ICE Upgrade with Facia and Steering Wheel Controls.

[smoggy1965]

I would like to share the following for those who are looking to update the stereo head unit.

I wanted a bluetooth and Ipod solution whilse maintaining the steering wheel controls, but I did not want to cover the interior with aftermarket buttons and displays. I was also not interested in keeping the boot mounted CD Stacker as it kept going into error anyway.

I have upgraded from my 1999 Stereo (the one with with the phone keypad) with an aftermarket Alpine unit, (with Bluetooth and Ipod controller) and it works with my steering wheel controls.

Note: mine is the basic ICE system without a boot mounted amp.

The Adapter Cable + Steering Wheel Interface Can be found on this website. http://www.nexxia.co.uk/Car_Stereo_fitt ... jaguar.htm you will see it works for a number of aftermarket headunits.

I Improved the apperance of the headunit in the centre console when I noticed that the early XK8's shared the sime stereo from the 1995 XJ6 (X300). I previously owned one of these XJ's and knew that you can buy a facia adapter ( See FP-14-00 on the above website- under XJ6) To adapt from that headunit to a standard DIN unit.

So I bought an early XK8 plastic centralfacia panel (about £35 from Jaguar) + the XJ6 Facia adapter and the Aftermarket unit fits nicely into the central facia/ dash. (All the Aircon and lighting switches etc are the same on the earlier and 1999 models and can be moved across).

Total Cost

Cable Harness/ Adapter £21
Steering Control Adapter £3.50 (Available for Major Headunit Manufacturers only)
Facia Adapter FP-14-00 £24.99
Earlier Central Console Switch Cover Moulding Part No LJA6318AB About £35 from Jaguar <Not Needed if you have the earlier XJ6 type stereo>
Antena Lead adapter (As required for your head unit) £?

+ The Aftermarket Headunit of your Choice ( Check the above website to ensure they can supply the Steering Control Adapter for the Head Unit you intend to Use)

In my case an Alpine CDE-103BT with Bluetooth and Ipod controls. +USB & Ancillary input. With switch backlighting set to green. (£160 on ebay).

Hope this helps, or I may be teaching you how to suck eggs.

regards

[MarkyM]

Smog, that's a brilliant and detailed post.

I have the rear amp and autochanger and want to keep them (96 XK8) and want bluetooth/ipod/hard-disk/USB & SD card slots in addition to incorporated Satnav & TV

Will start saving the pennies!!

Mark

[mike020150]

Any chance of placing a pic of your completed dash in the photo gallery? I'm sure readers would be interested to see the finished article. Mike.

[smoggy1965]

Pictures Posted - Last one in gallery under "XK8 Cabrio 1999".

[MarkyM]

Nice one

Can you advise everything that was needed for this upgrade and the prices? Can you use your existing autochanger and steering controls?

Also who did it?

Regards

Mark

[MarkyM]

Nice one

Can you advise everything that was needed for this upgrade and the prices? Can you use your existing autochanger and steering controls?

Also who did it?

Regards

Mark

[smoggy1965]

Dear Mark

Thanks for the responce.

Firstly I carried this out myself, its very easy and the harness adapter and steering wheel interface come with instructions, these can also be viewed on the website mentioned in the first post.

All the parts you need plus a link to the parts website and the costs are covered in the origonal post above.

It does work with the steering wheel controls but not with my origonal autochanger, but I was happy to exchange that for bluetooth phone, ipod, usb input, auxillary and a CD disk that I can load up with multiple albums from itunes. Also it doesnt jam like my origonal eqipment CD changer kept doing.

Hope this helps.

regards

Paul