Does anyone have advice on an XM Radio problem, where reception fades out with no obstructions overhead, clear blue skies? This happens 75% of the time.

Dealer's answer: "The antenae should be on the roof, which can't be done on the XLR due to folding" obvious BS, since I've read here about most owners loving their XM Radio--any ideas what is wrong/how to fix?

Also, my thanks to all writers regarding Brake Squeal. I'm using a printout of all of your threads in one last negotiation for new (FIXED) rotors and pads, followed by the lawsuit. My dealer's service writer's fix for the problem was at 2,500 miles: "the problem you are having in your February car was fixed in the February cars (obviously not!)

Next visit at 4,000 miles his brilliant comment was this: "my girlfriend's Porche's brakes squeal too, you just have to get used to it on these kind of cars."

Last visit to service I figured it out, I always know the service writers are lying as soon as they move their lips!

:banghead
I love the car except for the squeal/screaming brakes and the intermittent XM, in spite of the service BS!

I have a black on black car that I got in May. I put foose 19" speedster wheels on it. Best Looking XLR you will ever see. Anyway, I have a couple of vechiles with XM install. It is strange because on my Escilade, the reception is extremely good. It even works inside most car washes! That really surprised me. My XLR does not get nearly as good reception. It will fade out just briefly on heavely tree lined streets. That said, if you have a clear view you should not have fade. There most likely is an installation problem (like they didn't hookup the antenna properly). Also, XM reception does vary depending on you location. For example, When I was in the northern most part of Michigan I experienced more outage than when I was in southern states. It has to do with satellite positioning, weather, etc.

Hope that helps.

Rick

Dadonator,
what state are you in?

Dadonator,
what state are you in?
NY, NY and XM claims no outages. Can't believe XM wouldn't service NYC properly...

Could you describe what terrain or area of NY you are in? What you need is clear line-of-site to the south at about a 60 degree angle above the horizon. The exception to this is if there are ground repeaters nearby.

Lower Westchester County, which is hilly, but I have the problem so much, that I can't believe its not hardware related. Is everyone else thrilled with a system that barely works, if you make any turns in the car?

A clear view of the southern sky is required. Hills, trees, skyscrapers all affect my reception if they are to my south or southwest. If obstructions are to the north, no problem. Clouds do not seem to affect it unless they are cumulonimbus - in which case I'm on the WX band anyway.

Seems roughly 45 degrees from the horizon is the magic angle down here. Farther north the critical angle would be lower, NYC or not. :yesnod

I agree, that if the problem is bad it is likely hardware related.

3500 miles and no brake squeal. Still about 19 mpg. Will be doing our first road trip this weekend - going to Dallas to get "invisishield" installed. Will report.

Good Luck.

Any thoughts, short of a lawsuit, as to how to get the dealer to fix the hardware--I fear the XM head-unit is expensive, and GM doesn't want to fix it (like the brakes).

Agree with what has been said about satellite radios.

I had a rental with Sirius while traveling in CT last year down the expressway (Tree lined). I would loose the station on a regular basis. I figured out that it was when you had a big stand of trees on the right hand side of the car (which is in the direction of TX). The satellites (whether Direct TV or XM or Sirius are all stationed in geosynchronous orbit over TX (although I think XM has two satellites).

If you are in the Northeast or Northwest, look at how low the Director TV dishes are pointed to get an idea of how low in the sky the satellites really are. IN my area (Washington DC), the Director TV satellites are at 22 and 27 degrees above horizon. I presume that XM is in the same area.

In NY, they would be even lower in the sky and in northern Maine, even lower.

I guess if enough people complain to XM, they might try to put a satellite on the east and one on the west (but we are talking big bucks).

So, in other words, XM doesn't work in the Northeast.

I guess I'll just cancel my subscription--I'm sick of hearing the whole joke and losing the punch line , or having my blood pressure rise as the music cuts in & out 75% of the time--we don't have roads without trees where I live! :rant

--Bob

Try this: Find several locations that have clear sky and park for a while with the acc on. Eat some cheese, drink some grape juice (you're driving!), plug a cool concert video in the DVD, and rap for a while with your main squeeze. Monitor reception in several locations. (She'll think your being romantic, and we won't tell her otherwise, will we, guys? :rolleyes ) If XM fades in and out while parked in the open, it's likely hardware.

If not, you probably have hit on the best solution. While that would be disappointing, the experimentation may improve your love life! :yesnod

We are flat as a flitter down here in Houston, but we do have skyscrapers (just a few compared to NYC) and heavy forest. She fades when I'm in it.

:seeya

Does anyone have advice on an XM Radio problem, where reception fades out with no obstructions overhead, clear blue skies? This happens 75% of the time.

Dealer's answer: "The antenae should be on the roof, which can't be done on the XLR due to folding" obvious BS, since I've read here about most owners loving their XM Radio--any ideas what is wrong/how to fix?

Also, my thanks to all writers regarding Brake Squeal. I'm using a printout of all of your threads in one last negotiation for new (FIXED) rotors and pads, followed by the lawsuit. My dealer's service writer's fix for the problem was at 2,500 miles: "the problem you are having in your February car was fixed in the February cars (obviously not!)

Next visit at 4,000 miles his brilliant comment was this: "my girlfriend's Porche's brakes squeal too, you just have to get used to it on these kind of cars."

Last visit to service I figured it out, I always know the service writers are lying as soon as they move their lips!

:banghead
I love the car except for the squeal/screaming brakes and the intermittent XM, in spite of the service BS!


