1996 XJ6 Chassis (#772253). The original Jaguar radio/cassette and the deployment of the antenna suddenly quit. No battery issues were involved. A search in the boot fuse box showed both F8 and F10 to be Ok. I would like to check the "radio/cassette control relay", but it does not appear on the listing in the Vehicle Care book that came with the car although there are lots of other relays listed. So there are three questions:

• Where is the radio control relay?
• Anybody have other tips about getting the system to work as it did last week?
• Will doing a reboot of the system by disconnecting the battery for a bit help or will that trigger the anti-theft system and scramble the radio?

Puzzling in Gig Harbor

 

Not sure where you are in the world, but here in Europe, the radio has an anti theft code, so that, once power to the radio has been interrupted, you will need the 4 digit code to reactivate it.

Having said that, these radios are notorious for going belly up. Issues with the CD changer are common also, due to a bad solder connection in the CD unit itself. This results in the radio unit not "recognising" the CD unit.

The radios can be repaired, with varying degrees of success. It would have to be sent away and a search will throw up a lot more information on the subject. Removal will require the removal of the ski slope and I just recently posted a description of how this is done.

Many have opted for a replacement, with a newer, up to dare item. There is a faceplate adapter kit available, to facilitate the curved front on the radio housing.

This seems to be the best, long term solution, but you lose the stock look.

Can't remember offhand the relay location, but others will chime in.

 

I don't see a stand-alone radio relay in the diagrams. In the boot/trunk fuse box there IS a relay for the radio circuit but it also controls other circuits. Is anything else not working?

Cheers
DD

 

Oh....since you have a USA-market car there is no anti-theft feature for the radio. No code, no lock-up, etc.

Cheers
DD

 

Thanks for the information. I'd like to keep the stock look, but will keep in mind a replacement option.


If I understand Doug's post there is no problem to rebooting the electrical system by disconnecting the battery for a short time. That's good news. If North American cars have no "scramble" feature that also may explain why I could not get the Radio Code for this car from the Jaguar dealer in Tacoma.


As to the relay, supposedly fuse F10 in the Boot fuse box controls the radio/cassette relay. The radio relay is the only thing listed for this fuse, but no such relay is given in the adjacent tables (p 58 of the Vehicle Care book). Curious.


So far the radio and the aerial deployment are the only things that do not work so the problem is not likely to be with fuse F8 which controls the aerial but also controls the remote boot lid release which does work. Last week both the radio and the aerial worked fine.


Don


PS Doug's name is vaguely familiar. I was a member of the Seattle Jag Club for many years. Are you active in the JDRCNWA, Doug?

 

I agree with Doug, looking at the wiring diagrams, I can't see a radio/cassette relay anywhere? I'm not sure what one would be used for anyway, except perhaps the antenna up/down? But I do not see one for that either.

 

Another thought. Do you have the premium sound system with the power amp in the boot? If so, power to that would be controlled by F1 in the trunk a 25A fuse. I doubt that would affect the operation of the radio, just prevent any sound from coming from the speakers. But might be worth a look?

Perhaps you might want to pull out the radio and check that you have power and ground at the back?

 

Our Rolls Royce Silver Spur uses a relay to disable the radio and antenna when cranking to dedicate all the battery's voltage to the effort in starting the car. It is called a Cranking Interlock Relay This was defective in our Roller and it took a while to find the problem, but this relay may not exist in the Jag. But it remains curious that such a device would have a dedicated fuse if it does not exist.


I'd love to see the wiring diagram for this beast since it appears the X300 has a plethora of relays. Anyone know where the wiring diagrams can be found?


Don

 

Here you go Don. I checked and double checked and there does not appear to be a relay dedicated to the radio. There is a relay for the input side of the fuses in the trunk fuse box (the blue one) but it is common to F10, F12, F14 and F16. You could try jumping the relay orswapping it with another blue relay, they are used all over the car.

1996 X300 Electrical guide

 

Ah a real electrical diagram. Now I'm set. Many thanks to Allan for this generous gift. It may take a bit of looking but now I have the material to do so. More later as I try to figure out what has happened.


Don

 

The wiring diagram tells the tale. The radio in my 1996 X300 is powered directly from the battery buss through a 250A fuse to the Trunk Fuse Box and then by Fuse F8. The question I had surrounded Fuse 10 that goes to the hard to find "Control Relay". BUT there is no Fuse 10 shown on the North American wiring diagram at all! So there is no Control Relay just as was pointed out earlier. See Figure 01.3.

But the good news is that pulling Fuse 8 has reset something and the radio and the antenna now deploy normally just as they did last week. Good grief! Supplying the Wiring Diagram was the final step in figuring out this puzzle.


Thanks for the hand holding.


Don Elliott
Gig Harbor

 

I was with the JDRC/NWA for many years but switched the JCCV a few years back.

Cheers
DD

 

All's well that ends well

But I was looking at page 01.4 which shows a trunk fuse box with fuses #10, 12, 14, and 15 and a relay feeding them. The #10 fuse for circuit 41 and #12 fuse for circuit 43 both seem to feed the stereo.

<shrug>

I'll have to take a good look at my trunk fuses to sort it out in my brain.

Cheers
DD

 

I was a little premature to gloat I suppose. Yes, Doug has found the missing fuses and likely the relay that goes with it on Fig 01.4. In fact this diagram shows fuses 10, 12, 14, and 16 that are all skipped on Fig 01.3.


The relay is called "Auxiliary Positive Feed", is blue, and is inside the Trunk Fuse Box. It is triggered by the ignition switch and when the relay terminal marking 21 is grounded by the ignition switch, the relay supplies power to Fuses 10, 12, 14, and 16. Fuse 10 is the radio, 12 covers the phone and other accessories, 14 is not used, and 16 is the airbag warning lamp. The radio would be the most prominent thing to stop working if this relay is defective. I'm presently OK, but if the radio quits again, I now know to "thump" (or replace) the blue relay in the Trunk fuse box. Ya gotta know where to "hit it" sometimes.


Once again I'm glad to have a car with relays instead of incomprehensible and often irreplaceable Electronic Control Units.


This has been an entertaining puzzle.


Don

 

Yes Don, this was the relay I mentioned in post #9

The reason the fuse is missing from Fig 1.3 is that it is for ignition switched power as opposed to direct battery power. Quite properly, Jaguar distinguishes them on separate diagrams . It can be a bit confusing but once you know the layout of the electrical guide it is a godsend and probably the most used reference material for the car!!!

You may want to check that the F8 fuse contacts in the box are clean and tight as they can sometimes cause intermittent faults. Glad all is well now

 

I have had similar issues with my radio in my 96 and my probkrm has yet to be resolved! Please see my post from 1-30-14 under " radio problem" and perhaps you can give me sone additional suggestions. Thanking you in advance. Jagfan47

 

I replied to your original post, but the erratic operation of the aerial and the weird stuff with the radio are symptoms that I recognize from my RR. It had a bad cranking interlock relay and the power to the radio was very spotty. The poor radio did not know what to do. The antenna would go up and then down and back up again all on its own. Replacing the relay did the trick and all has been well for several years. I would be very suspicious of the blue relay in the trunk fuse box. They are not expensive.