Hi

Some advice please :

I have a 2007 4.2L XK (X150) with a faulty instrument cluster and I am having difficulty locating a matching component at a reasonable price. However there are many instrument clusters advertised for the 5.0 L model and was wondering if anyone has experience of fitting the 5.0 L instrument cluster in the 4.2 L ?
I am aware that the component would have to be cloned to match the car plus the issues surrounding the mileage.

Thanks

 

The cluster also holds the VIN, so something would also have to deal with that. Does the year even matter? I know the Top Speed changed sometime, though I'm not sure when. Maybe that was only for the -S?

 

I'm fairly certain it's not compatible due to changes in the canbus network and possibly LIN bus which was added in 2012+. Not certain if it can be reprogrammed or there's a hardware difference too.

 

I remember Cambo looking into something like this but with the digital dash from the xj you would essentially have to re route the old dash and hide it somewhere in the vehicle as it has all the id to operate the vehicle and the new xj dash would be the display item.
essentially having two dashes on board unfortunately it xj dash didn't fit and that project was can, so I imagine it'd be the same with the 5l variety

 

@Tony R, have a Jaguar main dealer or specialist shop look at the vehicle to determine if the instrument cluster can be repaired. As stated above, the clusters are not compatible with later vehicles and you risk 'bricking' your car if a non matching cluster is plugged in.

 

There are places which repair various modules - try them for a cluster repair.

 

Hi

A quick update

Firstly, thanks for the advice plus the recommendation to have the instrument cluster repaired, however the company have carried out a test and come back confirming that it is faulty but not repairable but have offered to clone the car data onto a compatible replacement. Unfortunately the only 4.2 cluster available at a reasonable price with the same part number is from an American supplier taken from a left hand drive vehicle
So does anybody know if the electrical parts are compatible for the US and UK markets ?

 

What if someone told you that they were compatible and they weren't? Do you want to take that risk just to save a few pounds? If there is a replacement cluster from a 4.2L RHD X150 from a UK seller, I'd do my best to negotiate a lower price and buy it. Just get a written guarantee from the seller that it will work in your car.

 

Totally agree with Stuart very sound advice

 

I recently had to change my cluster on my 2007 4.2 XKR and couldn't find the exact same part number, my original cluster was 7W83-10849-HE and whilst I could get an exact match it was a damaged unit from the States and very expensive. I ended up purchasing a second hand unit 8W83 10849-HE from an XKR the same year on ebay and persuaded my local Land Rover independent to code the part, this was very successful and the key and immobiliser information transferred first time. The only problem we had was we couldn't change the mileage to the correct figure and the new cluster had 70k miles less than my old cluster, we managed to log into the Jaguar Portal and get a 'session' but it failed every time with the new mileage details. It was nice driving around in a car with 30k miles but I knew I'd have to get it sorted before the next MOT. I looked on ebay for someone to modify the mileage for me and found an excellent chap who specialised in car electronics and diagnostics and sorted the mileage out in 20 mins as well as finding the fault with an occasional airbag light for free. He said the reason my Land Rover chap couldn't change the mileage is because the cluster was not exactly the same part number and as you have to log into the Jaguar portal to do a mileage modification it thought there was something shady going on and blocked the change. The chap also cleared all the DTCs and reset all the adaptions and the car has never run so well.

 

hi - do you have the contact details for the above chap who helped you with the mileage correction? I’m experiencing a similar problem where my jag specialist has been able to change the cluster with a second hand one as my original one died and was unrepairable. But now I have a cluster with 128k miles on it but my car has only done 63k miles. Appreciate your help! Car is a 07 XK

 

Hi Sparrenius2. Are you in the UK? If so PM me and I'll give you the details of the chap I used.
Cheers Ian

 

You may be the first car owner in human history who's asked to have your mileage reset to a higher number....

 

I know and it was lovely driving around in a low mileage XKR but it's impossible to get away with 'clocking' a car in the UK as once the car is 3 years old it has to have an Annual inspection and the mileage is recorded, the results of which are available to anyone online with the registration number. Any tampering with the mileage is immediately flagged up and effectively make the car worthless, better an honest well used and maintained car. It's a pity the US don't have a similar system and get some of the junkyard deathtraps off the roads.

 

In the United States, vehicle safety inspection and emissions inspection are governed by each state individually. Fifteen states have a periodic (annual or biennial) safety inspection program. (per Wiki) Many states have passed laws prohibiting police stops for "non-moving violations". So, expired/missing inspections are often ignored. Vehicle maintenance may boil down to protecting warranty (new vehicles) and personal integrity/safety.

