The steering wheel on the XJR has buttons for volume +, volume -, station or track selection, etc. There is a single wire that carries the pertinent info to the radio in the form of a voltage that represents the button that has been pressed. This is a "RW" wire, as in red/white wire and it goes to the radio connector IC11-2. I need to find this wire for my new radio project, but I can't find the darn thing. In fact, I found a red and white wire going through one of the several multi pin connectors under the dash by the steering column but it was not it.

Plan B is to remove that little switch assy with the pertinent switches on the steering wheel so I can expose the connections inside it, including this red and white wire and tap it with a new wire.
Would anybody know if the steering wheel's main center cover can be removed without removing the air bag itself? With that cover removed, I can unscrew the little side panel; it is held with one screw at each end of the switches assy, but the screws cannot be accessed unless that center cover comes out.
Any help will be much appreciated.

P.S. Actually, I've heard of people asking if those new radios can be programmed to the Jaguar buttons. The new radio can read the voltage changes provided by the Steering wheel buttons and be programmed to each voltage for a function of your choice.

Cheers,

 

PAC Audio has an interface so you can be sure to determine the functions work as labeled or as you want. I have one in my Dodge Caravan work van with my 3rd party head unit.

As like you, I went looking for that RW wire and came up empty installing my 3rd party unit years ago. I haven't torn down the column for that since I've gotten used to using my remote, but I wouldn't mind getting mine to work also.

If you don't have it, here's the electrical pdf... http://www.jagrepair.com/images/Auto.../jagxj1998.pdf

 

Oh man, how can that be... you and I both have looked for that RW wire and couldn't find it, isn't that weird? The wire is there, somewhere, because the buttons did work with the OEM radio before I replaced it.
In theory, if I build me a little device using the resistors' values along with the circuit connections to the four switches, all provided on Jaguar's diagram, I could emulate what comes from the steering wheel switches on that RW wire by generating similar four voltages and then switch/select them into one of K1 or K2 radio input lines, these new Android radios will acknowledge those voltages and let the owner select each voltage's functions. That is, I'm sure, what that Pac Audio interface does. I may try doing what you did and just buy it, but, does it allow to use the OEM buttons on the steering wheel? it's just that I hate to lose a battle that seems so simple because I know that the RW wire IS there.

Of course, if I could pull off the steering wheel's center cover (the air bag cover?) I'd have it made because the switches are right there (and so is the friggin' RW wire). Does anybody know if that cover can be removed without removing the air bag below it?

Thanks for your great input!

Cheers,

 

This should answer your question albeit is an X-type, the first 10 seconds shows and tells you the answer...
Is your system the premium sound? If so, I believe I had it figured out that that wire ran to the back to interface with the DVD and Nav system?...but its been quite awhile. Since then I've simply bypassed that hole setup and ran my own wire.

Yeah, I use the stock buttons on my van, its how its designed, you can download the pdf instructions and it tells you how to do it per the head unit.. http://services.aampglobal.com/contr..._Procedure.pdf
You can assign any button for what you want it to do, its just a pulse. As a matter of fact I use them how I wanted them setup for how I drive, that's why I like the PAC. I don't know if the Android does that, I haven't looked at units in awhile. I was thinking of upgrading my head unit in the Jag because its around 11+, but it has Sirius only which is non existent on newer head units,...they only have the SiriusXM which has different channel options.

I was going to go back in and try and find the lead like you said, but I got distracted by other projects and like I mentioned, I've gotten used to the remote.

 

My XJR OEM system was a premium Alpine system. Everything was removed and replaced, even including all speaker wires (see my XJR pictures on my page)
I have been "conditioned" to car remote controls for many years, yet in order to get this phenomenal deal that the Android radio is I was willing to lose the remote, which is one thing that it doesn't have, thinking that the Jag steering wheel buttons can be programmed to it. Now, with that great link that you provided me, I realize how easy it is to remove it, plus, I no longer fear the airbag as I've learned that the airbag "trigger" is not in the airbag itself, but rather in shock sensors located at the front of the car so, even if I was to drop it, nothing would happen. So, I'm thinking now that my best bit here is to remove the airbag which will give me view/access to that famous RW wire, to which I will tap a new wire that will go to my new Android radio and be connected to either Key 1 or Key 2 for programming. BTW, the RW OEM wire does not go anywhere but to the original OEM radio connector IC11-2 (IC11, pin #2) and it does not go back to interface with anything else.

The Jag steering wheel switches are four in the diagram and each one of them isolates a different resistor, which, in term, provides a different given voltage to the radio through a single line, the RW wire. So, the OEM radio would do what it was programmed to do with each given voltage at IC11, pin 2. With the Android radio and with each one of these voltages, it asks you to press on its display (i.e. screen) the function button that matches the steering wheel button that you had pressed. I haven't yet done it, but it will be done as soon as I tap on that RW wire; it appears simple in concept and I'm hoping that this new radio will do what it promises...

The Android 8.1 operating system radio, along with its 7" 1080p HD screen, wi-fi and many other great functions is a great bargain at less that $100. I can live without the remote...

 

Correction: On the XJR, the airbag triggering sensor is actually located inside the cabin, on top of the transmission tunnel, right under the radio.
But still, the trigger is not integral to the airbag itself and, in addition, the airbag can deploy only via an electric pulse, therefore it is totally inoperative when the ignition is off.

Cheers,

 

Hey, thanks Reinaldo, that helps give me some direction also when I finally get in there. I need to check out those Android head units as well.