Good luck with the brake issue, I sympathize and feel your pain.. mine don't squeal all the time, however when they decide to let go it's the devil's own noise.

Just FYI - My XM reception is very good. I do lose it once in a great while due to physical blockage, ie, freeway overpasses, trees, etc. but here in central CA. that's not that much of a problem.

I had XM installed in my 03 Cobra and the antenna was placed on the front-edge of the dash inside the car. I never had issues with that setup either.

Good Luck. :cheers

THANKS EVERYONE, unfortunately I'm back to the "threaten the liar, I mean Dealer" option on both the brakes and the XM radio.

It's great to have others to hear from though, I just found this site yesterday, and have gained a lot from it already!

--Bob

Dadonator,
what state are you in?

wow!, good feedback on XM in NY

but the reason for my question was my concern of our Break Squeal thread in a potential lawsuit. :puke I'm just glad to hear you're not here in California! ;)
While you may not be able to get good XM in NY,
you can surely get a good lawyer there....if you're not one yourself! :skep

Bottom line, while I too have done my fair share of complaining on this board and at the dealer, Customer Satisfaction has turned out to be first rate, I think most here will agree. :yesnod Give them a fair chance to work it out, they will!:thumbs

What I'm seeing is a combination of issues with the Cadillac dealers in my area. It is a mixture of trying to service a car that is very new to them and quite different, and having only one tech trained to work on the XLR's. Mix that with the fact most of them rarely see one in for service and you have a recipe for disaster.

The remedy seems to be their willingness to admit to the issues above and our willingness as owners to work with them as they try and resolve our problems.

If the dealer is a good one, they will meet us half-way and admit to the fact they don't have all the answers.

The less-than-good ones will try and blow smoke up our butts, however that's harder to do when we seem to know more than they do on some issues.

Forums like this provide solid information that equates to power if you use it correctly. My service writer has reached a point now where he asks me "have you read of anyone else having this problem?" before he assigns the job to the one mechanic who works on the XLR's in his shop.

Case in point was the recent swap-out of my daytime running light bulb. His service books tell him to remove the wheel for access, however someone here (sorry, I forgot who) told me their mechanic was able to do the job by simply turning the wheel all the way out to a point where he could do the job. They tried that first and saved themselves from having to lift the car.

Well, I've cancelled the XM subscription, now I'm only out the $325.00 for the dealer install/antenae. I'm a real estate lawyer--any of you class-action lawyers out their need a plaintiff? I want my $325.00 back, plus 2 or 3 million from XM & GM for punitive damages, to teach them not to waste our time & money--not to mention that I've altered the appearance of the car, and to remove the antenae, requires body work to the trunk, paintwork, etc.

As much as you guys want to defend and love GM/Cadillac, I've got a different attitude.

I'm a "former middle class, coupon clipping guy, who went way into debt to get thru law school (2nd career) found his niche, and "made it to the big-time."

I DON'T appreciate being lied to, and being forced to return 3 times to get the problem fixed.

The way I see it, GM & Cadillac have 2 strikes against them, lying and wasting my time for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON. The lying is forced on the dealer by GM's lack of backing--if GM said "change the guy's rotors and pads" the dealer would've done it, but apparently, GM must torture every owner before allowing the dealer to be paid for fixing the problem.

What a beautiful business model. 1) build an awesome car 2) charge a lot for it 3) market it brilliantly 4) sell it 5) send 2,000 questionnaires to each owner for quality control 6) ignore all customer complaints/issues and questionnaire results 7) bail on customer, hope he'll go away (don't worry, we will--the Ford GT is looking very good to me) 8) finally, if the customer gives you 2 or 3 chances, (maybe) fix the problem we should've gone berserk to fix the first time the customer came in 9) get sued, spend a fortune defending our incompetence and 10) wonder why the cusomers are all gone.

HEY GM, WE ACTUALLY WANT TO BUY AMERICAN. WE ACTUALLY WANT YOU TO HAVE THE BEST CARS IN THE WORLD. WE ACTUALLY WANT TO HELP YOU SELL THEM VIA WORD OF MOUTH. WE ARE YOUR RICHEST, MOST PROFITABLE CUSTOMERS. I KNOW YOU DON'T NEED US RIGHT NOW (THERE ARE PLENTY OF BUYERS) BUT IN 2 YEARS THERE W O N' T B E A N Y, J U S T L I K E A L W A Y S.

I don't work in the auto industry, but as a business-man and attorney who has only bought American cars for 20 years, I have a free suggestion for Cadillac/GM. Since you are going to fix all of the problems anyway, with or without arbitration and lawsuits, why don't you fix them THE FIRST TIME????????????? HOW DOES IT HELP YOU TO HAVE US COME BACK 2 OR 3 TIMES FOR EVERY STUPID THING?????? DO YOUR DEALERS GET MORE MONEY THAT WAY???????? DO YOU???????? WE WANT TO HELP, BUT YOU'RE MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE! I WANT TO LOVE THE ENTIRE XLR EXPERIENCE SO BADLY, I CAN TASTE IT--WHY ARE YOU TORTURING US?? :banghead

Like mswaim, my overall service experience has been good - despite having to take our XLR back 7 times to resolve the top malfunction issue.

Changing horses, however, does not protect you from having to deal with the horse's ass. ;) (more Texas wisdom). I've personally had lots more problems with Mercedes service than with Cadillac's. I believe the problem you've encountered is not systemic.

As a former coupon clipping, school loan paying (we had engineering college and med school), kid's tuition paying, ford escort driving, ex-corporate-wonk-who-done-good: I've been to court many times for many reasons, and have never had anything good come of it. You just eat youself up.

