The unit just started doing strange things - skipping, repeating ... Is there a way to clean, or whatever is needed to make it work properly or is there a simple way to repair the unit? Is there a better replacement ?

 

Perhaps the CD head needs cleaning? You could try one of those CD's with integrated brushes....


Alternatively, there is video from fellow member showing how to remove the CD unit and dis-assemble/re-assemble.
https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...=xk8+cd+player

 

I was having the same issues so I pulled the unit out of the car and cleaned it. I opened up the case and cleaned the it and lubricated it with the proper oils. Works fine. However I purchased a Blue Tooth adapter that fits into the cigarette lighter 12V slot and don't use the CD anymore. The adapter works fine and how it works is you find a empty FM station and pair the adapter to it. It will playmusic from your phone , mine is android or a USB stick. Works just like a FM station. And you can keep your original audio system intact and no need to fuss with any wiring. Plus it will charge your phone and you can answer calls.

 

We hope you are able to repair your CD player so your collection of CDs does not become redundant. If you are unable to repair it please know that the Coventry Foundation was just gifted a huge stock of NOS Jaguar parts from a closing dealer. In that stash was 3 NOS CD kits which can be found in our E Bay store #2 at www.coventryfoundation.org.

 

Bought one of those cleaning discs, never knew of them before. Worked perfectly! Thank you all.

 

Here I am a newborn jaguar owner just purchase a one owner beautiful 2003xk8 and the cassette player works just fine even after the car has been stored for four years.
The fyi I have: there is a steel tape adapter to attach a mini cd player. It’s a clunky but I sure love the sound of my cassettes. And I can buy cassettes for 2-3$ at dales record and skate in palm desert ca. he may mail some and he has tons of choices. He has no cd s as he thinks they are evil. I too like the sound of cassette s which proves both my age and there are people out there who presumably appreciate quality this no 8 tracks!

 

I still have quite a few cassette tapes dating back to the late 1970s and early-to-mid 1980s that are one-of-a-kind and very important to me. But I will not risk playing them on any car audio system. I only play them on my 1982 Onkyo tape deck which is a part of my vintage professional-quality home audio system....