Hello all,

I have been absent for many months getting a new life underway by moving first from farm to Coffs, then to Inverell - very sobering as one now alone and looking at turning 70. But Jags have a way of keeping my spirits up . . . sort of like enjoying the finest wine on a beer budget!

The Silver Princess (07-JAG) has done little touring of late but benefits from all the garage pampering she receives . . . and the occasional trips make owning one of the last S-Types very enjoyable. But she's desperate for company so . . . I have been running my eye over a post-update 4.2L X100 (XK8) . . . an ex UK private import.

Call me daft, but my sole aggro is that it comes with MPH instrument cluster which I want to swap out with KPH. I know there is an illegible mini scale of KPH inside the large MPH . . . like I also know there is a chair somewhere right near the bedroom doorway in the darkest hours of night! Also, I am advised same unit is fitted to same years of XJs. I have sourced a used replacement from o/seas (AU$200-250 landed here) and read up on the R&R (same as for dash lights).

Naturally, I will follow up in the specific XK8/R section . . . but after a week of thread searching, no-one appears to have done it. I mean, why would any British or US owner do it? Unsure of Euro situation where KPH reigns, but is LHD an issue?

Can anyone help with these questions -

1. Has anyone actually done an XK8/R or XJ8/R instrument cluster swap? If so, I would greatly appreciate your reply, tips etc;
2. Are there issues involving stored data - eg car has done 60,000 miles (100,000 Km) but used replacement is from car that had only done 70,000Km?
3. I have seen hints that the engine immobilizer is integrated on the instrument cluster and must be reset by dealer. True?
4. I am told that same clusters were identical from MY99 to MY06, and that there are no issues regarding the message centre or warning lights or gauges . . . save the fact that the cluster for both R variants carry the word "SUPERCHARGED" across both left and right gauges. All True?
5. Any other help or advice gladly accepted.

Yes . . . I know . . . it would be easier to leave it alone . . . find another car . . . even abandon my darling Jags and go hide in a retirement home! But, I can't . . . I'm addicted. Please help!

Faster and harder,

Ken

 

Welcome back Ken!

Lockwood Gauges

Google it

 

Failing that, if you find an instrument cluster to suit I'll happily reprogram it and correct the mileage to be accurate. I'm in Sydney though...

 

Hello Ken,

Good to see you back again.

Why swap the Instrument Pack with all the potential problems associated with a programmed module? Much easier just to change the dial in the existing IP for a KPH one.

Lockwood International | Superdials | Vehicle Speedometer Instrument Dials and Quality Car Accessories in the UK specialise in speedometer dials for such conversions - MPH to KPH and KPH to MPH.

Graham

 

Hi Cameron, and Graham also. Thanks for prompt and very sensible advice. I had hoped that dial plate or bezel swap was the way to go. I will follow up with Lockwoods. Thanks also for your kind welcome back.

Cam . . . your immediate offer of help is generous and much appreciated. Thanks mate. I will take you up on that because even with a dial swap, there are bound to be issues surrounding total mileage, odometer, trip computer distances etc. First I get the car, coming from interstate, so a Sydney pickup could give me an excuse to visit. I will PM you in due course.

From elsewhere in XK8/R Section, I heard from John [JagV8] and [Toaster] in Germany advocating much the same approach - the latter providing link to yet another source of new dial plates or bezels.

Many thanks to all. I will come back with update when I have car.

Cheers,

Ken

 

That brings back memories of my first cars back in the early 80's having to drive in metric roads with an imperial speedo.

Could you just change the backing plate from the imperial cluster to the metric one? This will cause the odo to still be in miles but that's not too bad.

A GPS is a good short term solution.

 

Yes Jim. Changing the dial face (bezel?) but keeping all my original cluster stuff is the general consensus of avoiding nasty issues. As you suggest, my concern about total distance, trip A and B distances, fuel consumption and predicted range will all be skew whiff and that's where Cambo's offer to help with re-programming will be gratefully appreciated. On later X150s, this is well reported as user programmable in the Owner's Manual, but I have not found it for X100s.

Which brings to light your idea of GPS . . . All this discussion of my planned purchase, both here and in the XK8/R section, has unearthed another snag - well beyond [scm]'s disappointment at lack of supercharger whine (I know . . . och, Ah noooo . . . but that's a further $20,000 I just don't have). I had hoped my good fortune in finally nailing a later 4.2L model XK8 at a price I can just afford, would see all its features identical to my 07 S-Type, including SatNav.

Not so! It appears that Jaguar persisted with the Alpine unit until the last X100 gave way to the X150. Only then, did the Denso disk based system of my S-Type become universal. So, alas, like all other X100s in Australia, I am stuck with a big blank hole in the centre of the dash that, without maps for its SatNav, achieves little other than displaying leaper or clock.

I am aware that someone here [redpoptop]? has contacted Alpine UK who said that they had produced Oz maps for these units which Jaguar then failed to order. Perhaps that explains the rarity of X100s that arrived here equipped with the big central screen in place of the more common three circular instruments. I must go post searching again to follow up Alpine UK - if I recall correctly, they are happy to sell direct to Aussies.

Cheers,

Ken

 

Wow!!
Information moves fast these days, so an update for those who may have followed this thread - whether for possible private import from UK - or just a better understanding of how our delicious Jaguars work.

It turns out that replacing the polycarbonate instrument dial face, fascia, bezel or escutcheon plate is certainly the way to go. Much the same cost ($140) as a used i/c for which postage/freight must be added, it has the enormous advantage pointed out by Cameron, Graham and others elsewhere that we don't disturb the existing on-board electronics.

The sole prerequisite is to be 100% certain you have every single feature of your existing setup accurately nailed - especially in regard to XK8 vs XKR (latter has SUPERCHARGED on tacho and on some, also the dual gauge). Even more importantly, the new dial plate must cater for each and every warning light (16 on my car) - otherwise you will never see one when illuminated, and that could prove expensive!

There is an even bigger bonus to this approach. On the final runs of the X100 (can't speak for earlier or for XJs), there is an obscure but well documented set of procedures built into the Trip switchpack and the "MLS/KM" switch in particular. You guessed it! This switch toggles all those concerns I had - total mileage, A and B trip distances, instant fuel consumption and range predictor between "miles and gallons" into "Km and litres".

But, better than extra steak knives, there is even more . . . again, clearly documented . . . you can use this switchpack to cycle through an array of different languages. Now your message centre can scream "ACHTUNG, Schmuck!!! Zee dore es nein shutten!"

If this is all true, there is no need for dealer programming. I will update when I finally get my hands on the car. Oooow, I can't wait!

Cheers,

Ken