hey forum, looking to turn on my 2001 xk8 car phone...........do i have to contact the dealer to do this...???? car is set up with all the phone options ???? any ideas........... i don't have a cell to hook it up through........ tony

 

Your factory cell phone technology is so old that no carrier supports it any more. There are a couple blue tooth connected devices that will mate with the wiring harness if you want to connect to the phone in your pocket through the radio. Or a stand-alone blue tooth device.

 

They all have the steering wheel phone controls, microphone and radio headset buttons fitted ........ but not the rest of the kit.

Your 2001MY UK spec XK8 would originally have been available with the very expensive option of a fixed Motorola phone. Owing to the cost, few buyers had this fitted.

As suggested above, a modern aftermarket Bluetooth is the best option.

Graham

 

Check out the thread a couple of weeks ago where I asked much the same question and Graham gave me a lot of help.

I do have the original phone kit: a handset in the centre console and the motorola controller unit mounted on the bulkhead behind the rear seat backs. You could potentially get a SIM for this but be aware that it is only 2G so its possible that it wouldn't connect to modern cell towers. I had confirmed I couldn't get a second SIM on my usual mobile number (which is what Vodafone used to offer back in the day).

The option I settled on was to buy a Parrot bluetooth kit to run my iPhone through the car speakers. As I have the upgraded stereo with an Alpine amp and multiple speakers I bought a wiring kit from Nexxia that connects the Parrot unit in to the amp in the boot, rather than the phone connector in the centre console. Anyway, take a look at my thread and feel free to ask me any questions. It would be good to give something back after all the help I received.

 

I have got my 2000 XKR phone working by getting a full size SIM card from The successor to T Mobile - EE.
It seems to work fine but of course being only 2G it just receives and makes voice calls.
Its worth a try for the cost of a SIM (£5 or £10)

 

Is the Motorola controller visible from inside the trunk? I also have the handset in the console of my 99, but I wasn't aware of any other major unit in the car.

It's a cool looking conversation piece (the bat phone), but of dubious value to actually use as a phone.

Russ

 

I have a Vodafone pay as you go sim in mine, which works fine if all you wish to do is make or receive calls (which is more than enough for me)!

 

Not on mine, you need to remove the seat back and the foam is hollowed out to make a "secret compartment" in the middle between the two seats. I guess its unlikely you would have anyone sitting in the back, much less a third rear seat passenger in the middle, so no risk of it digging in their back.

 

Hey guys

Here is the picture of mobile phone holder in armrest of my 2001 XKR, i assuming that motorolla startac will fit and got one refurbished Motorolla Startac 110 from Ebay, but unfortunately it isn't fit (too big) is there is any chance to find out exact model of the mobile phone installed in my car originally? VIN is SAJAA42N71PA22902

 

That looks like a StarTAC holder. Here's a StarTAC 130:



Only Jaguar StarTAC's worked with the steering wheel controls as they had bespoke compatible software.

Graham

 

Very strange, I've tried StarTAC 130 and it didn't fit in. Couldn't find any Jaguar Star TAC (there is some pictures in the web, but none for sale).

 

I'm not an expert here and this is dim and distant, but my fathers Stype v6 from a similar vintage had the star tac 130 and the holder didn't look like that from my memory? I think it looked more like this - http://www.benzworld.org/forums/atta...one-cradle.jpg

Also from obscure knowledge from refreshing my own car purchase, I think I read the jag vs standard star tac are identical phones with different firmware. I think I also read they can be reflashed, if you can get hold of the software and correct cable...