AMGPilot

Why? the OEM is better setup and takes about 20 mins to install

mrweelr

Costs more since my car wasn't pre-wired for Sirius. iTronic looks nice, how is OEM better?

AMGPilot

Well, Prewired is a misleading term, It means that not only is the power plug there but so is the sat antenna cable which doesn't matter since you can use a small "Microdot Antenna" which is $25 at Crutchfield.

You get the mounting bracket ($25) from the dealer and a Fiber Optic Jumper kit ($25) wire the power, Connect the antenna lead and then hide the antenna under the subwoofer grille. Jump the fiber optics into the MOST Ring at the Onstar interface in the trunk electronics bay.

do that, keep your factory SDAR and save $600+ bucks

If you were in SOCAL I'd tell you to bring the car over and I'd do it

mrweelr

Do you have the part numbers for that mounting bracket and the fiber jumper kit? My understand is there is some COMAND programming that has to be done in STAR to activate the SIRIUS which is why I was going to go the dealer route. Then I saw the iTronic solution which looks like a straightforward install. Which system offers better reception and audio quality or are they about the same?

AMGPilot

I don't have the part numbers in front of me but the dealer will probably have one in stock. The Star programming is "SDAR Present" and that's it But there is a good chance that the Comand will recognize the SDAR without the programming

moosejaw

FWIW
I did not need Star to program my Satellite Radio to present.
It was working when i started up the car to get teh ESN Number.

slownrusty

AMGPilot - I believe the bracket is now a discontinued part.

mrweelr

So all I need is a fiber jumper kit and an antenna and I'm good to go with the factory SDAR?

AMGPilot

Yes

BklynMarc

Interested in the route you select. Thinking about adding SAT to mine but unsure of the best route.

benjamin4000

Did you ever do this? Interested in pursing the same solution on mine.

mrweelr

No, haven't gotten around to picking up the other parts I need. I'll sell the unit for what I paid if someone else wants to go the factory SDAR route. I'm still leaning toward the iTronic

MB-CLS500

Hello Hellzno I want to remove my whole sirius unit form my cls can you please tell me where it is located to remove it? and also do I just unplug unit remove the bracket or do I need to remove some wires from the car as well I want to sell it and that why I asking thanks

jpohl402

my current car didnt come with the SAT radio but I had dealership install receiver & all components because I wanted everything integrated. Well worth it

Toadster

what was your cost on that?

MB-CLS500

I don't know prices of these I would sell it to you like a kit with antenna bracket and everything but when I removed it and the cables that goes in to the recover are unplugged my command does not starts it freezes on MB logo when I plug it back it starts normally so I think I will have to remove those wires and antenna but I don't know how to

jpohl402

I provided ALL parts myself - strictly labor at dealer was $1300 roughly

MB-CLS500

so you tell me what parts you will need? yes?
can you ask your dealer why command does not starts with out sirs unit what parts what i have to remove aswell to make command start normally i think it does not starts because wires that goes into sirius unit are unplugged so wire must be removed also but i don't know for sure

moosejaw

Ouch.........
Car must not have been pre-wired.
You have a 05+ E55?
I installed mine in 90 minutes and that includes the phone call to India.

jpohl402

^^^
I thought all cars were pre-wired with the Fiber Optic cable....
They did, however, have to remove ALL parts from another donor vehicle lol (hence some labor)

AMGPilot

wow they saw you coming. 10 mins tops to install the SDAR and maybe 30 to do the factory antenna (which you can do easier/faster and cheaper with a microdot antenna) and then maybe 10 mins coding the headunit/most ring.

So less than an hour and the car would be done (Including the complementary car wash)

BTW the only year that wasn't prewired was early '03's with the cassette radio, ALL other E55's are prewired.

moosejaw

Not so
See post# 14

2EASy

Need a little help. I just installed the SDAR. All that displays on the head unit is "acquiring Signal". I am receiving sound but can't change thte channel because it's stuck trying to acquire signal. I think it's stuck on the Disney Channel. I've already activated the account.

2EASy

Do I need to code the head unit?

2EASy

I had the command coded today and still no luck