Hi all,
I own a 2004 XJR and recently have been having problems with the radio and sound system. I get no sound at any time out of the speakers. The sound system is the upgraded alpine system. I have learned that the reason this problem has happened is because the amplifer has died. I bought a new one, but dont know how to install it myself in my current model. I got a quote for the labor and the dealership is charging me over $2500 to install it for me. No way in hell. Any help here? Thanks!
Delay_

 

Hey Delay, did you purchase an aftermarket amp or a replacement OEM amp? I can help once I know that bit of info as the difference between the two (as far as the install is concerened) can be pretty massive.

I recently upgraded the sound system in my car also and will be making a thread with lots of pictures and info soon.

 

It is an OEM amp. Specifically it is a Harmon Kardon LNC 4170 . It seems that typically this amp was used in XJ's that were a bit older ('96-99). Will I not be able to use this? Because I know how picky European autos can be... will this make install more difficult or easier. Im all ears and would love to see those pictures of yours, so let me know when you post em.Thanks for your help!

 

I'm not 100% about the amp, as I have the XJ8 and learned that my car actually has NO amp (I was a bit shocked to discover that) but assuming it fits/accepts the same harness, you should be able to just remove the carpet on the left (Drivers) side of the trunk and access the original amp to unhook it and get the new one in.

My upgrade was a lot different because I had no amp to begin with (Similar to H20Boys but nowhere near as fancy) and I wanted to add subs where they did not previously exist, so I had to use adapters and some crafty thinking courtesy of my brother inlaw.

I'm thinking of adding new tweeters so I may be going in and removing everything all over again, if so I'll make sure to get very detailed photos of the entire install and shoot you a PM when I post it. Goodluck!

 

I too recently had the same issue. You will need the stock amp for the x350-358 model years (2004-09). The older amps do not have the optical D2B connection required. And the newer ones use a total new communication system (MOST vs D2B) I got a used amp on eBay for $100. It also worthy to note that x types and s types use the same amplifier, just always check for the optical connection. It's easy to replace factory amp. Just unscrew and pull the trunk floor and remove the left trunk panel. On your left hand side towards the rear you will see the amp mounted on the quarter panel wall. It has three cable harness plugs and mounted by four nuts. I'll post pictures later if you need them.

If you plan to upgrade your audio you will still need this amp to feed the output signals to your aftermarket system, unless you want to reroute all the speaker wires, a true pain.
Best of luck. I'm planning to upgrade my audio in a few weeks as well.

 

Also find out why your old amplifier blew out. I found out that I had a bad water leak caused by the window seal at the rear driver quarter panel. Water went straight into the amplifier connections. I always unplug my amp when it rains badly to be safe. Knock on wood.

 

I want to replace the factory amp. But later upgrade the amp and head unit and add an additional amp and a sub . So I need help . Please and wiring harnesses I will need for the upgrade or exactly how to do all this work . I'm DYI guy myself but Jags are a bit different than my Expedition King Ranch El