How To Turn Off SiriusXM Radio In Your Car?

7 min readNov 13, 2020

SiriusXM has become a giant in the satellite radio industry over the past decade and as a result, they have managed to make deals with many car manufacturers to integrate their system into brand new models. New cars often leave the showroom equipped with satellite radio capacity as well as 03 months free trial period to try to get customers to buy a long-term subscription to their service.

For those of us who enjoy satellite radio and don’t mind paying for it, this is great news. But for the rest of us, Sirius serves no function and we would rather have it turned off as soon as possible. This article will address the concerns of the second group and provide some out-of-the-box approaches for getting rid of Sirius satellite radio as much as possible.

What Are Your Options?

As mentioned above, Sirius satellite radio usually comes pre-equipped in brand new cars and for this reason, it can become annoying for those of us who don’t use it. Why should we be forced to put up with a feature that is essentially an advertisement constantly pushing us to pay money for their service? When we spend a large amount of our hard-earned savings on something as expensive as a car, we should be able to have it as we want it.

There is always the option of shopping for a vehicle that does not come with it or replacing the stock radio console for one that does not have satellite radio capacity. But most of us do not want to have our purchasing decisions affected by having a free accessory we didn’t ask for, nor do we want to spend extra money on a newly purchased car just to get rid of it.

If you are reading this article, you are likely someone who already owns a vehicle with Sirius integrated into the console and just wants to get rid of it, or at least forget it even exists. Don’t worry, you are not alone in your desire to remove Sirius satellite radio and there are several solutions to address your concerns.

How to Turn Off SiriusXM Radio in Your Car?

Step Number One: Your first step in the process should be to cancel your Sirius subscription. If your vehicle came from the dealership with a free trial period already activated, you can choose to either let the trial expire once that period ends or cancel the trial at any time. For those who simply no longer see the need for a subscription you are currently paying for, your subscription can also be canceled at any moment by contacting SiriusXM customer service.

Canceling your subscription can be done in one of three ways;

By phone
By chatting with a SiriusXM representative online
By logging into your account and canceling it there

All you need to have is your Radio ID or SiriusXM account information and your subscription will be canceled immediately.

Further Technical Concerns

For some, canceling their Sirius subscription is enough to feel free from having the Sirius system forced upon them and their vehicle. However, there are those of us who would like to take it a step further and don’t like the fact that this integration is a constant advertisement to try to pay for their service.

There are several ways that SiriusXM has strategically placed their system so that we can never forget that their service is available to us at any time. Many cars now have a separate SiriusXM button on their radio console that has their logo on it. As annoying as this can be, drivers with this style console should consider themselves lucky because other models have designs that can interfere with the regular use of their radio.

In some cases, Sirius is set as the default station so that every time you enter your car, your radio will be turned to the Sirius station no matter how you left it the last time you got out. This occurs whether you have an active subscription/trial or not.

In order to solve this issue, you should refer to your owner’s manual because the exact process will vary based on the make and model of your vehicle.

You should be able to change your default setting to an option you prefer, such as FM, AM, AUX, etc.
By changing the default setting, your radio will never switch to the Sirius channel unless you choose to do it.

There is an even more clever programming design where Sirius is an option whenever you click the Source button. This means that every time you go to change your radio from FM to AUX, you will have to go past the satellite radio channel first. To eliminate this option from the cycle:

Find the Advanced Settings option on your radio menu
You should find a menu that allows you to customize which options you scroll through when clicking the Source button. Once again, this depends on the make and model of your vehicle and its radio console and if it is available, it should be stated in the car’s owner’s manual.
Simply click the Sirius radio option to remove it from the Source cycle

The final solution of the how to turn Off SiriusXM radio in your Car?

If none of the above options work for your particular vehicle, you also have the option of removing the slot-in card that gives your radio the capacity to receive Sirius satellite radio. This hardware is what transmits the satellite signal and by removing it, your radio will no longer be able to access Sirius. However, depending on your radio, this can be a complicated solution and you may want to consult a local car audio specialist for advice or assistance.

Customize Your Radio Experience

There could be any number of reasons why you are seeking to turn off Sirius satellite radio in your own vehicle, but in the end, the reasons don’t matter. As a consumer, making a large purchase like a car should give you the right to enjoy the experience you want to have.

Your car, your choice: After going through the difficult process of buying a car, you shouldn’t have to feel that features and advertising are being forced on you by the manufacturer in order to sell you yet another product. We tolerate ads on television and the radio because they are a free service and we know that in order for us to receive that service, advertisements must be sold in order to pay for it. This is not the case with a newly purchased vehicle.

Living in the modern world means that you are constantly being pushed by advertising to purchase products that in most cases, we do not want or need. When you have just made what will probably be one of the largest purchases you make in a long time, the last thing you want is to feel like you are being convinced to buy something else.

Car manufacturers put a lot of effort into giving their consumers the options to customize so many aspects of their vehicles so that it perfectly fits their needs. If you can choose to pay extra for leather seats or better speakers, why shouldn’t you also be able to choose whether your radio comes equipped with Sirius satellite radio or not?

The Choice Is Yours

We hope that this guide has provided you with a solution to remove Sirius radio from your car to whichever degree you wish. Hopefully, car manufacturers will realize that this feature is not one that all consumers automatically want to have installed in their vehicle and it will become an option like most other choices you make when purchasing a new vehicle. But for now, at least you have the choice to minimize the effect that it has on your driving experience as much as possible.

Any Further Questions?

Q-1. I am trying to cancel my subscription, but I don’t have a SiriusXM account and can’t find my Radio ID number. What should I do?

If you have never opened an account with SiriusXM, your only option is to provide their customer service representative with your Radio ID. To find this number:

If you are still having trouble finding it, contact a Sirius representative first and they should be able to help you find it when you tell them the make and model of your vehicle.

Q-2. If I choose to remove Sirius from my radio console using any of the options, is my decision permanent or can I change my mind?

All of the solutions offered above are reversible. Once you cancel your subscription, you can always contact SiriusXM again to restart it. The solutions involving changing your radio settings can be switched back with a few simple clicks of a button. Even if you choose to remove the slot-in card, you can keep it and re-install it whenever you like.

Photo source: amazon.com

Originally published at https://www.radiopicker.com on November 13, 2020.