My 2005 XJ8L has the Navigation system and backup sensors, but I have always wanted a backup camera. Now I do.

I purchased a NavTool adapter (got it on e-bay for quite a bit less than the price on NavTool's website) and also a backup camera.

The NavTool adapter has two cables with multiple colored wires, plus another group of colored wires lashed together with zip ties. The instructions call for connecting it to the "Navigation System Brain" in the trunk, by cutting several wires and splicing wires from the NavTool to the cut wires. I'll refer to this "brain" as the DVD - it's the unit that holds the map DVD.

Right away I knew I was in trouble. The DVD has two multi-pin connectors, and each has some wires of the same color - which bunch of wires was I to work with?? What's more, I couldn't make sense of the instructions, because some of the DVD wire colors called for didn't exist!

I called NavTool tech support and was told there were new instructions, and they e-mailed me a one page PDF. This had a picture of a 26 pin connector, and showed which wires to cut and splice. It turned out that one of the colors shown on the DVD wires was incorrect (diagram said red, but the wire on my car is white) but the positions of the wires on the 26 pin connector told me what I needed to know.

Working on the wires was murder for me, as I had to lean way into the trunk to get at them, and I had to straighten up to relieve my back after every few wires. After hooking up the wires I made temporary battery and ground connections with clip leads, just to make sure I hadn't disabled the car's nav/control screen. Remember how in the olden days TV sets had horizontal and vertical hold controls, and how the picture would jump and roll if these weren't adjusted correctly? Well, that's what I saw when I turned the ignition key. Finally figured it out - there are TWO thin black wires coming from the NavTool, and I had guessed wrong about which to connect to the cut wires of the DVD. Also, there is only one "Black Ground Wire" (it has a yellow labeling sleeve on it) so it is to be spliced to a wire from the DVD unit, without cutting the wire. The diagram showed it cut and a "black ground wire" connected to each cut end.

The NavTool wants 12V applied to an orange wire from the backup lights to cause the switch from Navigation screen to backup camera screen. As has been pointed out before in this Forum, Jaguar wires its backup lights backwards from most cars. Instead of grounding one side of the lights and applying switched 12V to the other side, they apply 12V at all times to the lights, and then ground a wire when reverse gear is selected. So if you connect the backup light wire to the orange wire, you get an interesting result: 12V flowing thru the lamps appears on the orange wire and activates the NavTool switch - so the backup camera is on at all times, except when in reverse! Other posters have used a relay to apply 12 to the orange wire, but I decided to use a transistor. I will try to attach a diagram here - I hope it works.

I will omit details of selecting and mounting the actual camera -

I hope this will be useful for anyone who wants to install a NavTool

Ray

 

Sorry, the diagram didn't get attached - let me try it here.

Ray

 

Great info!

 

Superb, thank you.

Any pics of the install process to share?

 

Can you post pictures of the install and the rear camera? What Camera did you use and how mounted. Are you happy with clarity of the backup image on the screen. If one looks to buy a used Navtool are there parts that you should ask the seller to make sure the unit is complete before buying.

Thanks

 

Thank you for the writeup rayalbers. I think I may do that mod myself. (Once I get brave enough to cut wires on my "brand new" 07 XJ8

Rufus

 

Sorry, lcmjaguar, I didn't think to take pictures while doing the work, and I'm sure you can understand that I don't want to go back in and take things apart to get photos now.

The camera I bought was on a bar that was meant to be mounted via the screws holding the license plate. But I found that it covered too much of the plate, so I ended up taking the camera out of the mounting and simply attaching it under the lip (i.e., between the license plate lights) with 3M foam sticky tape. Satisfied with the clarity of the picture, but I do wish I could get it angled down so as to see a bit closer to the car (right now closest object I can see is about 4 ft from car). I may look for a different camera (they're not very expensive).

As to buying a used NavTool, all I can think is to ask the seller if complete wiring harness is being furnished.

 

Has anyone installed a Tadi Brothers wireless back up camera?

 

I looked at Tadi website and as I recall it said the camera is wired "behind the radio." That looked a little scary so I e-mailed them asking for more instructions. They advised me to phone them, which I did. I told them that I was uncomfortable about removing the radio/nav screen, and they said in that case I could have it installed professionally and that would cost about $200. They said they would give me names of nearby installers, but only AFTER I ordered their unit!

That's when I decided not to go with the Tadi device.

Ray

 

I have just ordered a Navtool device but not the camera as yet. I paid for a new unit as I could not find used anywhere. I do not want to block the key access of the trunk/boot but may not have a choice as I do want the slim type of camera.
Thank you Ray for the information on wiring.

 

Hello Rayalbers.

You mention the two black wires and hooking up the wrong one in your writeup of connecting the Navtool.