My considered advice is to reason and be reasonable. Never negotiate with someone who is not empowered to say "Yes". Still water runs deep.

Good luck.

OK, we may have gotten a bit off-thread...Let me throw in a few items on XM/Sirius and reception issues...

1) XM and Sirius use very different satellite orbits so comparing one, particularly in the northern areas, against the other isn't really a good comparison. XM uses two (soon three) geostationary satellites. If your XM system picks up either one of the two satellites then you will get a signal. In addition, in most cities there are ground repeaters to allow receivers to still pick-up the signal when the satellites are blocked by tall buildings/parking garages.

2) Sirius uses a system of three satellite that orbit in what is called a modified Molnyia orbit that is geosynchronous but not geostationary. Basically while each satellite takes 24 hours to orbit Earth, the high point is over the northern hemisphere and further away than geosynchronous orbit, while the low point is over the southern hemisphere and closer. This allows the satellite to "hover" over northern points of its orbit longer than the southern points. It also means that the "look angle" is much higher in the northern hemisphere than would normally be for a geostationary satellite. Three satellites are needed to fill-in gaps and normally two satellites are received. The operation of this type of system is much more complex but Sirius also needs less repeaters and should provide a better northern signal.

3) Rain fade is not common with S-band signals used for XM and Sirius - you should not see any difference in rain or sunshine. However, vegitation-fade is common. As the tree leaves get fuller during the summer what could be happening is that the tree leaves are starting to impare the signal. Just because Ku-Band satellite TV fades, doesn't mean that an S-Band signal behaves the same way.

4) Both Sirius and XM use a 10 second buffer to help off-set these effects. So, you have to loose the signal for around 10 seconds prior to not hearing anything. The impressive part is this means that there is 10 seconds of data from all of the channels over one second of reception.

5) XM is partially owned by GM.

If you have no signal or an intermitten signal when out in the open, then you probably have a system problem. If you have an intermitten signal when driving on the Taconic then the trees are probably getting you and the problem will go away once the leaves start falling. Thinking about a good place to test the system in Westchester - the middle of a large park or the Saw Mill area near the Taconic where there are no trees or hills would probably work. In the middle of any large open park with no trees nearby is a good test.

I hope that helps.

On the other front, I have still not had a reoccurence of the break squeal since the tires were rotated. It has been very nice. I'm sure it will return but so far, so good. It has been a welcome rest from the squeal from hell.

Andy

Now you have me worried. I'm bringing in my 2005 Steel Blue on Thursday to have the antenna installed. I certainly do not think the antenna enhances the look of the car. With you complaints of poor reception in NY (I live in NJ) you have me thinking twice. Anyone else in the Norteast having problems with their reception?

I feel so bad that some of you guys are having these problems. I have been able to rx XM all over the USA with very little fade. I am going to get the recall fixed in Plano Tx on the 20th of this month and my gas mileage is still hitting 26-28.5 at 70-75n mph and no brake squeal. I guess I broke it in right.............

I haven't had any XM problems from a reception perspective (live in the Northeast) but the overall signal is not as strong as the FM/AM bands - still works fine -

Aviator - 7 times to the dealer for the top? Mine (with 400 miles) went into the shop last Wednesday - they must wait to call Cadillac Tech on Tues - they have no idea whats wrong - you can hear the top motor running but the top does not go up and down - they gave me an 04 Crimson Red (demo) with 1800 miles to use while they figured the problem out - I thought that was great customer and product service - sure hope they fix my problem - my car is a new 04 made in Feb 04.

Aviator - 7 times to the dealer for the top? Mine (with 400 miles) went into the shop last Wednesday - they must wait to call Cadillac Tech on Tues - they have no idea whats wrong - you can hear the top motor running but the top does not go up and down - they gave me an 04 Crimson Red (demo) with 1800 miles to use while they figured the problem out - I thought that was great customer and product service - sure hope they fix my problem - my car is a new 04 made in Feb 04.

My problem was an intermittent fault on a microswitch. The switch never wanted to fail when the dealer had it, only when I was away somewhere. Whe I took it to the dealer, it worked like a champ.

Sounds like you might have a different problem.

Where in the N.E. do you drive, if I may ask? Are there trees on both sides of the roads (like all of Westchester, NY)? Is it mountainous (like Westchester)? As I mentioned, I've cancelled my XM subscription out of frustration, but I'm still out the $325 for the antenae/install--and I miss the comedy/commercial free music, etc.

If yours works fine, then maybe I have a hardware problem--oh goody, I get to go back to the dealer again, for another 2 or 3 visits.

Actually, I have to go anyway, because of the recall on the tie rod washers and the brake squeal. :puke

The best thing for anyone concerned about XM reception to try is to see if someone else has an XM radio in the area. See what they think of reception.

If that doesn't work, most new Cadillacs have XM as a standard option. Perhaps a helpful dealer would permit a test drive (even pre-activation 5-6 channels are available).

If all of that doesn't work, there is always the option of asking opinions on the various Audio/Video websites that have XM/Sirius discussions. Odds are good that someone already has XM in that area.

The XLR's XM coverage should be roughly the same as any other car with an external antenna.

That is incorrect!!

There are a lot of factors that go into getting good XM reception. ONe of the most important is size of the antenna and where it is mounted on the vechile. Your location in the United States is also VERY important. For example, I live in ohio. On my Esclade, the antenna is large and mounted high on the vechile. Reception is excellant in all conditions. When traveling to northern Michigan, the reception was still good, but not nearly as good as at home. My XLR does not get nearly as good reception as my Esclade. Why? Because the antenna is smaller and it is located much lower to the ground. This effects the signal because there are more things to interfer with it. Actually, the windsheild pilars interfer with the signal. (not a problem on Esclade). Again, there is a long and detialed explaination for this which I will not bore you with. The bottem line is the satelite on an XLR is pushing the technology to the limits.

