I think we all know that the OE satnav in our XKs is as ugly as it is useless.

The three gauges look a lot nicer, IMHO, but although I have bought a brand new set, they are proving problematic to install for various reasons (new elm veneer part required, different wiring harness, etc.)

I therefore decided to go for an aftermarket satnav while I figure out how to go about things.

I went for a Tomtom Via 125 Europe:



When it arrived this morning, it seemed a lot slimmer than I had expected. I went down to the Jag to see where I could fit it (I was thinking somewhere on the windscreen). A now blindingly obvious solution hit me - stick it on top of the OEM screen

Yes, it does protrude, but the install took less than 10 minutes, including routing the power cable round to the cigar lighter through the armrest. In fact, I think it looks so reasonable I might even ditch the 3-gauge project and leave it like that.



With a bit of fiddling (and after removing the top part of the armrest), it is possible to thread the cable through into the ashtray area for near invisible install.



And here's a photo of one of my most useful tools that I made myself: a narrow plastic kitchen spatula with a V cut out of it using a grinder. Great for working on interior trim or, in this case, poking the cable up into the centre console.



OK, so it's not perfect, but it was cheap and easy to do and it's 10 times better than the ancient OE setup. Sticking a new satnav on top of the old screen seems like an obvious solution to me now, but I honestly hadn't thought of it until the TomTom arrived today and I saw how thin it was.

 

Hi Frog, How did you attach it to the screen?

 

TomToms come with an integrated sucker designed to stick onto the windscreen. I just used that.

 

I stuck my Garmin to the factory nav unit using a suction cup and left it there for a few hours. When I unstuck it there was an ugly circle embedded in the LCD. It was like the suction cup had sucked the juice out of the pixels. It disappeared after a few days, but I didn't want to ruin the factory nav unit so I never stuck the suction cup to it again.

 

Frog-

That elm veneer is really sweet !!

 

Hmm, interesting. I shall have to keep an eye out for that. Thanks for the tip off.

Thx.

 

FROG, you answered a question I had on a thread I started months ago (Swapping gauges for the Sat Nav)...that being; there is a different harness for the 3 gauge pack versus the Sat-Nav. I was thinking of doing a gauge swap but didn't want to spring for the entire matching veneer panels. BTW, your elm is very really good looking...nicer than a lot of the walnut panels like mine.

 

It's this veneer swap that is holding me back, too. I have been given a quote to replace the centre section of the dash only, but it involves sending my satnav section back to the UK and I don't know how long I would be left with a 'hole' in my dash.

Getting a wiring harness could be fairly simple, but how easy would it be to fit? I can't see/access the other end when I remove the satnav block.

The above how-to is a temporary solution. I would really like to get the 3 gauges installed one day.

 

Hey , your chrome bezel surround is also very brilliant item as well as gear knob

 

Thanks. AFAIK, these were all standard equipment on the 2005 XKR. I haven't changed anything. The only cost options on my car are the Recaro sports seats, which are actually not as comfortable or supportive as they look. If only the satnav had been an option

 

FROG, Swapping for the 3 gauges is also something I really wanted to do. Like yourself, the matching veneer is a problem. But the kicker is, everyone on the forum says the gauges are not accurate..they are merely a "placebo" to make you think everything is okay. That's what has been stated..but I too would still like to have them. WhiteXKR's info center is expensive, but it is the ultimate for reading engine paramenters. He's even adding a SC boost readout. The catch...about $500+.

 

TBH, I'm not bothered about the quality of the information in the gauges (apart from the clock!). It's only for aesthetic reasons. My Miata also has semi-fake gauges, but I don't care really since I never look at them anyway. It would be no loss anyway, because you get no information at all with the OE satnav. As for the veneer, I assume you have walnut, which is a lot easier to source than the much rarer elm I have.

 

There was a thread on here (I think) about someone who fitted a Garmin Nuvi 1490 into his XKR to replace the existing sat nav screen. He basically removed the old screen, glued the Garmin in place instead of the original and ended up with a brand new touch screen sat nav, almost unmistakeable from the OEM.

Here is a photo of the end result.



I have his instructions as a pdf if anyone is interested and you can't find the thread.

p.s. I agree with the comments about the gauges - look much nicer than the sat nav, even if the info is wrong.

 

Here are two links to behind the dash installations:

Nav Pics

http://webplaza.pt.lu/stewart/

The second one is the one that you reference.

 

A couple of us have put large GPSs behind the veneer. I used a Garmin 1490t. Someone else used a Magellan.

 

Yes, that's a good solution, but how do you keep the original buttons (even if they don't work)? Take an angle grinder to the OE satnav unit?!

 

I eliminated the buttons. I'm planning on adding little speaker grills like porcello did, and I have the parts to do that, it's just a matter of finding the time. Right now I just have some flat black pieces of thin sheet metal in the holes. I've been thinking about doing a video to show how I installed mine. Maybe I'll do that this weekend. Too much to do, too little time.

 

Yes, I know you are planning to do the 'speaker' thing, but how were the buttons retained in the photo Dibbit posted above?

 

That comes from the second link posted above. That person actually disassembled the nav unit, disassembled the Garmin 1490t, and reassembled the nav unit with the Garmin as the screen. The buttons don't work with the exception of the power button. They are just there to look pretty.

 

IIRC he disassembled the Garmin to get the power switch connected up. When I looked into it, I think there is an option for the Garmin to automatically power up/down, so you wouldn't even have to do that.

Its on my list of things to get round to (ie installing a new sat nav unit), as the old sat nav unit is completely useless here in Spain as there is no map for it.

p.s. your XK8 looks great!