Frs/to Brz Satellite xm Antenna help pls
 

So I picked up my 2015 Firestorm Frs Last Saturday here in Atlanta Ga. I knew they did not come with satellite radio. I paid the stealership 320. for the so called factory toyota reciver and hardware plus 300 labor total 620.00 All along I was assuming the xm antenna would be in the top shark fin antenna. Everything works as advertised with the exception of the xm antenna which they mounted on the lower part of the back glass. It looks like crap. I have spoken on email with David at 96svx to what parts are needed to change over to the Brz antenna. I am asking anybody in the Frs community for help in knowing the specific parts and or numbers I will need to put the Factory Brz antenna which I am told already comes with the sat antenna in it, However I dont know for sure and didnt want to waste 150.00 on one and it not be able to work. If anybody has done this could you point me in the right direction on what cable leads and If in fact the Brz antenna will work. I would greatly apreciate it. Thanks so much Steve

I thought the OEM was hidden in the dash above the driver side console under the shroud..

xm antenna
 

Chimera, I sure hope so I will check it out this weekend. Thx so much Steve

That might be the spot for the oem GPS... I know one is in there.. I didn't have either so this is 2nd or even 3rd hand knowledge. Good luck!

I can't speak for the XM antenna, but yes the OEM GPS antenna is installed underneath the dash. Not sure what the "official" location for it is, but I installed mine based on the instructions just right of center as far forward as I could reach.

xm antenna
 

Dadhawk, thx partner I will check it out this weekend. regards Steve

To add:

In my Impreza I had both XM and Nav mounted above the center HVAC vents, in the dash.

It worked fine 99% of the time.

xm antenna
 

thx , I don't know what kind of space in the frs there is above the hvac but will check it out thx sir, regards Steve

In BRZ models, the factory GPS antenna is on a small metal bracket fastened just above the HU. In all other Subaru models, they place the GPS antenna in a "pocket" above the instrument cluster, just below the dash. BRZ has a similar spot, but for some reason Subaru didn't use that.

In all recent Subaru models where Sirius/XM was installed by the factory, the sat radio antenna is on the roof, usually a combo AM/FM + sat unit.

In models (besides BRZ) where sat radio is added by a dealer or the owner, the OEM kit includes a sat radio antenna that you stick inside the windshield, at the far upper right corner.

As I mentioned to sroby via e-mail, BRZ has versions of the various antenna "feeder cords" that include separate coax cables for AM/FM and sat radio. See these diagrams:

2015 BRZ AUDIO PARTS (ANTENNA)

2015 BRZ AUDIO PARTS (RADIO) SYSTEM

There are alternate feeder cords for cars without sat radio (I guess BRZ models outside North America [ADDED: and some Canadian "Sport" models that did not get a sat radio-capable HU]). Those same P/Ns probably match up to Scion parts for FR-S models, and Toyota parts for GT86 models.

If you want to swap in the BRZ combo rooftop antenna, you'll need to either:

A) Swap in the corresponding combo feeder cords. I haven't worked out which parts you would need.

B) Keep using your existing AM/FM feeder cord, and add a DIY cord for the sat radio portion. I haven't seen the bottom of the combo antenna, so I don't know what kind of connector you would need at that end of your new cord.

Added: The farther north you are, the more you'll really want the sat radio antenna to be on the roof.

Added2: Good pictures of the antenna's short "pigtail" cable and its plug are several posts down in this thread:

DIY - 2015 OEM Sharkfin antenna retrofit

So navi is same as in 14+ frs and just w normal antenna? If I don't get all the feeder cords I would only be missing out on XM if I'm reading this correctly?

That's my understanding. As a side note the guru on this info is Dave at ae64.com. I have reached out to him on other forums. He lives in the Atlanta area I live just outside Atlanta in Dallas Ga. But it nobody has had any contact. My eyes are not what they used to be. So I can solder like I used to on active duty working on F-15,s. But I found a real sharp radio tech at Best Buys here in Hiram Ga. He has soldered many of xm and sirrus radio antennas that have broken meaning the small sat antenna wire. I am going over next tues for him to splice mine into my Brz antenna that I put on my 2015 frs. Hope that might help. best regards Steve

So as of now everything works perfectly except the XM radio?

10.4

May b a long shot but is the god antenna the same as the 14 frs one? I can find these all day without an antenna, but none with it

Yesiree, 2014 2015 2016 Frs factory sharkfin antennas are non satellite antennas. I took mine apart to rob the factory end connector to use on my Brz factory sharkfin antenna which is both Satellite and Hd am/fm antenna, Since my frs now has Satellite radio. Hope this clarifies. Best regards Steve

I meant gps. And what is this blue plug for? Bottom right

Partner I have no idea, as my 2015 frs has the pioneer head also but mine does not have that blue plug in. Mine is Gray in color. And the cable that plugs into it is also gray. Maybe somebody else on the forum might know?