I think "incorrect" is a bit strong - maybe a lot strong, particularly since I'm the one who pointed out how geography and local blockage can cause reception difficulties. See above appends...

My point was that if you are trying to figure out if the XM problem is with the XLR electronics rather than standard XM radio reception difficulties, there are ways to try to figure it out.

Since you seem to understand the reception difficulties well, do you have a better way to determine if the XLR XM electronics (including the antenna) are malfunctioning?? Obviously measuring S-band signal strength would be one way but most people can't do that.

Andy

I used term "incorrect" because the way you were advising to test would definetly lead one thinking there might be a problem when infact rception will vary from model to model. I pointed this out with my Esclade. I did not mean to offend. Sorry if I did.

Basically, the XM reception is the only part of the XLR I don't like. However, unless we all move to the area of the country where reception is best, I just don't think there is much we can do about it. Unfortunetly, with XM (and the others) it is pretty much a pass fail test. Meaning that if you get sound (signal) it is working and if you don't it's not. If you disconnect the antenna, the you will never get XM. If you get XM only part of the time, the system is working and you have an enviromental problem. It's that simple. The only exception to this would be a damaged antenna, antenna wire, or loose connections. Those are all easy to check. If that is not it, your basically stuck in the "live with it" position or mount a bigger antenna somewhere on the top of the windshield.

Rick

So I ask all of you again, especially the people in the Norteast....Before I have holes drilled in my trunk...is it worth having XM?

I love it. Almost makes a CD player obsolete. :thumbs

But I live in Texas, and it's your money!

My car has XM installed, but I can't bring myself
to planting that antenna on the trunk :banghead

still holding out for an aftermarket solution

Check out this "My Favorite Martian" pic.

Check out this "My Favorite Martian" pic.

not really what I had in mind :glol

but maybe we could hold a contest to guess what the hell that is :skep

Rick, sounds good. And, you are right, as with almost all digital transmission systems it either works or doesn't. Where I was heading was if one of the antenna leads was intermittently loose or shorted, then you could get an intermittent signal and not have it as a reception problem. Sorry about my earlier response, too.

Let me try it another way - if someone tries out another XM receiver in a different car they can find out how great the XM programming is compared to "regular" radio (my opinion of course) and possibly find out what representative reception is like. However, they should keep in mind that the XLR's XM reception may be worse, particularly with the roof up.

I'm also in Texas (but grew up in Westchester) so I'm trying as best I can to understand what the reception problems are like. It will be interesting once Fall begins to hear from all of you if reception improves.

The reason for the poor reception with the roof up is that with most cars, the XM antenna is located on the roof and therfeore no part of the car (or other cars) interfer with it. As we all know the XLR antenna is located on the deck lid. This allows the entire roof to interfer.

Here is something I would try. Check your reception with the roof up and the front of the car pointed north. Then do the same with the car pointed south. The car should get better reception when pointed north (assuming you live above the masson-dixion line, otherwise the opposite is true). When pointed south, the windshield pillars, roof, etc should lower performance.

Just something to try which would confirm an enviromental isssue. Also, as low as the antenna is, traffic including semi-trucks will effect reception. Again, I think this follows into the category of pushing the technology and we will just have to live with it.

I find the look of the antenae is "high tech; all the bells and whistles", but don't recommend it unless you like CONSTANTLY interrupted music, jokes, sports, etc. in the Northeast.

The explanation above that sounds best, is the one about the 2 B pillars blocking the signal. That would explain why it is so intermittent.

Mine worked in certain directions, but in any circle (ramps, cloverleafs, windy roads, etc.) it would cut out for a part of the radius of the turn.

Shame on Cadillac and XM for not testing/disclosing this to us in the Northeast.

Again, any class action lawyers out their looking for a plaintiff?

Many have written that an on-dash antenae works, but I don't see how the A & B pillars don't block that as well--there's a reason most cars have the antenae on the roof!

The reason that an on-dash antenna might work well is a matter of geometery. Think of the Satelite signal as a cone with the point of the cone being the satelite somewhere over texas. The farther away from the point, the wider the cone. However, Unlike radio waves, XM is digital and works on line of site. You must have a somewhat clear line of site to towards Texas. The satelite is in a lower orbit and the curveature of the earth is what makes the for a weak signal in the north, Stronger in the Middle US, and then start to get weaker in the south. Tall trees, moutian ranges or valleys, and buildings all effect this.

What really is happening your XLR is that the antenna only needs to pick-up a certian percentage of the available signal for XM to work. A bigger antenna complishes this feat. That is why the XM works so well in my Esclade. It is a big, tall truck with a big antenna on the roof. Not much blocks the signal. Let me put it another way. Are you familiar with hitting a driver off a tee in golf? If so, then you know that if the club face is not perfectly square at impact the ball will be off line. If the club is just 1/8" at impact and you hit the ball 250 yards, the golfball will be off-line by more than 90 feet by the time it reaches 250 yards. So, with a Satellite more than 30 miles high, and who knows how far away, moving the antenna the slightest bit higher or lower makes a hugh difference in reception.

I have XM in 3 cars and love it. All those cars have it mounted on the roof. So, What was Cadillac suppose to do? Well, they could have made the XLR taller or they could have not offered XM. Think about that. Imagine how much critism they would have taken for not offering it.

