Spotted thread using Autool X50/X60 OBD gauge to monitor engine temp etc instead of Torque&phone from this forum and decided to make cleaner setup than just sticking gauge to dash.
After some thinking, solution was to attach A-pillar pod and modify X60 to fit inside it.

Finished project last week after fitting pod & receiving A-pillar cover back from flocking.



Fitting generic pod to A-pillar panel (which was fiberglass)





Gluing w/epoxy above & rivets.



Padding...



Hole at bottom of pod is for optical fiber for X60 ambient light sensor and more padding & sanding



Try-on



Final, just before 2-component filler



2-comp filler spray & slight sanding before flocking



Back from flocking, color is not 100% match of old fabric but 'close enough'.



Final setup w/OBD cable hid



It is alive! Showing Speed, engine temp (alarm set to 100C), battery voltage & rpm of engine

Overall pretty interesting work DIY to-do, although total cost of parts & flocking easily surpass realgauge cost

Br,
-T

Tsuppai,

I wouldn't say it's a poor man's RealGauge, as it was obviously a lot of work for the good finish you obtained. Not to be hypercritical, but I would have moved it 5mm right, to avoid impinging on the rubber seal.

Q1 How easy is it to read the gauge in strong sunlight?
Q2 How is the oil pressure displayed on the Autool X60?

The first time I saw your pics, I thought you were making a coffee cup holder to replace the useless centre console unit!

That's a nice installation - great idea to use a fibre optic cable to keep the ambient light sensor working - did you buy the fibre optic specially or use some scrap? If so can you share what you used?

Here is my X50 on the dashboard:-



And the original thread:-

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-gauge-210411/

To answer David's question - yes the display is bright enough to see clearly in strong sunlight. There is no oil pressure display because it is not transmitted on OBD on our cars.

Overall it really is a nice device for the money and a perfect solution if like me you have the OEM Sat Nav rather than three dials.

Had to use clear plastic rod scrap as I was not able to source real optic fiber. I works transmitting light to sensor, but no means optimal solution.

Overall I am pretty satisfied to X60 to monitor engine temp vs phone & torque setup I used previously.
OBD adapter is attached 24/7 and I have to measure total parasitic draw from battery. Manufacturer says that it adds <15mA from X60 when shut off.

Br,
-T

2000 XK*8: New X60 threw engine, abs, transmission codes on start up. Car went into restricted performance mode and stayed there even when I stopped engine. Only solution was disconnect the guage and clear the codes with a proper code reader. Terrible experience.

That’s a new one. Mines been working flawlessly for about 5 years now.

Z

Glad to hear it! Maybe I just got a bad one. Still, disconcerting that it threw codes.

S

Very disturbing indeed ! If not too late return the unit for exchange and try another one.

I use mine constantly on my 2002 XKR. Though I don’t see what should be different from your model year.

admittedly, these are cheap products, so it’s to be expected that some of them are crap, as the quality control is likely nonexistent

Almost certainly a short, or near short, on the Autool board, putting one of the data buses out of action, so modules lose communication. The child in the slave labour camp that built it was possibly having an off day. I've been using my X50 for 6 years now without any kind of issue, but recently it has stopped displaying any data, so time for a new one.

I like it tsuppari, I'm glad yours works. I put one on my 2005 XK8 and it threw several codes so I sent it back.

Jack