option would be to replace the antenna you have now (since the hole's already there) with a painted one...it's been mentioned on this forum.

nicedeboy

Well duh, Everyone who has satelite radio installed at the dealership has that reciever in the exactly the same place. Its on there with double stick tape that can be pulled OFF. Look at the other cars on the road! Imagine if you had a spoiler, as I do. My reception SUCKS because the spoiler blocks the reciever some what. I'm in the process of moving it.

wingless

Try this company. This seems like the best option, at this point.

amdeutsch

You're such an idiot. Who cares how its affixed if there is a hole in the trunk lid for the cable to feed.

And who cares about your Ford and its problems. Thats what you get for using a aluminum foil spoiler directly on top of your antenna so that it can't receive a satellite signal.

Once again you're showing your kindergarten derived technical know how.

CitronC230K_03

i saw steve install MB Sirius on an E500 and use an antenna from the CL's which was mounted inside the vehicle, on the rear shelf. it was hidden and no flat black blob on the trunk.

i have also seen an S430 with the Sirius antenna painted to match. i dont know who did it, or what but they said it works good.

wingless

Check the link, they have a $45 Mercedes exchange program.

NJS430

There is a new Antenna from Mercedes that just came out. It's about 1/4 of the size and is painted to match the body color. They are installing them at the prep center on 06 cars that ordered Sirius from the factory.

Ask the dealer if he would be willing to replace this antenna with the new one.

Buellwinkle

FWIW, JCPennies has a free XM satelite radio, the Roady2 (with an incredibly tiny antenna) with $100 purchase of Dockers clothing http://www.dockersxmoffer.com/ The Roady 2 is an easy install, very small and thin, can work with it's built in FM transmitter or hook up to your radio's AUX in (best choice). I put my XM antena under the dash pad above my instrument cluster and it worked there or many put it on the rear shelf. It's very small, smaller than about 3 quaters stacked. I know it's not as good as having the factory radio control the sat radio but free vs. $1,000 + ugly large antenna (painted or not) + hole in trunk, seems like a no-brainer to me.

lccalvert_1999

Thanks for the information... I will definitely look into this. Also, do you know if the new antenna (smaller one) will be able to replace the ugly blob (in other words, will they retrofit to the existing hole in my trunk).

Thanks!

taylor192

A member being reasonable, this can't be MBWorld?

It sucks to have a hole in your trunk, yet any reputable body shop should beable to fill it and repaint such that you'd never know it was there. As for resale, if you can't detect its there, what makes you think someone else is gonna beable to find it? Plus anyone that argues resale value over a small hole that was patched isn't someone you want to do business with anyways.

I've seen the big ugly black antenna mounted under the vents on the hood. Looked like an awesome install location, see if you can find the thread for it.

jmartinacevedo

I feel bad for you but it seems you could have some a little research first to figure out how it'd look like. For example, with a little extra effort, the dealer could have had the antenna installed just behind the rear glass.

https://mbworld.org/forums/attachmen...id=38555&stc=1

M-

Jim Banville

Can you describe this a little better? What is a dash pad?

lccalvert_1999

I do realize that with a simple review of these forums, I would have found out about this. However, I do also strongly believe that it is the dealers responsibility to explain these types of things to the consumer!

The great movie Funny Farm comes to mind in this example. I bet Mr. Farmer would not have eaten as many 'Lamb Fries' had he know they were sheep *********...

Do you really believe that when you walk into a dealership and spend $35,000 for a car that you should be required to do research about their accessories?

Like I said, I thought that the customary Fin (see BMW or Audi) would be present. Hell, even Nissan's with XM have the thing installed on the roof and come painted.

I do accept a small amount of responsiblity, but the MB dealership needs to make this right somehow... I simply don't quite know what to ask for?

CitronC230K_03

the Sirius brochure i got from the dealer shows an E-class with the antenna mounted on the trunk lid. it also says this is not the same antenna for CL, CLK and SL models.

mikefl52

I agree with you the dealer should have warned you what the antenna looked like and that they would have to drill a hole in the trunk. However most of the sales people are not very savvy when it comes to newer technologies or anything that isn't run of the mill.