For clarification purposes, the XM satellites are:

"Rock" which orbits at 85 degrees W longitude (over the west coast of South America - south of New Orleans) and
"Roll" which orbits at 115 degree W longitude (over the Pacific off the west coast of South America - south of L.A.)

Both satellites are in geostationary orbit (unlike Sirius), which means they are approximately 22,300 miles from Earth's surface and do not move relative to an observer on the surface.

For those near cities, ground repeaters are also used.

So, to loose the signal both satellites have to be blocked and any ground repeaters also have to be blocked. Of course any antennas have to be sized properly for the wavelength being received.

I don't know what the upcoming third satellite will be called (rock, roll and ...).

...but maybe we could hold a contest to guess what the hell that is :skep

...its a little experiment I whipped up in my garage? Like an XM satellite radio booster - inspired by the movie "Young Frankenstein"? It looks really cool at night when a blue lightning bolt jumps between the anode and cathode.

Would you believe that? ;)

...
Would you believe that? ;)

NO

But I'm happy to help you lighten up this thread.

Maybe our friend in Frisco has the answer with his "personalized"
aftermarket antenna....Imagine the reception he picks up :glol

Horrors! I'm not sure how mswaim is going to react! And what is that horrid little flag? Well, the tennis ball is a pretty cool touch.

I assure you, my photo is unretouched, unadulterated, nor has it been f'ed around with in any way. This is a native photo taken with my Nikon Digital. :yesnod

Hey Hey now, is that a Rainbow Coalition Flag?

Just FYI - I don't live in the Bay Area, I hail from Modesto, CA - home to Gary Condit and Scott Peterson.

Not that I have anything against the guys from the Bay Area, they are some of the friendliest folks you could ever hope to share a steambath with.............

I can't figure it out ....
They don't appear to be sitting on top of the car, yet
you can't see anything touch the ground either.

Is there really have a blue lightning bolt? :rolleyes










(I hope mswaim finds it all in good fun! :jester )

well mswaim, glad you found some humor in it,

But I don't know,
Darth Vader sharing a steam bath with the friendly Bay Area guys.....

maybe we should turn this thread back over to
rick1827 and alk3997 and learn a little more about
radio waves and geostationary orbit !!

Appropriate apologies to Andy and Rick for interrupting their dialogue. :jester

I was very surprised to find the martian antenna on the boot when viewing the pics. The pictures were taken at River Grove Park in Kingwood which is the site of a boat launch into the San Jacinto River upstream of Lake Houston.

The "antenna" is actually the Vee tines of a boat trailer parked strategically behind the XLR about 30 feet distant. It was a bright day taken with a very tiny F stop so both the XLR and the antenna are in focus. :glol

Completely unintentional. Sorry, no blue sparks. I made that up :o

Happy Friday everyone! I haven driven the XLR in 10 days. :cry It's going to be a Chamber of Commerce "top down" weekend here in Texas. Can't wait. :D
:cheers

I bet you complain alot at restaurants too!!

Another class action lawsuit !!!! Gimme a break man. :nopity

Don't you know everyone wants to sue everyone for everything these days.

Not everything is perfect. Life is not perfect but if he does not like the XLR that much he should sell it and buy something else. But I am sure that if it has state of the art technology it too will have some kind of faults also.

State of the art will alway have problems. Give it two or three years and all the bugs will be worked out, but then it would not be state of the art at that time now would it.

Life is to short for all this.

Blaise :flag

Actually I kind of liked the antennas. Maybe we should suggest CB radios in all of the XLRs :)

As time permits I'm looking at a TV tuner to interface to the XLR's LCD. I haven't had time in six months to figure out exactly how to do the interface. However, I did notice that the aftermarket mobile TV tuners all have cable-ready inputs! So, perhaps besides the antennas there should also be a long coax cable trailing the XLR :D

Hmm... In the same vein, I was wondering if anyone had connected a camera to the video display, like in the Lexus, to see behind you...

Actually Infiniti had that first for a sedan, but nobody noticed...There was a really cool commercial where a stunt driver takes the Q45 up a circular parking garage ramp in reverse using the rear-view monitor.

Hmm... In the same vein, I was wondering if anyone had connected a camera to the video display, like in the Lexus, to see behind you...

:glol It's a convertible, not a Winnebago!!

If I were driving a Winnebago... oh never mind...

When I bought my Navigator, it was at the end of the year, so I didn;t quite get all the features I wanted. So I added an aftermarket rear sensor that talks. It says "three feet," "two feet," "one foot," and finally, Warning Dr. Smith, you're goona crash!!!!! (OK, not the last one). It's really accurate, so I know exactly where I am when I back up. A really nice touch. Don't know why all back up sensors aren't that way. Anyway, the back up lights just don't do it for me, Winnebago or not.

:nopity

I took my xlr in for an oil change at 5000 miles (second change) and mentioned the brake noise. They replaced the pads and rotors, at no charge no questions asked. I had told them to try rotating the tires but they said the service advisory indicated the change of pads and rotors. The noise wasnt that bad but what the heck, I will accept the service with a smile. I love this car. Its my kind of place.
Toby

I took my xlr in for an oil change at 5000 miles (second change) and mentioned the brake noise. They replaced the pads and rotors, at no charge no questions asked. I had told them to try rotating the tires but they said the service advisory indicated the change of pads and rotors. The noise wasnt that bad but what the heck, I will accept the service with a smile. I love this car. Its my kind of place.
Toby

the rotor and pads are a new design.
suggest everyone get this done.....BEFORE 10K miles!
they have a know problem with the old design

I forget if I posted this earlier (apologies if I did) but I had the rotors changed on our XLR with the new design (took a few weeks for the new design to arrive) and haven't heard a peep (or squeak :) ).