 

Unfortunately, the ground (gnd) connection in that steering wheel radio switches circuit is a logic gnd and not a "battery" gnd, so it probably won't work with the after market radio. Worse yet, all the wires from inside the steering wheel go out through slip rings to keep the circuits connected while turning the steering wheel, so if I add that new wire that I need here there's no way out of the steering wheel unless I let it roll around the steering column when I turn the steering wheel in a corner, major Mickey Mouse . . . LOL

Back to trying to find that RW wire under the dash

 

[QUOTE=Highhorse;2094533] Yeah, I use the stock buttons on my van, its how its designed, you can download the pdf instructions and it tells you how to do it per the head unit./QUOTE]

On your van, how many wires from the van steering wheel did you have to connect to the Pac Audio device? 1, 2 or more? And, does it allow you to control the Van's radio with the van's original steering wheel buttons?

Also, it appears that you still have the Jag OEM radio in your XJR, so your steering wheel buttons are still working fine, correct?
Would you know if Pac Audio makes a device that will work with an after market radio on the XJR? I may go in that direction unless I can connect one end of my steering wheel switches to actual battery ground while isolating the logic gnd from it with an isolating diode. Jaguar's logic ground here is making it complicated because I don't want to cause any damage to any other system that uses logic ground in the car. I'm gonna have to dig into my electronics in order to design this correctly, but it'll be all academic if I can't find the high (RW) wire and the low wire (color?) outside the steering wheel, especially that low side wire with the logic gnd.

Maybe Pac Audio can rescue me...LOL

Cheers,

 

No, with my 3rd party head unit, my Jag steering buttons are inoperative at this time. Like I said earlier, I've become used to the remote and haven't gotten back to it.

Take a look at that PAC link I posted in #4, you can control upwards of 12-15 functions depending on the head unit (they have a lot of upgrades since I did mine on their site). Mines a Dodge Grand Caravan CV (cargo van) all factory steering controls, exactly what comes with a Grand Caravan interfaced with a Clarion NZ 503 (piece of crap nav and a couple other things)....I control volume -/+ 2 buttons, ...stations (which scroll through on a 2 button input forward/backward), ...since I have SiriusXM I control through a single button my 3 "favorites" pages with 20 channels each (I only use 1 pg and 12 stations, sorry my life is lacking variety..lol). The girlfriend has the 2nd pg which mysteriously loses it memory????

But, just because the instructions say its supposed to control a certain item...well, that's subject to your liking of how you drive. You just need to determine the output when activated and

I have the PAC for the Jag...I just need that RW lead and I'm golden. I was originally told it was supposed to be in the radio umbilical connection...but as you and I have experienced, that's a lie with premium sound. I need to pull the unit out and meter for the pulse and/or pull the column apart to chase it.

 

[QUOTE=Highhorse;2096118]No, with my 3rd party head unit, my Jag steering buttons are inoperative at this time. Like I said earlier, I've become used to the remote and haven't gotten back to it.

So, you're saying that on your Jag the steering wheel buttons no longer work, but instead, you've successfully installed a Pac Audio remote control that works. So, if you now have a working remote on your Jag, why would you need the RW wire if you really don't need to operate the steering wheel buttons anymore. If this happens to be the case, I'll be more than glad not to have my steering wheel buttons working if I'm able to use a remote instead. BTW, if I have understood this correctly, what's the model # of the Pac Audio remote that you have installed on your Jag? Please, let me know if I have understood this right or not.

Thank you and regards,

 

The PAC that works is on my work van, I have another PAC for the Jag, I just need that RW to install it.

 

I think that routing a wire out of the steering wheel may not be a problem after all, as I've learned that the steering wheel wires do not pass to the car via any fancy slip ring connection. The RW wire is definitely identifiable in there once you remove the airbag. I'll tap a wire from it and route it out of the steering wheel to under the dash. What may be a problem with this is that the other end of the steering wheel buttons little circuit (ground) is not a true ground but rather a logic ground. I hope that this logic ground is good enough for my Android radio and for your Pac Audio device. I'll let you know how it goes with mine.

Cheers,

 

Did you ever figure this out.

I do have steering wheel controls working on my JVC with an ASWC-1 controller. I am about to replace the JVC with a Chinesium Android unit. It has been many years since I installed the JVC so until I remove it I do not recall how exactly I wired everything up.

Thanks.

 

on mine, it was the single wire going from steering wheel to the phone module under the center armrest, i removed the phone so hanging the connection there was easy but if i recall correctly i had to chase the cable with the tester cause colors has changed, my Chinesium Android (thanks Amphicar for properly naming it) has voltage programmable buttons so no need for extra modules just configure the stuff and that's all. i went even further and got jag mic for hands free, backlight, reverse camera and few other things..

 

Well, I have finally figured this whole thing up and I have run the two wires from the steering wheel to my new "Chinesium Android radio (cute "brand"...).
However, it is a little complex write up, long and with pictures, so I have rather written it in a MS Word document, which I'm attaching.

Questions are welcome.

 

Nice looking work Reinaldo, thanks.... I'm out of town or I'd be checking this out first thing in the morning.

 

On mine I connected both the key1 and key2 wires from the Chinesium to (I think) the orange striped wire on the yellow jag radio harness. It was the same wire that the Access steering wheel controller went to when I had the JVC installed.

 

Yeah, and you know, it gets confusing and time wasting with something that should be so simple to follow that is really not so simple with these cars because Jaguar has not been very consistent with wire colors between what they call on their schematic diagrams and what they actually put in the car. An early 1998 XJR and a later 2003 XJR wire colors may be the same on the schematic diagram because it is supposed to cover, say, "1998 thru 2003", but what you find in the actual cars may surely differ, so have I found, like with the famous red/white lead from the S/W button to the original Alpine radio input; I had to go inside the steering wheel to find that Jaguar some time changed that wire color.

But, I'm glad that we have made good progress with the interfacing of new technology into our beloved "vintage" Jags.