That's an OEM Fujitsu Ten navigation. Nearly identical models have been used in 2013-2015 BRZ, and 2012-2014 Impreza, WRX, STi, Forester, and Crosstrek models (and some 2015-2016 models too).

Rear connectors, from left to right and top to bottom:

• Older Toyota/Eclipse style 4-pin rear camera input
• 12-pin - unknown; seen on other Toyota HUs. Possibly for external CD changer or some other accessories
• Toyota-style USB
• 16-pin -- rear camera and parking brake input
• GPS antenna (Toyota/Eclipse style connector. You can find aftermarket GPS antennas with the proper plug on eBay)

• 10-pin and 6-pin power/speaker connectors
• 28-pin mic/aux/other signals
• AM/FM antenna (only one of the two round coax connectors is used; some Legacys/Outbacks with that connector have dual FM antennas)
• XM antenna -- same family as the GPS socket, but this has different keys, to prevent plugging either into the wrong socket)

You can't use both rear camera inputs simultaneously.

Sweet that XM port will help a lot. I took the GPS antenna from my 2014 FRS, but for some reason a few days after installing it now the GPS always seems off and is never precise. Any ideas?

A few more details would help.

What are the model numbers on factory radio that you've transplanted in? What model/year car did that radio come out of?

What model/year car is this installed in now? What are the model numbers on the original factory radio that you removed from it?

installed on a 13 FRS

model on BRZ radio face is "FA632US"which from what i can tell is a 14 brz part number 86271CA640

as for the frs radio that i pulled the GPS antenna from it says cvh-2238


i assume thats what you were asking, but the antenna fits fine and does work, even if its pretty off on my actual location now

I was also interested to know the model numbers on the original radio that you removed from your 2013 FR-S.

Pioneer model CVH-2238ZT is Toyota model PT546-00140. Number printed on front is AXCP-Q14U T10015.

There was a TSB for the earliest BRZ HUs to improve GPS reception. It consisted of a software upgrade, and a new bracket and GPS antenna that moved that antenna further to the right (still above the HU). But your FA632US should already have that update.

Where is your GPS antenna? Can you post some pictures?

You could try unplugging the power cable from the HU for a minute to reset it. Then turn your key to ACC while you're parked somewhere with an unobstructed view of the sky, and give the HU 5-10 minutes to reacquire the GPS satellites.

BTW, the FA632US is not providing 12V power to your car's FM antenna booster amplifier. To make that work, you would need to add a new pin/wire at pin #8 on your car's 10-pin power/speaker plug, and tie that to the smaller single wire (not the coax antenna cable) on your car's AM/FM plug.

Idr my own radio bc I sold it 3 years ago. The gps is mounted on the metal vertical bracket behind the radio which always worked fine, but I'll try moving it. Maybe this radio just requires a higher quality signal.

I'm mistaken, I'm a FA643US. But was still off a 14 model IIRC (don't have the list on me). And the radio (even HD) works perfect. Only the gps is wonky (haven't finished XM yet)

FA643US is Subaru P/N 86271CA640. parts.subaru.com says that was used in 2015 BRZ models (no 2014s). In other words, it's fairly new

There's a chance that the newer BRZ HUs are also supplying 12V power to that pin on their AM/FM socket. Can you check that with a voltmeter?

If that HU isn't, I think you'll find that you get even better reception (and less drop-outs, and pull in weaker stations) than what you're getting now if you add that wire.

Ya I misread my part number last night, but I think u are correct bc there is a localism station I could get before that I'm not now. Wouldn't hurt to add the pin even if does nothing. But idk part number for the harness pin to order off digi-key and what would you recommend I tap pin 9 into? Pin 8?

Unfortunately my voltmeter was stolen so I've been limited to a test light lately bc good voltmeters aren't from Walmart

You can get a digital multimeter free or cheap (~$5) from Harbor Freight that will do the job. Watch for coupons in inserts in the Sunday paper or on their web site. The ones in the paper are usually free w/ any purchase (with no minimum amount specified).

Easiest way to get the terminal you need is from a Metra 71-1761 or Scosche TA02RB harness. The HU is providing a 12V output on that pin. You need to add that pin/wire to your car's 10-pin plug, then connect the free end to the wire on your car's AM/FM antenna plug. That will send the 12V from the HU out to your booster amplifier.

As a temporary fix/test, you can connect a small-gauge wire from pin #3 on the 10-pin (+12V Accessory power from the car) over to the wire on the AM/FM antenna plug.

But before you do either of those, you need to verify that the HU is not already supplying 12V to that wire on the antenna plug.

Pin #8 is def feeding out 12V (power leaving the radio itself), but now that I pay attention it is a bit weak radio reception. Would connecting that pun to something help me?