Andy

If I were driving a Winnebago... oh never mind...

When I bought my Navigator, it was at the end of the year, so I didn;t quite get all the features I wanted. So I added an aftermarket rear sensor that talks. It says "three feet," "two feet," "one foot," and finally, Warning Dr. Smith, you're goona crash!!!!! (OK, not the last one). It's really accurate, so I know exactly where I am when I back up. A really nice touch. Don't know why all back up sensors aren't that way. Anyway, the back up lights just don't do it for me, Winnebago or not.


DAMMM:banghead ............ever since the Winnebago comment,
my 3 back-up signals and bell immediatly go off and continue
as long as I'm in reverse. Thought I may have a dirty sensor, but not so.
could be a faulty sensor or ?????? :confused

Are the new rotors from Cadillac? What did you have to do to get them to order?

Yes, they are from Cadillac. The dealer ordered them based on the service bulletin concerning the squeaks/squeals. I know the service bulletin number was posted in one of the threads concerning the squeals.

Andy,
I had that done and still am getting brake squeal every 3000k or so! I was told by an XLR tech that the brake squeal will be constant based on the overall brake design. I was suprised to hear that I will have to live with this squeal considering I paid 80k for my XLR. Has anyone else received info on this issue!!
migsgig

Andy,
I had that done and still am getting brake squeal every 3000k or so! I was told by an XLR tech that the brake squeal will be constant based on the overall brake design. I was suprised to hear that I will have to live with this squeal considering I paid 80k for my XLR. Has anyone else received info on this issue!!
migsgig

Miguel,
Don't tell me it's coming back!! :mad
Are you sure yours we're replaced with the "new design"?

I had mine changed out about 2500 miles ago, and not a peep since.
I'm pretty hard on the brakes, so if it's still a problem,
I'm sure I'll be hearing it.
Since there's a service bullitin to replace rotors and pads for brake squeal,
how often will they replace them??? :rolleyes

XLR_1 has a valid question. If the rotors were replaced with the same design then you would expect the problem to reappear. If this is the new design - which I assume mine were since it took a long time for them to appear - then hopefully the problem has been put to bed. I guess only the dealer really knows what type of rotors were used.

I haven't had the new rotors anywhere close to 3,000 miles yet so I can't comment on the success of the repair yet. One good thing is that not every XLR squeals. Based on this forum I'd say it is much less than 50% that squeal, so the odds are good that eventually the problem can be solved. BTW, pointing out to a dealer that the squeal is not normal XLR behavior is a good way to justify the repair. Maybe someone should take a poll??

Unfortunately, while I can find the service bulletin titles/dates, I've yet to find a way to read them.

I still have high hopes that the new design has corrected the problem.

However, I'm of the opinion that those of us that are having this problem
may well be the more aggressive drivers / brakers of the bunch???
I think the 50% is in the driving, not the mechanics of the vehicle.
As I've said before, I don't think there's enough brake for the amount of car.

I'd like to see the poll pose that question as well.

are you having squeal problem?
would you consider yourself aggressive or gentle on the brakes?

I'm having the problem, especially in dry/warm weather at slow speeds. I'm not agressive at all on the breaks in fact i use the TipTronic for downshifting a lot.

at no cost per advisory from GM. Just got mine back today. No squeal.

I'm taking mine back to the dealer first of next week to complain about the noisy brakes. They are not that bad, however if there is a "timeline" for whether or not they will replace under warranty I'd rather be safe than sorry.

there is a "timeline" my dealer told me that anything under
10k miles the dealer does not need authorization from corporate
....change out, no questions asked.

I went in with 13k miles and they told me it was normal wear and tear
and I would have to pay. We fought for the 3 weeks it took to get the
new parts,and they finially agreed to pay for the rotors and I got stuck
paying for the pads $500.

My brakes were squealing at 3500 miles, and the pads and rotors
actually never worn out, they were over heated and glazed over.

I hope this solves the problem

Andy,
I called GM yesterday and apparently, there's an issue with the way the brakes absorb debris and have a tendency to glaze over and heat up. I was informed that a lot of the 2004 Escalades are having similar issues which have the same brake design as the xlr. By the way, I'm a pretty conservative driver and my squealing doesn't start until I lightly press on the brakes at medium to slow speeds!! This is what most xlr owners are experiencing! GM has recommended that I take an XLR Tech for a ride along today so we can test and document everything. I must say, GM was quite concerned and I'm hoping they'll find a solution for this issue.
migsgig
:thumbs

Is it possible get the rotors/pads replaced without having the squeal, just as a precaution?

What should you say to the dealer?I'd like to get them replaced before they cause a problem, if that's possible.

I only have 2300 miles on mine (bought in April) and no squeal yet.

Any one know where the actual advisory can be found?

Boy, I never would've guessed that I'd get this huge of a response to the original post--thanks again for:

A) explaining why XM doesn't work and

B) giving me the ammo to 'persuade' my liar (I mean dealer) to get me the new pads and rotors (will advise on difficulty when done).

Does anyone know if the new pads and rotors help or hurt braking distance? If pads are softer, they may help....

It would REALLY get me PO'd if they fix the problem, but the car takes more than a foot or two longer to stop!

If I've sounded frustrated, its because every liar (dealer) experience has been: bring it back 3 times to finally get it fixed--I don't have time for such crappy service!

