When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Anyone have experience with adding the non-Onstar factory XM module to a base radio?
2006 lt-non pioneer... radio says "xm feature" when CAT button is pressed, in GM terms that means radio is "capable" but not equipped with XM equipment as built. Anyone add one to this model package from another HHR, or the long discontinued GM kit?
On Star and XM radio are two different things, my 2007 LS came equipped with both, I had the OnStar free for the first 3 years and called XM to activate their system with a code they provided.
GM provided OnStar on all HHR s I believe.
Did you check your owners manual for details how to activate XM or OnStar we have a free link if you need one
Thanks for the responses, I have located an odd model, a 2006 LT (leather, pioneer, 6-disc) that is XM equipped, yet doesn't have Onstar. I pulled the XM tuner & antenna after work yesterday, but didn't have enough time, or good enough weather) to unbolt the seats and remove the xm harness that integrates the XM functions to the bcm/radio. Hopefully I can make it back Sunday and get the harness.
I now have the XM harness, receiver, antenna, and all of the connections to power it and push audio to the radio. I'll try to cobble these parts together next weekend for a test to see if the XM receiver will power up and get the radio to recognize it before going any further.
Thanks Don. Yes, the bcm is a potential roadblock as the vehicle I want to install in doesn't have onstar, so I'm doubtful it was originally setup with the digital communications package options enabled, even though it has the fuse in slot #24 on the bcm (but it's a GM product, so that doesn't really mean anything). Some cobalt forum posts have indicated that while their cars were not originally setup for xm/onstar, the xm module would plug in and communicate with the radio, but no audio went to the radio as the wires for L&R audio were not present past some junction point, which was solved by creating a missing sub harness. Not sure how much of that, if any, will transfer over to the hhr.
The XM unit lan comm line, ground, and positive all go to the bcm, at least on this 2006 model that is serving as my parts donor. The audio wires split from the lan/+/- wires under the passenger seat. Audio wires go up to the passenger kick panel and are bundled with the wiring for the passenger seat presence sensor, while the other wires get bundled together with whatever runs are going to the bcm/radio/steering column under the center console from the driver side electrics. The seat sensor wires and xm audio wires go to connector "200", this connector is callout is on the wiring chart you provided earlier. I don't know if the vehicle I'm wanting to transfer this stuff into will have the audio wires run to the radio from connector 200, as it wasn't equipped with the digital comms package or premium audio, so I also have the connectors for connector 200, and for the radio. I wanted to remove the harness that went from connector 200 to the radio intact as it has the drain wire/noise shield, but that requires removal of the entire dashboard fascia assembly, and I can just recreate it from some scrap shielded cable from work.
The antenna appears to be what was used when onstar was incorporated into a front amplified antenna, or when xm was ordered without onstar, I've seen it on other gm products from this era. Here's a pic of it from the underside before I removed it, and one of the dirt outline where it was placed on the roof. GM #12586566. My guess is this antenna wasn't used for long, or the 2007 revisions and option package shuffling eliminated this style.
