I know my HHR was XM ready when I bought it, and I had heard about a free sampling recently. How does one activate the free sample? Is there a way to turn on XM on my own? or does it involve calling XM?

 

I think that technically all HHR's are XM ready, but you need to see if yours is XM capable. Look for a "CAT" button on your head unit, if you have that the head unit is XM ready, but you need to see if you have the module installed. Either check your rear roof for the small XM antenna unit, or check the build tag in your glove box for the U2K option.

If you have the requisite equipment in place you should just be able to pull up the XM band and listen to channel 1 for details on the promo/preview.

But no U2K on the build tag means no XM, unless you retrofit the module/antenna/wiring harness pigtail.

 

If they are still running it and you have the "XM radio".
Just turn to the XM channels and try a few. hit catogory see whats on there.

If it's just "XM ready" I have no idea what that really means

 

That free trial has ended but they have them often.

 

ok i have the cat button on my radio

 

Welcome to the site. Since you have the cat button try hitting the Band button IIRC and see if you have xm channel 1 along with FM and AM. XM channel 1 will be a info/sampling station for XM.

 

And right now is another free sample period. I *think* it runs until the 14th or 15th of February, so just a few days left. I've been listening to a lot of Classic Vinyl on XM26.

 

I have had it in one form or another since it came out(Sirius/XM) . Once you listen to radio w/out the blathering commercials, you will not want to return to commercial radio. If you have bluetooth, you can also play internet radio through your phone.Not the best, but sometimes better than commercial. I like "Rolling Stones Radio" from France.

 

When they had the last free sample time I could not find one single station to listen to. I would hope the full version has more to offer but if I couldn't find anything to listen to while it was free then why do I want to pay for the one or two I might find after I pay for the service?

 

Just an FYI. GM, as part of their CPO (certified pre-owned) sales support, has a deal for a free three months of XM programming. I was handed a brochure with a number to call to activate this. I wish I would have looked on the website for XM first, as everything could have been handled easily without trying to decipher a very heavy accent

Anyway, on the plus side, due to speaking with someone that English is a second language, my trial period is now 12 months.....as of now.

Try signing up for the trial online.