My Suburban, and my Jeeps get fixed in one try when they've needed service, which is VERY rare. I know you're going to say "technical wonders" need more time, but some of us don't live lives of leisure--we expect Cadillac to fix the $78,250 car on the FIRST TRY. YES, THEY MIGHT HAVE TO SPEND A WHOLE HOUR RESEARCHING--OH MY GOD, THAT WILL COST THE LIAR IF HE CAN'T BILL IT TO GM--WHO SHOULD I BE UPSET WITH, GM OR THE LIAR? :bs Sounds like some of the dealers try harder than mine--lucky for you who have good service departments.

How come I can find all of the answers to all of my questions here on the internet, but my liar has no idea how to fix anything on the first or second try?

Answer: they won't spend the time or the money (same thing) or they don't care about big-spending customers (doesn't make sense to me???).

P.S. If you've seen When Harry Met Sally, then you've seen my wife order in a restaurant--I'm the 'easy to please' type, but this is getting ridiculous :) .

P.P.S. Now that I've cancelled XM, they've fixed the wind noise, this site has explained things like: you can't program routes while moving and I've got the ammo for new pads and rotors--I'm really loving the car--oh, now I get a recall which will take 6+ hours to fix--nuts/washers under control arms--here we go again--3 more days without my XLR--maybe they can do the recall with the brakes I'm expecting 3 more trips to the liar for each :cry

I wouldn't complain so much if it wasn't so close to being the PERFECT automotive experience, but for the service!

...the DVD hack code trick? It is very very cool. And a little naughty :reddevil

And GM says you ain't s'pose to. :nono

But its waaay cool :yesnod

Wrote it down--haven't tried it yet!

...the DVD hack code trick? It is very very cool. And a little naughty :reddevil

And GM says you ain't s'pose to. :nono

But its waaay cool :yesnod

OK, take notice....
Our mystry man Randy shows up on this forum, and every other cadillac forum
I have ever visted, with a secret hack code to share with everybody and is
never heard from again, what a great guy!!

I wonder WHO really wanted to get the word out??? :rolleyes

.................And GM says you ain't s'pose to. :glol



And yes, WAAAAY COOL!!!

Is it possible get the rotors/pads replaced without having the squeal, just as a precaution?

What should you say to the dealer?I'd like to get them replaced before they cause a problem, if that's possible.

I only have 2300 miles on mine (bought in April) and no squeal yet.




I haven't heard of anyone who knows enough about this problem to give you a definitive answer. Keep in mind that apparently not every (or even most) XLRs squeal. There is a general good rule of, "if it isn't broken, don't fix it". You might have rotors that are good and replace them with ones that aren't.

Again, I don't know enough to give you a definative answer on this, so all I can say is to be patient and see how your XLR performs and what new information appears on this forum.

Experience: I have XM on CTS. Love it. Beats CD purchases. Around Phila. reception is fine. Although, intermitently, I'll lose it around heavily tree-lined areas or when driving in a valley, around trees. Never a problem in the open, BIG SKY, area.

Opinion: The XLR is so sharp, how could one plant that wart on the trunk. Saw one on a MS SL- looked horrendous. Dealer in the area told me that they will wire it to a small antennae to be located on the dash. Who knows. Maybe a fix in 06. By the way, where does the ON-STAR antennae go?

You may not want to read more because once you read where the Onstar antenna is located you will notice it next time you are in the XLR...

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

OK, since you are still reading, the antenna is located in a rather large black box located at the top of the front windshield in front of the passenger seat. It is actually kind-of impressive that a box that large was hidden so well by the XLR designers.

Andy

And my understanding is that becasue the Onstar is where it is, there was no room to do something similar with XM.

Regular radio (AM/FM) are in the front aqnd rear windows, according to manual.

Per Aviator's advice, I went to the "decision maker" owner of the dealership, Dick Gidron in Yonkers, NY AND I called the Toll Free Caddy # 866-942-4368 (forgot who posted it, but thanks) to follow up with them.

Long story short, they are changing my rotors and pads, in addition to fixing the 6.5 hour-control-arm-washer recall.

4 trips to get it done, FINALLY! :D

I lose her for at least 3 days, probably 5, but I got a GMC Canyon pickup truck (don't ask) rental, paid for by the dealer, so they have some extra incentive to hustle!

By the way, they appreciated my printout from this site with the service bulletin--I'm sure they'd have no clue how to get the new pads & rotors without it.

I'll post results as soon as I get her back.

Knowledge is power--this site ROCKS! :flag

--Dadonator

I just love these happy endings where XLR Forum (members) come to the rescue! Kudos to all! :cheers

Dadonator-

This has been one hell of thread...some wide ranging discussions, and fun bunny trails. Glad things are finally working out.
:cheers

Well, sort of working out--after 2 days, dealer got the recall parts, but had to wait until the new rotors and pads arrived YESTERDAY.

So I reclaimed my XLR Friday, and brought her back in this morning for the work.

This time I got a black DeVille--less uncool than the silver one I got on one of my trips, but still an old man's car.....

:yawn


HOPEFULLY SHE'LL BE "PERFECT" BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON...... :flag


It's getting cold in Westchester, NY, I hope I can get the Brake Squeal conditions before Spring, so that I can test out the new setup!

Thanks again xlrforum!

This time I got a black DeVille--less uncool than the silver one I got on one of my trips, but still an old man's car.....

They gave me a CTS this week ......way cooler than the Devilles in any color!!
I'm actually driving this one! :glol

Gidron has a deal with Enterprise to rent (@ Gidron's expense) Devilles to all service customers for the duration of the service--problem is, sometimes they're out of Devilles (GMC Canyon Truck, last time).

