Lately I've noticed some of our satellite radio equipped cars have been coming through with the satellite radio activated.  We do not turn them on in our fleet, so I am curious if anyone knows how someone does it?

Do they have some type of secret code?  Do they use some sort of bootleg device?

That's weird.  Every rental car I've gotten with sat radio (all from Hertz) has the radio activated.

Quoted: That's weird.  Every rental car I've gotten with sat radio (all from Hertz) has the radio activated.

Same here.

every rental car i've had with sat radio has been working when i got in it.

Do you mean that you purchased previous rental cars, and some have active sat radio turned on?

I'm not sure what you are getting at.

So your customers are STEALING radio service?

Quoted: So you want a way to STEAL radio service?

That's not what I said.
Don't read things into my post that aren't there.


I work for a franchise rental company.
We do not activate the satellite radio in our cars.
I know some companies do.

However, we come across a few now and then that are turned on.
I know we did not do it.
I don't know if they come from the factory that way, or customers do it somehow.

to reflect your changed reply....

Quoted: So your customers are STEALING radio service?

Apparently.  Is it possible?
That's what I am asking you guys?
Geez... all questions.  No answers.
This site seems like it could figure out the origins of life at times.
Then, when you have a simple question, no one knows.

L_S, it may not be such a simple question after all.

I have Sirius in my Durango, but it is not yet activated.  It gets one channel repeating a little "call sirius to activate message".

I was just reading the book, and to activate, you turn the radio on, call them, give them the unique electronic serial number of your receiver, and they activate your radio from their end, either month to month, yearly, or lifetime plans are available.

If you get the cars new, it would seem that the sat company and factory may be doing something promotional.  If you get the cars used, maybe the prior fleet owner had them, and there was time left on the plan when you got them.  

Of course, there still remains the possibility that there are pirating type internal modifications  that are activating the receiver, but much like cable TV decoders and sat TV receiver cards, I think they would be more widely known about by the general public.

Anyone else ??

Quoted: L_S, it may not be such a simple question after all. I have Sirius in my Durango, but it is not yet activated.  It gets one channel repeating a little "call sirius to activate message". I was just reading the book, and to activate, you turn the radio on, call them, give them the unique electronic serial number of your receiver, and they activate your radio from their end, either month to month, yearly, or lifetime plans are available. If you get the cars new, it would seem that the sat company and factory may be doing something promotional.  If you get the cars used, maybe the prior fleet owner had them, and there was time left on the plan when you got them.   Of course, there still remains the possibility that there are pirating type internal modifications  that are activating the receiver, but much like cable TV decoders and sat TV receiver cards, I think they would be more widely known about by the general public. Anyone else ??

We get the cars off of semis from Chrysler assembly plants.
And there is a promotional channel (184? that gives sort of previews of satellite radio that works on all of them)

Quoted: If you get the cars new, it would seem that the sat company and factory may be doing something promotional.

That is my guess.  Two of my friends/acquaintances got Acura TL sedans and each came with 3 months free sat radio.  

Did you check the glovebox for golden candy bar wrappers?