reisb

Even once I'm out of the garage and driving, no sound. I have to change channel for sound to come back. Sometimes, car not even in garage. Sometimes if radio was on XM when car was turned off, I get in car and channel is showing, but no sound.

Glitch? Fix?

thanks.

I've searched and seen hundred of "XM question" posts, but couldn't find this?

I have an 07.

erdoc48

I have the same problem in an 06- The sound goes in and out until I either cycle XM on and off or switch stations. I'm not sure why, but it only happens when I'm backing out of the garage.

enormus

Ummm . . . you guys do realize that XM is satellite radio, right? It requires line of site (to the South for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere). Same as your GPS. Anytime you are in an overhead environment (garage, parking deck, car wash), you will be lucky to get a signal.

erdoc48

I'm aware XM has to be line of sight to be heard- what I'm experiencing, is that one I am out of the garage (clear view to the sky), XM seems to go in and out (audible then alternately non audible)- I have to turn XM off for a second or change the station to get it to play continuously- it's an intermittent problem, but not at all that bothersome. If I'm outside with clear view to the sky, the radio turns on and plays normally.

Sclass88

The XM in my dad's TL does it, as well. Additionally, when on the highway and we go under an underpass or through a small tunnel, the XM will go out temporarily. It's normal.

reisb

Yes, i know under tunnels, etc it is normal. But if I'm driving down the street in perfect view (after pulling out of garage), I get no sound whatsoever unless I press a preset or change channel. It can even be the same preset that it was broadcasting on. It seems that it needs a jolt if car has been started under something. That is not normal. My Sirius does not do that. It may not get a signal in the garage (and sometimes does), but when I pull out of garage, Sirius signal plays no problem.

triggle

Sounds like a design flaw if its happening to more than a few people. I think it unreasonable to expect users to cycle stations to get sound when exiting a garage.

Does this occur only after the ignition has been turned off for a period of time ? If you enter your garage for 5 minutes and exit without cycling the ignition does it come back ?

If Acura can't/won't help, try an XM forum.

reisb

I believe so. I happened the other day when I stopped for gas. They have an overhang that blocks XM signal. When I pulled out, no sound.

If I enter garage without turning car off, the XM keeps playing most of the time. Sometimes it flickers fading in/out.

casper_f15c

Just curious - do you normally start the car and drive out immediately, or do you let the car sit for a bit before you leave? I'm no expert, but I wouldn't be shocked to find the system can't figure out what to do if it's looking for a signal for a set period of time and it can't find it.

erdoc48

I guess I don't feel so bad since others have the same problem- I thought about bringing it back to the dealer, but since I have a Blitzsafe plugged in to the back of the radio, I don't want them giving me some BS that it's not fixable under warranty. It doesn't happen often enough to bother me to the point I want them to check it. My car is usually parked outside, so I don't have the problem all that often.

KJSmitty

My 04 XM has never done what you guys are describing above. However, the other day I was driving to work and the XM just went silent like I turned the radio off. I switched from FM then back to XM and all was normal.....? hasn't done it since....

Damn gremlin's......

I would have the issue documented with/by your dealership.

triggle

With todays inexpensive memory you'd think there would be a several minute buffer to prevent blackouts in tunnels etc. Why should it be live unless its conveys the current time.

Don't satellite TV PVRs cache record the whole feed up to their memory/HD limit) just in case you want to view or record a program that started several minutes earlier ? Cheap CD players can survive shocks without skips using very little memory. So why is XM so crappy when it comes to caching and signal recovery?

YZFDonor

My '05 locks right in after pulling out of my garage at home or here at work. Never had to convince it to play.

reisb

It did it again last night. I was out to dinner and the only thing above me was a tree. Not too big and all the leaves were gone, so essentially branches. Did not play until I pressed a preset button.

LKLD

I'd take it in and explain the problem. You'll have to explain it twice, like you did here, 'cause they'll think the same as most have here. I'm sure it's a radio/unit problem.

reisb

Yes, it is not the garage issue. It has to be an stereo/XM issue. It did it yesterday when I got back in car after lunch. No trees above me. Nothing but sky above, although it was cloudy. Something to do with XM once car is started. Sometimes it plays, sometimes it doesn't, but it still diplays channel and song info, so it's got to be a stereo issue. XM is getting the signal.

awax's Type S

Take it to the dealership. That is what they are there for

your_mom

I park in a deck at work, and often had the no signal problem. Usually after exiting the deck, the radio picked up the signal fine. I did have to switch channels once or twice over the course of a year.

Also, I experienced a lot of dropouts under trees. As half my commute is down a tree lined two lane road, I gave XM the boot.

reisb

Mine can't be signal related since it is receiving the channel, artist, song info and as soon as I hit a preset, turn radio off-on, or change channel it works. Maybe it has that problem if there is no signal right away, but I had it happen twice yesterday parked in a lot w/o trees.

Appt set for Wednesday, but I'm sure it won't duplicate at the dealer. They said even if it didn't, they would do a refresh of stereo/XM. We'll see. He said he'd never heard of that problem before.

reisb

Took it in today. Had appt. for 2, but called on my way into work since it was currently not playing music, but showing info. Had to turn off phone to call didn't come in and once I hung up, it would trigger the music to play.

They checked Acura service sites, called Acura tech support. Bottom line, they say virtually impossible to pinpoint since it is receiving artist/song info. They are ordering a new XM head unit. What is an actual "XM head unit" and would that possibly fix?

I'm hoping it's that. If not, it may be a faulty trigger wire from antenna, which would be almost impossible to troubleshoot through prewired harnesses. We'll see.

YZFDonor

sounds like your phone is causing the issue. Is the bluetooth just "muting" your stereo for some reason?? Try turning phone off before turning key on and drive out before turning phone back on. I have issues with my HFL and my "unsupported" Nextel phone if I am already in a call when I start my car.

reisb

I'll try, but the razr is supposedly supported. I hope that's not it because there is no real fix for that unless I try to pair the bluetooth again and hope that works.

But it usually says on top diplay (where clock is).....start car.....XM channel.....XM no signal....then signal comes in and no sound.

reisb

OK, it's not the phone. Had it turned off and it did the same thing.

But that does make me wonder if something in the HFL wiring might be causing the problem. My gut says no since I am getting the XM channel and then it says XM no signal for a second or 2 and then gets signal, but no sound.

Hopefully the new XM head unit will fix it. Anyone know what that is or why it might work?

6spMike

Mine's been intermittent too.
XM uses satellite and ground stations (See this month's Scientific American... I didn't know either until I read the article).
So some places it will work under an overpass, if there is a ground station nearby.
Mine worked all the way through the I-10 tunnel in Phoenix last weekend. I was suprised.

Anyway, when I was in for an oil change, I told the dealer to note it on the work order, but not to do anything about it, so if it finally dies after the warranty is up, they'll see it's been a problem since 12k miles, and fix it under warranty. At least I hope that gave me insurance.
Mike