How to Fix a Sirius Satellite Radio Antenna – Six Easy Steps

Due to technological advancements, it is possible for you to listen and be updated on the world news via the radio installed in your car. However, sometimes the radio may cut out which is a common issue that occurs, mainly when the antenna is bent or not connected in the cradle properly. The antenna may also be malfunctioning or damaged.

If you experience such a problem, there are various factors that give rise to it like physical obstructions, bad wiring, tuner failing, faulty FM Adapter, and among others. If you have been disturbed by any of the above, here is good news for you.

Our article contains nothing other than elaborated information concerning the causes of problematic radio antennas. On top of that, we will equip you with the ultimate guide on how to fix a Sirius satellite radio antenna. You won’t be the same again after reading this report.

Quick table

Reasons for Sirius satellite radio antenna issues

As we have already highlighted in the introductory part, this section involves exploring the culprits in detail. Let’s go straight to the point;

1. Physical obstacles

Your radio is likely to experience malfunctions after losing contacts with the satellite. This could be as a result of some obstructions surrounding you. Driving around obstacles like mountains, a tunnel, thick-canopy trees, and tall buildings may interfere with the normal functioning of the radio.

Since almost all of these obstacles are natural, the best thing you can do to help yourself is to drive away from them. You may come across the issue, mostly when the radio loses its connection to the satellite.

There might be something that halted your radio antenna, preventing it from receiving gestures from the satellite.

2. Failing tuner

Satellite radio tuner remains an essential component in your car, which is responsible for getting signals from satellites. Sometimes, the tuner may fail to operate properly. When such a problem occurs, signal transmission will be interfered with. The radio will struggle to decode data and collect light to be sent to the sound of different channels.

Therefore, it won’t decode the data or convert it to various channels. Tuner failing can be identified with a “Not Accessible channel” or “Not subscribed channel”.

3. Bad wiring

This issue can be identified by weak point, loos connection, or broken wires between the tuner and the SiriusXM antenna. Alternatively, this issue might be emanating from the faulty wiring between the stereo and the tuner.

With bad wiring, the quality of the sound might be affected as well as making the radio to oftenly cut out. You should therefore try to check and address this problem immediately.  

4. Faulty FM Adapter

FM adapter can be affected by FM radio transmitter. This issue happens, mostly when you travel to a different area. To be sure that this is the culprit, the quality of the sound will be compromised.

Yes, this problem has to be fixed immediately; or you prepare to experience cut-out radio sound.

Six steps to fix Sirius satellite radio antenna issue (complete guide)

Now that you have a clue on what might be affecting your Sirius satellite radio antenna, let’s now see what we can do to fix the issue. Below is a handy guide, involving simple steps to bail you out;

Step 1: Restart the radio

This is not only the best method, but also the simplest one to fix a Sirius radio antenna. The simple way to achieve it is by powering the satellite and then switching it back on. Doing so is necessary before even thinking of getting deeper into the troubleshooting process.

If you are lucky, restarting your device may bring everything into normalcy. The Sirius satellite radio antenna issue will be fixed. Your satellite radio should be turned off and given a few seconds before turning it on. This action will restart the antenna to resolve the problem.

Step 2: Carefully check your antenna

This step involves inspecting the condition of your Sirius radio satellite antenna physically for damages. Your main attention should be on the bends or cracks; check for these signs. A severely broken antenna won’t function even if it’s reshaped.

It is difficult for the antennae to be stuffed in the cradle. As a result of this, the signal will be weak, resulting in a “shhh” or “hmm” sound. To fix this, you are advised to ensure that your antenna is in good working condition for better performance.

Listening to your beloved and favorite radio talks will be a challenge plus other radio channels if you have not subscribed. However, there will be a few channels left for you; they might not be appropriate for you. This problem is likely to occur when you are using a dock-and-play or radio receiver radio.

Step 3: Examine the magnetic mount of the Antennae cable

To correct bad wiring complications, you should ensure the antennae wire of the magnetic mount connects to the radio securely. If there is no cable connecting to the radio, there will be “No Antennae Detected” warning. To solve this, you may try matching the antenna to your tuner SXV300.

Use your hands to rotate and wiggle the antenna when connecting its head to the radio port. After securely connecting the antennae to the radio port, detach it before re-plugging. Observe the situation to see whether the issue is solved or not. If not, move to the next step.

Step 4: Stretch Antenna cable

If the above actions failed to work for you, give a trial to this one which involves stretching the antennae wire. Doing so may improve signal, but the wire should be stretched entirely. What else do you want apart from increasing the signal strength of your radio? Start by switching off the SiriusXM radio head unit and then give it something like 30 seconds before turning it on.

Doing so will restart your antenna and may fix the problem. The trick under this step is straightforward since you are required to double-check the space between both the connection and the antenna. If you are lucky enough, this stage will bail you out from Sirius satellite radio antenna problem.

Step 5: Adjust the car stereo

This step remains essential if you are having an FM adapter problem. Start by checking the SiriusXM menu to advance to settings. Under the settings, you will be able to see the exact frequency your FM adapter is utilizing.

More so, you should inspect the car stereo and ensure it’s correctly set to the frequency. Occasionally, the tuner knob may be jolted, creating an irritating sound. In case the settings are just okay, turn the car stereo down or up slowly from FM adapter frequency.

You should understand that a radio channel close to the frequency you are tuning to may be interference. But, you may try selecting a different frequency for your FM adapter.  

Step 6: Go for replacement

Opting for a replacement is the last thing that you can think of. You should only replace your antenna if its condition is worse or you tried the above actions but still no change. Trying to fix such a completely damaged radio antenna may waste your time.

Therefore, we urge you to search for a suitable Sirius satellite radio antenna in the market. Doing so will even spare you from other antenna issues that might be as a result of aging. Besides, swapping the old antenna with a new one will save your time while searching for a problem source.

You might be interested to read also our another comprehensive article of: How to fix aux port in car – step by step guide and How to Troubleshoot Pioneer Touch Screen Not Working

Frequently asked questions:

• What is the best place to install a car antenna?

Installing your car radio antenna in a suitable place is always advisable for better performance. Wherever you chose to install the antenna shouldn’t interfere with signal reception. For this reason, the rear center in your car’s roof remains the most suitable location for antenna installation.

Another trick while installing the satellite radio antenna, is to make it stretch 3 inches far from the FM radio antenna. Doing so is advisable to prevent any kind of obstruction.

• How can I install SiriusXM to my vehicle?

If your car is compatible with SiriusXM, then synchronizing it with a SiriusXM account is simple. If your vehicle’s stereo cannot accommodate SiriusXM, it is possible to use the functionality manually. There are handy satellite radio adapter kits out there that you can install by yourself.

• What is the importance of satellite antenna extension?

You are likely to experience flawed or inadequate signals if you have SiriusXM installed in your vehicle. For such a scenario, a satellite antenna extension becomes handy. It works incredibly to enhance the signal quality, leaving you with an uninterrupted experience.

Conclusion

Hopefully you now have enough knowledge on how to fix a Sirius satellite radio antenna. With such knowledge, I am sure nothing will stand your way when diagnosing or troubleshooting any complication with your antenna. That has been our main objective of the day; to equip you with essential information so that you can tackle some satellite antenna issues yourself.

There are several steps that you can launch, but the last one involves opting for a replacement.