In my mind you have five choices:

1) Put up with what you have

2) Ask the dealer to fix the hole and put on a micro-antenna in front of the current tel-aid antenna

3) Same as 2, but ask him to relocate the large antenna

4) Ask the dealer to replace current antenna with the smaller one when they become available at the dealership

5) Order the colormatch antenna. From the posts I have seen here it does look much less obtrusive. Not perfect but better.

Whatever you do good luck!!

wingless

Why not request that they cough up the $45 bucks to get it painted and installed? Heck, they could even throw in some Lamb Fries.

The ulgy antenna is the reason I did not select that option on my ordered vehicle. At least on my wife's Cayenne all the antennas are hidden, with most in the rear spoiler.

tyro

It's better than a hole in your head. Just ask nicedeboy :p

lccalvert_1999

Thanks for all the suggestions... I am going to order the colormatch antenna and ask the dealership to pay for it. Also, I plan on asking them to reduce the $854 I had to pay to have it installed (with labor). My plan is to agree that we were both responsible and split the cost. I am also going to have them get in touch with their Sirius rep and provide me with information about the 'new' antenna.

I want them to swap it out as soon as they come in.

Thanks again!

CitronC230K_03

good luck!

Buellwinkle

The dash pad is the top of the dashboad. Having restored cars, one of the common replacements in the interior is called the dash pad as that deteriorates. Being foam and plastics, it doesn't block sat signals.

I removed the instrument cluster using the $15 instrument cluster removal tool, fed the antena wire from the big hole in the the dash left by the missing instrument cluster to the where it can attach to the XM Roady, wedged the antena in a spot between the instrument cluster and the dashpad so it won't move at it's highest point in the dash, and put the instrument cluster back, walla, no visible antena. This is the MB approved method of retrofitting Comand sat antena and my Comand sat antena co-existed with my Roady antena and I can pickup 7-8 gps satelites on a good day. Other members have done this so I take no credit for being first. The new Roady 2 antena is half the size of my Roady antena so even if you just put it in the corner of your front window or stuck on the back shelf it won't be easily noticed. I can tell you one thing about having a huge ugly sat antena on your trunk lid, my kid had hers that way being an early adoptor of XM radio and it was too visible a target for theives and her Sat radio was stolen right from her car sitting in our driveway.

RawAMGpower

The new smaller colored match antenna looks so much better. The shaping of it is much sleeker and more aerodynamic looking. If it could be mounted to the roof it would be perfect, but still being on the trunk lid really doesn't look bad at all. It disappears kind of because its much smaller and color matched.

mctwin2kman

I am sorry but this is what is wrong with today's consumers. It is not and I repeat not the salesperson's responsibility to really inform you of anything. They tell you as much as is needed to make a sale and unless you question them they tell you nothing else. It is the Consumer's responsibility to research the items they want to buy and only the consumers! You said it yourself that you expect more with a $35000 purchase. Well if you are spending $35,000 bucks maybe you should have asked more questions.

Now as for the Sat Ant being black. Well I see some painted and some black. Really makes no diference to me as back in the day you would see black Cell Phone Antennae's everywhere as well and no one seemed to mind them. As for me I have both Sat Antennae's inside my vehicles. In the C class it is in the front window close to the windshield on top of my center channel speaker. Small little one that no one even notices. The 190E it is on the back deck under the rear window. Both work just as well as when it was on my last cars roof. So I keep them inside.

A solution to your problem would be to have them remove the antennae and paint it to match. The put it back on. It will cost them about 10 bucks worth of paint to do this and a few bucks for time. That way you do not need to buy another antennae and spend more money, or them spend more money.

revstriker

I agree that the consumer needs to be better informed when making decisions, but I disagree that the sales people do not have a responsibility to explain what they are selling, including the need to drill a hole in the car as part of installation. The kind of sales people that only do what you suggest, are the kind that never get repeat customers, and never get recommended to others. Part of being a successful sales person is providing a service to the customer, and doing whatever is necessary to ensuring that the customer be completely satisfied.