Well after 3 months...sending to the UK for the wiring harness, plug & steering wheel controller....a wrong navigation antenna...a facia plate that would not fit I finally got around to see if I could install the Pioneer Avic F90BT into my 2004 X Type. Without allot of modification this unit WILL NOT slip right in. On the bench it was perfect but when installed into the dash....well like many said it hits the air duct. What I did first was determine how much clearance I would need and how far the unit would stick out of the dash. I did this by putting a dab of grease on certain points on the radio and slipped it in. In conclusion the Pioneer has a fan in the upper right hand corner that contacts the air duct. All the wiring is on the bottom end and not an issue with clearance.

I determined I need around 1/2" to fit the unit...and yes it was going to stick out of the facia plate....no way around it...but I needed it to look at least half decent.....here is what I did.

First I had to cut the small trim plate ( included in the Metra kit ) I ordered from installer.com to allow the radio to slide through it...this is the small plate that places between the facia and the radio...it is almost impossible to trim...I needed to remove 1/8" from all sides....I started with a file...after an hour I was getting nowhere and had enough...next step I used a torch and hot knife to remove the extra material....this did the job but there was no way I could get it perfectly square...but the radio now slides through the plate.

With the Metra kit ( 99-9501B ) my Pioneer unit did mount to their brackets but when installed in the jags radio cage there was a 1/4" gap between the cage and brackets...I rectified this issue by installing solid plastic spacers between the two....nice and tight....and actually the radio does not look quite bad sticking out slightly from the facia. It would even look better after I made another ( custom ) trim plate to go over the radio.

Last...Pioneer Avic for some dumb reason does not have a switch or button to turn the unit completely off...I add a rocker switch to the facia plate to accommodate this....while I was at it I added another rocker to the other side to trigger the sub..(coming soon)..yes my wife does not like the boom - boom....and this was an easy solution to turn it off.

Finally done with this project....like I said...more than meets the eye...but well worth it...I wanted a unit that has built in bluetooth & navigation and this unit fits the bill plus much much more. I previously installed the same exact unit in my wife's Rav4 and was very impressed.

Oh yeah...I'm sure some will comment why the black facia plate...well for one installer.com sent the wrong one and second the more I looked at I got to like it...it matches the black shifter plate and upper air vents...kind of sets things off a bit.

Anybody up for the challange...good luck...I would assume some other headunits will give simular clearance problems unless you go with Eclipse....see Dennis Blacks thread for info.

The Basics:
Pioneer Avic F90BT/w V3.0 upgrade__bluetooth_navi__dvd__cd__ipod controller__mod, hacks done by me for extra features
Autoleads PC5-100 - Jaguar S-Type, X-Type DIN Aerial Adapter
Autoleads PC99-X47 - Jaguar X-Type 2001> Stalk Steering Control Adapter ( yes it works perfect__full control )
Metra kit 99-9501B


















All images can be found here >> http://www.flickr.com/photos/25038437@N06/

 

Nicely done!
How much did autolead's steering wheel control cost you? I'm still debating on PAC or Autolead.

 

Andy Read my thread about the PAC... It's problematic in the Jaguars. I would go autoleads if you can find the proper one for the pioneer head units.

Let me know if you do, I might want one as well.

George

 

NDY4eva,

If I remember correct...about $ 32.00 + ship

I ordered all my electrical parts from http://www.dynamicsounds.co.uk/

Can not express enough about them...answered every email I sent in a timely manner...fast ship....my only problem was my own little town post office....they never notified me my shippment arrived...it sat there almost 2 weeks...what the XXXX... so in reality I would have received shipment in around 7 days.

I know most go buy their parts from nexxia.co.uk....with me they were not helpful + more expensive...I emailed Dynamic Sounds with a parts list & asked if it was correct...they responded to go with the Autoleads PC99 - X47 and NOT the PAC due to issues...I'm glad I did after reading of problems with PAC and headlights.

Looking at it you would swear it would never work...at least with my Pioneer Avic F90BT...what you have is a box...with a power & ground plug plus one wire that is taped into the vehicle interface ( radio plug )...on the other end a mini stereo type plug that goes to the headunit....the process...connect your wiring harness from stereo to the vehicle interface plug & power up the headunit ( not yet installed in the dash )...tune into a radio station for around 20 seconds....shut the headunit off...then plug the mini plug into the stereo...turn it all on...(((touch nothing))) untill you hear audio...then test your remote button on sterring wheel.

I have full control of most functions of the headunit...volume +_ - ,tune source...AM - FM - CD - DVD ...or anything else I have connected to the headunit via externaly USB - Flash Drive - IPOD...it also mutes the stereo down but i will not need this due to the Pioneer automatically muting when a phone call comes in. Hopes this gives some insight to you and the rest on the boards.

Cheers.






Autoleads PC99-X47 - Jaguar X-Type 2001> Stalk Steering Control Adaptor - [ Stereo Patch Lead: Pioneer 5.0000 ] £19.99

 

Thanks for the tip. I'm going to order mine from there and pull out the PAC-SWi-ps.

I'm surprised there is no programming needed but hey, as long as it works.

comes to 50.03 shipped. I paid 45 for the PAC unit so I wish I would have just gotten this first.

Oh and the 99-9501B is the BLACK verision. There's also a 99-9501G i think which is the grey / dash match version.

What did you use to make the extra trim ring around the head unit?

George

 

I made the trim plate from scraps I had laying around in the garage. Not even sure where I got it or what it is intended for..looks like trim molding for something...Home Depot may carry something like this...or a hobby shop....that is where I got my vinyl letters from.

Roughly it is 1/4" wide x 1/8" thick..with a slight humped radius..which makes it look good for what I needed it for.

To construct... I measured the stereo...cut the trim ends on a 45 angle...than glued it all together with superglue....finished and blended the corners with 2000 wet sandpaper.

To install I used RVT silicone at 6 points on the back of the trimplate....just enough to reach the cut down Metra plate and bond the two together so if I ever need to remove I can just slip a knife behind it and seperate.

I think there are options here....like a solid piece of plastic trimmed to fit...I just don't have the tools to make a nice " square " cut.

It took me 3 tries at getting a frame that fit half decent.

Think of it as a small picture frame.

 

If you don't want the homebrew miter cuts:

Might want to check this out, should be just what the dr ordered.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DOUBL...fAudioQ5fVideo

If you really want to go nuts, get that and some bondo and mold it to the kit, and then spray it all black...

 

http://www.dynamicsounds.co.uk/produ...s_id=9075{4}14
It only lists the X-Type only. Will it work with S-Type as well?

 

4" H x 7" L = inside dimensions...this is the size I made it to fit over the Pioneers first step...if that is what you want to call it.

 

NDY4eva,

Found a link that claims the Autoleads controler will work....but I would email Dynamic Sounds to confirm.

Oh I forgot to mention...If you order Autoleads...don't forget your patch lead to fit your headunit.

Link: http://www.passionauto.co.uk/product...ntrol-lead.php

 

It will work perfectly. X and S type use the same steering wheel controls.

I have both electrical guides with resistance values and they are exactly the same.

George

 

Dear fixit4u2,
Thank you for sharing this with us. I have few questions; I have a Jaguar X-type 2007, 2.2D that also has bluetooth/phone connection and some of its controls also on steering wheels. Will those harnesses you recommend work with my model? How I can find out if my system has or not an extra amplifier? It does not have a CD changer. What about if it has an amplifier, do you have a solution? Thank you