SiriusXM Radio For Older Cars – What’s The Best Way To Add It?

One of the best ways to bring an older car into the 21st century is by adding SiriusXM satellite radio to it. We’ll show you how!

But first, you want to make sure that it’s possible to add SiriusXM to your old car.

Is It Possible To Add SiriusXM To Your Older Car?

It is possible to add SiriusXM to old cars. But is it possible to add it to your car? It depends on one thing: whether your car has a stereo system. Your car needs to have a stereo system for satellite radio to work. This post has more information about whether you can add SiriusXM to your car.

3 Ways To Add SiriusXM To Your Older Car

If you’ve determined that it’s possible to add SiriusXM to your older car, it’s time to figure out how you’re going to do it. There are several ways to add SiriusXM to an older car. Some ways are better than others. Let’s talk about the 3 most common ways to do it:

1. Get An FM Transmitter And A Stand-Alone Satellite Radio Unit And Then Run A Bunch Of Wires All Over Your Dash

An FM transmitter will provide a bridge between the old and new technology. Also called an FM modulator, an FM transmitter is a solution you can use if your car stereo doesn’t have an AUX input or a Bluetooth audio connectivity. To use this solution, you would need to:

1. Install an FM transmitter on your dash
2. Install a stand-alone satellite radio unit on your dash
3. Run wires from the stand-alone satellite radio unit to the FM transmitter and the vehicle’s electrical system

This solution makes sense, but it’s not always ideal for two reasons:

1. This solution creates a lot of dash clutter. You would have an FM transmitter and a stand-alone satellite radio unit mounted on your dash. Not to mention, you would also be dealing with wires running all over the place.
2. FM transmitters can be buggy. This post provides a thorough explanation of why FM transmitters don’t always work.

2. Get A Brand New Head Unit

Doing this means getting rid of your factory stereo and then putting a new one in. The solution sounds good in concept, but has its own pros and cons. Putting in a new head unit isn’t always possible or makes sense:

• If you’re just looking to add SiriusXM into your vehicle, then changing the whole head unit may be an overkill.
• Getting a compatible dash kit and adapters that enable you to continue using factory features such as climate controls add to the cost.
• More labor to do the installation.

3. Get A VAIS Satellite Radio Adapter Kit

A VAIS satellite radio adapter kit is a complete tuner kit. It’s designed to be added onto your factory stereo either behind the dash or via an USB port. Since your car is older, you’ll likely want to install it behind the dash. This creates a seamless solution that lets you use SiriusXM with your factory stereo.

What’s The Best Way To Add SiriusXM To Your Car?

Out of all three options listed above, the VAIS satellite radio adapter kit is the most reliable and streamlined one. It’s because:

1. A VAIS adapter doesn’t create any dash clutter.
2. With a VAIS adapter, you can use your factory stereo controls to change satellite radio stations. This means you can keep the factory stereo in your older car and enjoy SiriusXM on the road. Win win.
3. A VAIS adapter preserves the factory stereo’s sound quality.

At VAIS Technology, we make adapter kits for many different makes and models. Look up your make and model here to see if we have an adapter kit made specifically for your vehicle.