However, virtually all collision damage and insurance claims are reported to vehicle data networks. The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System tracks all US vehicle title information. Repairs to vehicles purchased with flood and/or significant collision damage must be performed by authorized shops and titles are "marked" as "rebuilt".
Hobbyists (in Virginia and most states) are limited to one vehicle per calendar year. Photos and receipts for parts and repairs must be submitted with proof of a state approved safety inspection prior to an appointment for a VIN inspection. Again, titles are marked as rebuilt. Thus, diminished value is a very real problem in the US too.
Private sector services such as AutoCheck (Experian) and Carfax, while not perfect, are near universal and provide extensive vehicle history, including milage check at registration renewals and vehicle services.

 

BUYER BEWARE!
"Title washing" is a term used to describe the unscrupulous practice of moving a vehicle with a flooded, rebuilt, or salvaged title to a different state where its title issues are not recognized in order to obtain a clean title for it.
https://www.autolist.com/guides/title-washing

Only you can do your due diligence. You can rely on CarFax, Auto check to not buy a vehicle, but never to buy it. Read their Terms and Conditions of use. They're useful only to disclose flaws, and many flaws never get reported. That's why you should always pay for (1) a written Pre-Purchase Inspection from a Jaguar dealer using the CPO checklist:

and (2) a Pre-Purchase Inspection from a body shop certified to do aluminum chassis and body repairs for any previous paint, body, or chassis work. Often, the cost of those PPIs can be recovered by negotiating with the Seller if you still want to buy it.

 

@Stuart S , "while not perfect", services such as AutoCheck (Experian) and Carfax are a good place to start. The obvious first step in a vehicle evaluation.
I agree that not all damage is reported. Ex.: A young lady, D.C. area attorney, quizzed me looking for a "private shop" to repair damage to her new SUV.
Significant damage to rocker and lower door panels was from concrete in a parking garage. She didn't want it to diminish her trade-in value.
(She also wants the government to "save" everyone/thing but aggressively avoids paying taxes.)
So, it is possible for determined individuals to find ways to subvert the system. And Caveat Emptor is good advice.
But, the idea that US roads, without a national MOT, are full of junkyard death traps is a bit misleading.

best regards,
Bill

 

Hi Bill I'm sure you are correct but if there is no incentive to ensure your vehicle is adequately maintained then surely people running a car on a tight budget will skip essential maintenance and repairs. I find it surprising that only 15 States have mandatory inspections and it seems to me the decision to prevent Police from stopping vehicles for non moving violations is madness. In the UK most Police vehicles have an ANPR system which automatically scans the registration plates of vehicles on the road and will flag up cars that are not taxed, insured and MOT'd, you might get away with only a fine and points on your licence for an MOT infringement but lack of insurance or Road Tax will see you car being impounded, sold or crushed if proof of insurance isn't forthcoming and any overdue tax paid, the idea of a driver being allowed to drive away without insurance after being stopped is impossible though in the US it is regarded as a misdemeanour and the driver can continue with a citation which seems incredible.
Obviously not all cars on US roads are Junkyard death traps but the from the evidence available on the internet (I know not a great source) with car repair centres showing vehicles in a terrible condition but still on the road I find it surprising that the automotive repair industry in the US are not lobbying for a countrywide annual inspection, it would generate a massive income for the Government, registered garages and improve road safety for all.

 

@Bill400 You're in Virginia, which has mandatory state inspections for motor vehicles. A safety inspection is required annually, while an emissions inspection is required every two years. Safety inspectors are certified and permitted through the Virginia State Police. Emissions inspectors are certified and permitted through the Virginia DEQ. Your vehicle must pass both inspections to get your tag renewed.

I'm in Georgia, which does not require vehicles to pass an annual safety or emissions test so their owners can use them on public roadways. However, there are 13 counties in the Atlanta metro area in which most vehicles are required to go through an emissions inspection on a yearly basis. People who can't afford groceries are not going to keep their car maintained to factory specs. Bald tires are a common cause of accidents in Georgia.

Carfax is useful to show the states where a vehicle has been registered and serviced, and how many times it's been sold at auctions. A clean Carfax is never a reason to buy a car, as everything is never reported to CarFax.

 

Here in Utah, there WAS an annual safety inspection for all vehicles. That requirement was completely removed several years ago. Now it's just an emissions requirement every one or two years, age-dependent.