Satellite Radio Interference/Cutting Out

Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
Hola, I have a Sirius XM subscription in my 2013 LR4. I had a trial subscription and I really enjoyed it so I signed up for a full year and just renewed. Problem is that it keeps cutting out all around town. It cuts out at the same intersections on my regular drives around town, same spots on the highways, etc. I've done some research and I understand that it's probably interference from cell towers, traffic cameras, emergency communication signals at intersections, and things like this. Obviously it will cut out in a long tunnel or in the car wash or wherever there are physical obstructions but what I'm concerned about are the interference cut outs. It's become so bad that I'm ready to abandon it but I hate the though of going back to crappy FM stations with short stints of shit music between the main programming (commercials). My theory is that its become worse due to installation of new gizmos at intersections. We don't have much photo radar but we have photo red light running and a lot of DOT traffic cameras at intersections. Of course enough cell towers to fry eggs on the sidewalks. On a side note, I absolutely love the satellite radio while offroading because there are no interruptions. Funny that you have to get out in the middle of nowhere to get a good signal. At any rate, I know my hardware is working fine (perfect signal offroad) but I'm sick of the cutting out around town. Is there any real remedy for this issue?
 

Errant

Well-known member
Oct 1, 2004
767
20
Southern California
I've heard that the antenna just gets shit reception. I wouldn't know, since mine has never worked, the wire is cut just as it enters the shark fin.
 

DiscoHasBeen

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2016
1,171
262
Indy
Do you drive a lot in town with large buildings nearby, trees or such? Either your equipment is not functioning as it should or you are losing line of sight. Either way just do it over your phone.
 

robertf

Well-known member
Jan 22, 2006
4,781
358
-
it was explained to me by an EE I worked with that the bandpass filter in 2013 were adequate for the spectrum allocations, but the roll off wasn't steep enough to attenuate the cellular transmissions in the current allocated neighboring frequencies. Newer hardware is supposed to fix that, but I dont know if it can work with the factory headunit

I've had the opposite experience as you when off road. Wide open Moab and my signal was very sporadic.

When it did work it sounded like a high quality phone call. Price creep made me cancel, long live the ipod.
 

Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
Oh, I solved this problem a while back...
 

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Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
I don’t think my head unit can do that. It recognizes my phone book but not music. Will have to mess with it.

And rocket science, LoL, I see what you did there.
 

jymmiejamz

Well-known member
Dec 5, 2004
6,008
361
35
Los Angeles, Ca
LR4s had an issue with the antenna that cause poor satellite radio reception. Replacing the antenna with the updated part should fix it.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
it was explained to me by an EE I worked with that the bandpass filter in 2013 were adequate for the spectrum allocations, but the roll off wasn't steep enough to attenuate the cellular transmissions in the current allocated neighboring frequencies. Newer hardware is supposed to fix that, but I dont know if it can work with the factory headunit

I've had the opposite experience as you when off road. Wide open Moab and my signal was very sporadic.

When it did work it sounded like a high quality phone call. Price creep made me cancel, long live the ipod.
That’s interesting. I wonder if the antenna pod for a 2013 LR4 supersedes to the same part # for a later year truck. If they call out a different part and it doesn’t supersede I would think you couldn’t switch them.
Another thing that makes me think you could swap the antenna is I keep a test one around and plug it into cars usually when working with navigation issues. I put that in a lot of cars and I’m sure I’ve used it in pre and post 2013 trucks.
 

robertf

Well-known member
Jan 22, 2006
4,781
358
-
I guess it depends if the filter is in the antenna housing or in the xm receiver.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
JLR is terrible about showing what’s inside a module. No drivers or battery voltage busses ever. It’s all FM( fucking magic) when your looking at JLR schematics.
 

Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
LR4s had an issue with the antenna that cause poor satellite radio reception. Replacing the antenna with the updated part should fix it.
I missed this comment. I am taking it in for an oil change tomorrow (and replacement expansion tank) and I'll ask about the antenna.

I put the roof rack on and I thought oh great, the cross bars are going to make reception even worse but I actually think it may have improved, which makes no sense.
 
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discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
I missed this comment. I am taking it in for an oil change tomorrow (and replacement expansion tank) and I'll ask about the antenna.

I put the roof rack on and I thought oh great, the cross bars are going to make reception even worse but I actually think it may have improved, which makes no sense.
Quit paying for oil changes. Get an extractor and pull it out the tube in your oil filler cap. The filters right on top too. You won’t even get dirty. Buy the oil from Walmart in 5 Qrt jugs for 26 bucks. Fuck paying some idiot that knows way less than you. He’ll probably fuck up you oil filter cap o ring and your probably smart enough not to do that
 
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Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
Yeah I've seen those suckers before. Umbertob here on dweb (the guy I bought my wheels and gas tank skid plate from) recommended it. At this point in my life I have more money than time and I don't want to fuck with used oil. I'll end up tripping over the used oil jugs and moving them around my garage for years. Although seeing what I just paid for an oil change (>$200)....maybe I should look into it. I'm not at all worried about the competence of my local indy Rover shop (Rov-N-Techs).
 

Blue

Well-known member
Mar 26, 2004
10,043
856
AZ
oh, and the low coolant light was just the expansion tank float. Old one out, new one in.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
Or drop your car, like the dealer just did to mine :eek:
Trust me on this…there are idiots in car dealerships sometimes and lots the best mechanics have been clearing out of dealerships over the last 5 years.
I think I can safely say that Land Rover dealerships,at least in the American market, have reached critical mass. There is not enough good techs to keep them going.
And I’m out in less than a week, I guess I finally had to ask myself why I want to keep doing this when NOBODY else seems to want to deal with the shit. The answer I came up with is …I don’t.
 
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