So I have this annoying desire to try and make the bluetooth capability in my 09 XF Premium better......

I thought about mickey mousing some sort of bridge and have failed. BUT, I have another idea and am wondering if any Experts have thought about this or if it is worth exploring!

I originally thought the bluetooth module was embedded in the radio like most aftermarket radios, but was pleasantly surprised to see this on ebay today: Jaguar XK XF Bluetooth Telephone / Phone Module | eBay

And it got me to thinking about another item I saw on ebay the other day: Bluetooth module | eBay

I began to wonder, what is the possibility of opening up the Jag module and removing the chip in it and replacing it with a newer multipoint A2DP module?

I can and know basics about soldering, and electrical schematics but am by no means an expert. If someone was willing to take on the challenge I would be willing to put some (not all) money into it.

I just don't see why it took the 2012 model for Jag to enable A2DP and still no one (that I am aware of) has multi-point capability when you can go buy a $20 headset that can do it!

 

This was the specific module I was looking at: 2.4G Bluetooth Stereo Audio DIY Module ( Transmitter / Receiver ) | eBay

 

Alfredtv, little confused, what would this change give you that is not already there?

 

Right now, current bluetooth module, is a 1-1 connection for "headset" mode only. The new module is a many to 1 connection and supports A2DP for streaming audio over bluetooth. The many to one connection allows someone to have 2+ phones paired and connected at the same time. If I get a call on phone 1 and finish it I can get a call on phone 2 and accept it without having to un/dock or touch the car in any way.

 

sorry for replying to an older post, but this one is getting in the direction of what I am looking for (it got me excited enough to stop being lazy and register :-) )

I just bought a 2008 XF and really love it, but I am suffering with the electronics (my wife's Peugeot mini-van's are better, although I have nicer speakers!).

My problem with the auto connectivity is that the USB connector plays from the beginning of the stick each time I start the car, which is annoying; the aux cannot be operated from the screen; and I don't really like the idea of docking my iPhone each day, as I'm bound to forget it half the time.

What I would really like is something similar to Alfred: a way to use bluetooth via the iPhone port; alternatively, a firmware upgrade that fixes the USB "start over each time" issue.

I can find very little information about the electronics for the XF on the internet. Does anyone know:

1. How do do either of the things I'm after
2. What the connector is on the other side of the iPod cable
3. Who makes the portable audio interface for the '08 XF; is it still Denison?
4. Who makes the head unit -- is it an Alpine MOST?

An answer to any one of these would help a lot.

thanks,
Sean

 

I may just have found Nirvana:

 

Hi, Sean,

Did the CoolStream bluetooth receiver work? I bought a similar item: I-WAVE Bluetooth Music Receiver For iPad iPhone, and I couldn't make it to work. First of all, it did require Scosche passPORT otherwise it wouldn't turn on as it wasn't getting any power. With passPORT it turned on and paired with my phone, but the way my Jaguar sees is this:

1) It seems to be connected, but no folders exist, and next/previous song buttons are gray
2) It says the sound mode is PL3 and current state is 'paused'. Pressing play button doesn't change anything.
3) It is quiet and any audio I try to stream from my phone is ignored.

So I'm not exactly sure what to think of it. I don't know much about iPod interface - maybe in Jaguar's case you can only control it from the car, and it won't play anything otherwise? Or maybe the device I bought is faulty and does not communicate over the interface that the audio is being streamed?

The next thing I'm going to do is test this little thing with an iPad speaker dock. I think it's unlikely it wouldn't work since this is what it was designed for. The question is - what's the difference between the dock and Jaguar's media system?

Thanks in advance for all your thoughts,

Artem.

 

Hi Artem,

Good timing, I just received my adapter yesterday. In the end I bought a Music Link ML-D100 from someone in Korea (★ Bluetooth Receiver Music Link D100 for iPhone, Galaxy | eBay) because it said works on both voltages and it has AVRCP profiles (which are the ones that do pause, etc. -- I was warned about that in one of the Amazon reviews).

It came reasonable quickly, well packed, and looks pretty nicely made. Instructions only in Korean and Chinese, but was straightforward: plugged it in and it drew power (which my iPhone does not do) and paired easily using 0000 as the code. After a message of "please dock your device" it plays whatever is playing on the iPhone (I tried radio streaming and music from the phone) and works with car phone. Music sounds good. It does not show the music info on the touch screen, unfortunately, as the sound system "sees" the bluetooth device rather than the phone.

Not exactly what I wanted, but I still like it better than plugging in the phone each time I drive.

good luck,
Sean

p.s. I found the manual at http://www.clipcomm.co.kr/ under english/support/manuals/ML D100 (nothing much additional tho).

 

Hey, Sean, thanks a lot for the update! Do you have to re-pair it every time the engine starts? Or does it find and connects to your phone automatically just like the stock Jaguar phone bluetooth?

 

Also, could you tell me if the wheel controls work? (next/prev)?

 

I had a chance to test a bit more today. It does pair automatically each time, but the wheel controls (and the dashboard controls) do not work, except for the volume.

Also, the bluetooth stays on when the car is off; I tend to doubt that this would drain the battery, but still worrisome (on the plus side, that means it is already paired when you start the engine :-p)

So not the perfect solution that I was hoping for. Maybe I will use it for daily trips, but plug in the phone when on a longer drive.

 

Hey, Sean,

If the bluetooth stays on when the car is off, it means this little thingie has a battery, and this is probably the reason why you don't have to re-pair it every time. It's a bit inconvenient since it's annoying to have your phone pair to the car standing in the driveway while you're home watching TV, but probably still better than constant re-pairing.

I never tried it with this particular model, but I just can't seem to make any music stream through my iPod interface. I wonder if it's digital. Apparently, there's a difference between analog and digital music streaming and iPod cable has both as it is described here: dockBoss Compatibility Help « CableJive Blog. I tried connecting an iPod to the car directly, and as I suspected it locks into "Accessory Connected" mode and the car can see all the music and control it. But when I try streaming music through a bluetooth adapter or Cablejive's Dockboss+, I just get no audio files and "play" button doesn't work.

Could you please tell me how exactly your screen looks when you play music through this thing? Do you have to push the "Play" button on the "Portable audio -> iPod" screen? And what mode is it in after you start the car and is able to stream - playing or paused? What does the screen look like in general?

[Mine looks like this: next song/prev song grayed, play button available, but not working - just switches to "pause" for a second and then goes back]

It's possible that your thing has a digital interface, but I think unlikely. So I'm thinking maybe our cars are different - I have 2009 4.2L Supercharged, what's yours?

Thank you so much,
Artem.

 

Hi Artem,

The short answer is that it is no different than when you pair a headset. There is no warning about an unapproved device; nothing appears on the screen of the phone. All you see when playing a song is a little icon that, when touched, lets you choose between the bluetooth adapter as the speaker or the phone's speaker.

My car is a 2008 XF (Premium Luxury, V8) -- I don't think it has to do with the car. On the car's screen I see the device as a folder under the iPod. It shows artist, playlist, album, etc. but unfortunately has nothing in them. When playing it does not show track information, but just says bluetooth device connected. The irritating part for me is that while the volume wheel works on the steering, the next song wheel does not -- no option to skip a song on a playlist.

Also, it does not have a battery. It is taking power from the car the entire time it's plugged in, even when the car is off.

Hope that helps.

Sean