Just got my Navtool box and I already know, from you and others on this forum, that the instructions are not quite correct. I have connected all but the two so called "shield wires" which according to the instructions you connect both to the BLACK wire. I would love to know which BLACK wire? Also I am assuming the tow fine black wires from the Navtool are the "shield wires". Is that correct?

Appreciate any help anyone can give.

 

2005 Jaguar XJR Navtool installation for rear view camera

Connections made to 26 pin connector at back of NAV DVD player


Player side Screen Side
Pin 1 wire cut NavT Brown NavT Black

Pin 2 wire cut NavT Green NavT Blue

Pin 14 wire cut NavT Yellow NavT Red

Pin 15 wire cut NavT Orange NavT Purple


I have tried the two thin black wires from the Navtool connected to Pin 3

And also Pin 16 with no luck.

The power and ground wires are connected to +12volts and ground respectively.

The Navtool Orange wire is spliced to the reverse light cable.

I get a screen that is distorted and wavering with lines. It shows the NAV menu etc but at no time do I get a rear camera image whatever gear I am in.


In the instructions at the end, for Jaguar, it mentions 2 white wires, a green wire and a blue wire which it says should be connected to reverse for camera installation. I have so far ignored this paragraph since I have spliced in the Orange wire to reverse..

 

I finally got a PDF file from Navtool today, which is different from anything available on the Navtool website. However it does show the pin 16 wire as being cut and the shield wires being attached one at each cut end. Navtool tech support confirmed that the "shield wires" are the 2 thin black wires coming out of the Navtool harness close together.

When I connect these 2 shield wires as instructed I get the wavering screen and no reverse camera view no matter what gear is selected. I know about the requirement for a transistor or relay in connection to the reverse light but all I am worried about for now is getting a clean NAV screen view of something!!!

Rayalbers indicates that the pin 16 wire should not be cut and to splice in the labelled ground wire. At least that is what I understand from his posting. I will try that next but then what to do with the 2 shield wires? Ground them?

 

jakra_1,


First, I am sorry you are having trouble with this unfortunately very difficult installation puzzle. Second, I am sorry for not replying sooner: I have been out of town with family and my grandchildren took priority over my computer!


Let me offer a few comments - I hope it will help a little, and I can post more if necessary.


Pin 16 - third pin from the left on the lower row of the PDF - this wire is not to be cut. The PDF says it is red but in my car it was white. Don't cut it, just splice the black ground wire from Nav Tool to it.


The messed up screen thing: There are two thin black wires from the NavTool - you just have to try first one and then the other to get the right one. One of them will give you the swirling screen, and the other will be OK.


Let me know how you make out and I will try to post more if needed.


Ray

 

Oh, I forgot to mention: On my unit, the black wire to be spliced to pin 16 had a yellow sleeve around the wire. Hope this helps.


Ray

 

Hello Ray. Thank you for your reply.

Of the two thin black wires when I get the correct one where does it attach?

Another question with regard to the transistor. I have one with 3 wires coming out in a row. No markings on any so is the middle wire the one that goes to the backup light wire and either one of the outside wires to orange on NAV etc?

Thank you for your help.

John

 

When you cut the wire coming from pin 1 (which I believe is black and white), the brown wire from Nav goes to the wire attached to the connector, and the thin black wire goes toward the screen - I think it's shown pretty well in the PDF (at least it was in the one I got from NAV).


As to the transistor: I don't know what kind of transistor you have but you need a PNP (not NPN) transistor. There should be a marking on the transistor, usually starting with 2N - e.g., 2N2907. If you buy a transistor in a package - from Radio Shack, for example - there is usually a diagram showing the lead designations E, B, and C: Emitter (that's the one with the arrow in the schematic) Base (the flat surface in the schematic) and Collector (the line without an arrow).


Hope that helps.


Ray

 

I meant to add, that if you have a transistor but no diagram, you can look to see what type it is and simply google that number. You should get links to data sheets that show the connections. Again, make sure it's a PNP, and connect it as shown in the PDF in one of my earlier posts.
Ray

 

From the Navtool box I have two wrapped bundles of wires as well as several separate wires one of which is black with a yellow wrap labeled ground which I have spliced into the pin 16 wire. Out of the 2 bundles I have 3 thin black wires 2 close together out of one and a single out of the other. I had the single black linked to the screen side of of pin wire #1. I disconnected that and picked one of the 2 close together wires and connected that to the screen side of pin #1 wire and got my normal screen on the NAV display. No view from the camera in whatever gear I select tho.
So now I am thinking I have an issue with the camera connections so will check them out next. Its too cold out to work for very long. Once I have a view from the camera I will sort out the transistor connections.
Thank you Ray for your time.
John

 

It goes into camera mode when 12 volts is applied to the orange wire (that's what the transistor arrangement does, when you shift to reverse.


To verify that everything is working, you could try temporarily connecting 12 volts there to see if you get a camera image


Ray