It would be awesome to try out a CTS, but I really want the CTS-V!

How is the CTS "regular" performance-wise?

How is the CTS "regular" performance-wise?

Well it's not a V....
my brother just bought one and that is an animal!

but I am impressed.... up to par with a BMW 325 for proformance IMO

PROLOGUE: From the first drive and park experience in the XLR, I thought it should have the parking sonar in the, easily scratched, nose AND the tail. If that's too expensive, switch it to the nose, which is hard to see/judge distance of. Caddy, are you listening? A tap on the rear won't hurt the car (hopefully) but a tap on the pointed nose has to chip paint! I haven't driven a late model Corvette, but I imagine it must have the same problem.

THE STORY CONTINUES:
Well, I just got her back this morning, supposedly with new pads, rotors and the recall fixed re. the ball joint washers (do I sound skeptical & cynical? If so, read my prior saga & you'll see why).

It was too cold in the AM to test for brake squeal (50's) but it's going up to 70, so the ride home should tell.

Good news is: THE CAR IS 100% FUNCTIONAL, NO COMPLAINTS.

Bad news is: I go directly from Gidron Cadillac to the parking garage in Manhattan, and the attendant says: "you know about this scrape on the front passenger corner, right?"

After the 1 second heart attack, I inspect her to find that the dealer planted a quite solid 3x3 inch scrape on my XLR. :cry

I think the mechanic who scraped my XLR would agree with me about the sonar in the nose point.

After calling them, they said they'd take care of it (after seeing it, of course)

I'll keep you posted.

Nothing like bringing a car in for service and having them F it up for you!

The XLR gods must be mad at me, they don't want me to enjoy this car! :nodno

And I had this stupid plan, that, after I picked her up today, I'd be HAPPY with my shiny, Xenon Blue, toy. :nopity

Maybe after 2 more visits and a week without her, it will be OK, but my money's against it working out EVER at this point.

EPILOGUE:
Sorry to be a "downer" voice on a usually-upbeat site! Believe me, Cadillac and the dealer are hearing A LOT WORSE :smash

The Dadonator

Where on the front was the impact point? I'm sure you know this but paint matching is the hardest part. I'll bet that is even more critical given the unique paint shop work on parts of the XLR.

Andy

Front, fattest part of bumper, at exact corner of passenger side and nose of car.

But my XLR is all the same Xenon Blue (cream interior :-).

Unfortunately my XLR is still in the shop for the extreme heat (now over 148*) ouch! in the center console. It is the 5th week in the shop, of the eight weeks I have owned the car. They are currently trying a part from the '05 corvette. Some sort of heat shield placed between the console and the exhaust. Service man told me they will have to take the car completely apart interior wise to get the spot to put the part on. Not happy. Turned over 4000 miles last week tripping up the coast to San Fran from OC. Brake squeal started.

I am a die hard Cadillac fan. Have had three at once on some occassions. Eldo, Seville, and Escalade. Had to have the XLR. Even at 6'6", I needed the XLR. I do have to say that I may not have gotten one in 100% condition.

Any similar problems??

Steve

When I read your message I made a point to check my center console temp. ON a 90 degree day with the top down I drove for 4 hours straight before stopping for gas. The console was actually cool to the touch. My car was built in late April.

Rick

I do find my soda gets "warmed" pretty fast, but not to 148 degrees! 212 degrees is boiling--they forgot to put some insulation in there, if you ask me! :iagree

Oh yeah, the dealer said they'd fix the scrape, at their expense, so I get to bring it in (again...) tomorrow am early--they're promising same day service, and car rental waiting.

If the XLR gods will allow it, she may be "perfect" by tomorrow evening. Of course they'll find out that they need the xenon blue paint via special order, which will take 2 weeks and another trip.... :cuss :banghead :bs

Were is everyone taking there measurements at?
My consol is very warm where your knee would hit it "driver side" and my coke gets very warm in about 30 min. of driving with the top up or down.
I will take my infrared temp. gun out the next time and get some reading but we all should be looking at the same places..

Blaise :flag

I put my hand in the cup holder. Down by your foot is always going to be warmer because of the engine and exhaust.

Did they fix up your scratched bumper yet? Paint match OK?

If so, why don't you post us a picture in front of some cool NYC landmark? You know I love that Xenon Blue!! :thumbs

BTW - Ol' Aviator will be in NYC sometime in Dec (without the XLR).

Aviator, thanks for your concern--paint looks good to me! Dare I say it: She's pristine again!!!!!!!
:party :party :party :party

I do need to give her a full detailing, the shale (cream) interior is a bear to keep clean! When I ordered it, it was the color of the top rear shelf (Taupe?) in the brochures and online. Car comes in, and its light cream!!?#@?! It's really a stunner when clean tho (as you know, Aviator).

Thanks again to everyone at this site for getting me my brakes and clarifying the XM science/mystery!
:grouphug :grouphug :grouphug :grouphug :grouphug :grouphug :grouphug :grouphug :grouphug :grouphug :grouphug

Aviator, let me know when you're in NYC, If you'll be alone, I'll give you a ride in "your" car (with NY plates) around the city. Of course, no room for passengers (if you're bringing the wife, etc.).

As to pictures, I've been remiss in photographing the XLR, I've got a couple of digital cameras, got to get a photo ASAP, but being Mr. busy, don't hold yer breath!

--Bob (Dadonator)

PS This thread is WAY TOO LONG! lets say: :seeya PLEASE! I'm boring myself with this stuff!