XM Commander Stealing Aux-In input?

[DaftStar]

Details:
Me = 06 Saab Aero.
Problem:

1. Dealer installed 'factory' XM Commander
2. XM sounds pretty bad
3. Plug in iPod to hear better sounding music, shut off XM unit, and hit play on iPod. Nothing plays.

I'm guessing that the dealer used the Aux-In port for the XM Commander unit and basically rendered the Aux-In under the armrest useless. How exactly can I make both things work. What kind of cable/splitter do I need to get?

Thanks in advance.


I swear, I tried doing a search. Either I'm a terrible searcher or no one has really answered this question.

[SAAB007]

iPod should work. Don't understand your dilemma. How is your XM wired? Is the XM Commander unit directly wired, or is it utilizing the AUX-IN in the center console?

My XM Commander unit is wired so that the AUX-OUT jack comes through the coin holder in the center console and plugs directly into the AUX-IN input. Thus, you can unplug XM, plug in your iPod ( or brand X MP3 player) and play that.

Originally Posted by DaftStar

Details:
Me = 06 Saab Aero.
Problem:

1. Dealer installed 'factory' XM Commander
2. XM sounds pretty bad
3. Plug in iPod to hear better sounding music, shut off XM unit, and hit play on iPod. Nothing plays.

I'm guessing that the dealer used the Aux-In port for the XM Commander unit and basically rendered the Aux-In under the armrest useless. How exactly can I make both things work. What kind of cable/splitter do I need to get?

Thanks in advance.


I swear, I tried doing a search. Either I'm a terrible searcher or no one has really answered this question.

[CallipNCSUsaab]

are you able to remove the 1/8 jack from the commander and plug it into the ipod to work?

[DaftStar]

I have no idea how the unit was installed.
This is the XM Commander module that Saab sells and installs for you.

Basically, I thought that I could plug in my iPod via 1/8" Aux-In in the armrest console, turn off the XM unit and play the iPod. That didn't work.
Yes... I did turn up the iPod volume, and yes, a song was playing.

[smurkenstein]

Sorry, bit obvious really...did you switch aux on...press the source button on the wheel until it shows. Aux should appear on the SID.

[DaftStar]

Originally Posted by smurkenstein

Sorry, bit obvious really...did you switch aux on...press the source button on the wheel until it shows. Aux should appear on the SID.

Yeah, in order to hear the XM Satellite radio, I have to press the Aux-In button. So when I turn that unit off, Aux is already enabled - which should mean that I can play the iPod.

[smurkenstein]

sounds like your hypothesis is correct.

[Malibu]

Connecting two sources to AUX-In:

I bought a splitter at a local car stereo shop which has two RCA inputs and one RCA output. It also has trigger and ground wires. The device normally routes the signal from one input to the output. When 12V is applied to the trigger wire, it toggles over to the other set of inputs. I bought a 12V switch from Radio Shack, wired the 12V from the cigarette lighter circuit to the hot side, and wired the trigger wire from the RCA splitter to the other side. This way I can listen to either source through AUX-In by turning the switch on or off. I found that I needed to have the iPod as the source that the splitter normally "rests" on (i.e. the set of inputs that are selected when 12V is not present at the trigger wire). If I had the XM tuner plugged into those inputs, and the iPod was the source that was selected when I was driving, once I turned off the car, the 12V would go away (cig lighter circuit is switched), and I would get a brief bit of XM sound for a second as the splitter toggled back to that input. Not a problem, but definitely annoying.

BTW, XM really doesn't sound all that great. Supposedly they're launching a couple more satellites to increase the bandwith for each channel and thus improve the sound. I remember hearing that when they originally launched their satellites, they had planned for half the number of channels they currently have. They had to decrease the bandwith for each channel, which decreased sound quality.