I'm looking for ways to display "real" oil pressure and coolant temperature on the dash of my SatNav-equipped XKR.
I don't want to go with a RealGauge conversion because a veneer mismatch would drive me nuts, and also because I will at some point put a backup camera in this space, either on the OEM screen or an aftermarket one.

Two options I found on the forum that look terrific but won't work for me:

• Member RayR came up with a great solution using devices from PLX and wrote in detail about it here Sat Nav Conversion to "CarPlay" with Multi-Gauge Display "How To" and here Sat Nav Conversion Part 2: Performance Gauges "How To", Duplicating this setup would be ideal for me, but the KIWI2 iMFD adapter needed to bring the oil pressure signal to the OBD scanner has been discontinued and is proving impossible to find used (been keeping an eye on ebay for months without luck).
• Member astromorg made this gorgeous trip meter switch pack replacement for oil pressure Oil Pressure Gauge alongside Satnav, but that's waay beyond my skill to attempt.

It looks to me like my best bet is to go the PLX device route with a wireless adapter to display the gauges on my phone using their multigauge app. Irritatingly, the app apparently doesn't also receive from a PLX OBD scanner, so a coolant temperature signal needs to be input to the PLX module. Tapping into the signal from the existing sensor would be nice, but I doubt its signal output matches the range the PLX module expects, so I'll have to add a second temperature sensor on a t-coupling somewhere on the coolant circuit near the thermostat.

I'd love to hear thoughts on this, especially if somebody has a better solution to suggest.
(And if somebody happens to have an unused KIWI2 iMFD adapter lying around, I'll offer good money for it! )
Thanks!

 

I use this and an AutoMeter stand alone oil pressure gauge.

https://a.co/d/bp6eQT8

X60 Car OBD HUD Multi-Function Digital Meter : it has many functions besides oil temp and coolant temp, and can read and clear many fault codes

$50 from Amazon


I bought the oil pressure gauge adapter from the real gauge folks and plugged the AutoMeter sending unit into it.

Not for everyone if you can’t stand two aftermarket gauges on the left end of your dash.

 

You cannot get oil temperature as there is no sensor on the engine until YOU fit one. Similarly there is no oil pressure sensor until you fit one

 

Correct, and I didn't share all details.
I bought JagWrangler's oil sensor adapter some time ago, but won't install it and a sensor until I know what the full range of hardware for my setup is. If I go the PLX route, it needs to be their specific oil pressure sensor.

It's the coolant temperature I'm after, not the oil temperature. But this raises the question, should owners worry about the oil temp also? I haven't come across that as a concern so far.

 

I get oil temp on my X60 (2002 XKR) there is a factory oil temp sending unit. And observable via the OBD-II diagnostic port, just like the coolant temp.

Once the engine is fully warmed up the oil temp is usually 16-22 degrees F higher than the coolant temp.

 

Temporarily, for checking oil temperature, I replaced the oil drain plug with a VDO oil temperature sensor and have an Autometer gage in the right cup holder just for some testing oil cooler issues. Hope to complete the project this spring as time allows. Then I will get rid of the gauge.

Jack

 

Thanks!
I had looked at some of the options for mounting gauges in a pillar pod, but I think this would be a solution for me only if I can't get a stock-look option to work.

 

re the oil temp sending unit location, it’s right next to the oil pressure sending unit, adjacent to the oil filter.



(Above From the document @JagV8 post #86 :

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-197243/page5/

Z

 

So it looks like the XKR has an oil temp sender but the XK* does not .
In my opinion the best things to do are to use and 82 deg C thermostat , Run the fans at half speed when the ignition is ON and use 10 w 30 oil not the 5 w 30.

The fans on the XKS are easy buy on the XKR it needs 3 relay and a brain to give you OFF half Full

 

I think the XK-8’s have the oil temp sending unit as well. The manual referenced in post #8 says the oil temp numbers are used to help determine / regulate the variable valve timing computation. Only the XK-8’s have the variable valve timing


“…..6.8 Engine Oil Temperature Sensor

The Engine Oil Temperature (EOT) sensor is installed at the right front of the structural sump adjacent to the pressure switch. It indicates to the ECM the temperature of the engine oil, for use in the variable valve timing computation…..”


Z

 

No ..supercharged maybe

 

take a photo of the oil pressure sensor by the oil filter. I bet “the Engine Oil Temperature (EOT) sensor is installed at the right front of the structural sump adjacent to the pressure switch…”

regardless of what your photo shows, I’ll buy the next round of your preferred beverage.



Z

 

Oil temp sensor was fitted with the intro of the AJ27 engine:- MY1999 for the XK8, MY2000 for the XKR.

Our AJ26 didn't get one

 

thank you !!! I’m still learning (a lot). Another difference between the 26 and the 27 !

Z

 

I am using a generic Bluetooth ODB scanner and the "Car Scanner" app on my phone. Works very well on Android (do not know how it performes on Iphone), and it is easy to make a "dashboard" on your screen with a range of different instruments, visual an audible warnings etc. Car scanner has a profile for Jaguar.

 

Check out ebay P10 HUD a square version of z rays unit and easy to fit alongside the rear view mirror out of the sun. about $30 dependent on Trump Taxes

 

Well, it turns out that the PLX app and Bluetooth link are being reworked and won't be available until sometime in the fall, so I think I'll resign myself to having adding a gauge as at least a stop-gap.
Further digging turned up a pod-mounted gauge option in this thread: Boost Gauge & Water/Methanol Install (w/writeup)



I've ordered a moldable gauge pod and will see if I can get it to fit satisfactorily on the A-pillar. If it does, I should be able to find an upholstery outfit that can re-cover the panel similarly to how it was done in the referenced thread. Not exactly excited about how it'll look but since the panel can easily be re-covered again if/when a better option becomes available in the future, it's at least reversible.

I'll probably get the Autometer gauge and sensor that zray has in his, and I'll see if I can change the gauge face to look like the Jaguar oil pressure gauge, similar to how astromorg did his (shown here Oil Pressure Gauge alongside Satnav)
For coolant temperature, I'll just continue reading from the OBD for now.

 

remember, if you want to use both the AutoMeter sending unit and the stock oil pressure sending unit you will need the extension that the “real gauge” folks sell a la carte. It’s threaded for the std aftermarket sending unit threads (1/8” pipe threads I think) and also the Jag sending unit threads which are some odd ball threads, IIRC.

Z

 

Yup, already bought the adapter from JagWrangler.
Thanks!

 

Just closing this one out with what I ended up doing.
I put a gauge pod in the a-pillar panel, smoothed it out with bondo, and had an upholstery outfit dress it. It came out looking pretty good. There are a few small wrinkles, nothing too distracting. I asked for extra fabric to keep on hand so that the install can easily be reversed if I ever find technology that will allow both oil pressure and coolant temp to be mirrored on the nav screen, but this will give me peace of mind for now (coolant temp is displayed on my phone screen from an OBD reader).

For the gauge, I selected a short-sweep one from Autometer that somewhat matches the look of the stock gauges with a chrome ring, but what I didn't realize was that the sender that comes with the short-sweeps is enormous. There is a very narrow band around the 0730 position where it fits into the JagWrangler adapter port without interference with the oil filter and the flange on the pan. It took a lot of trial and error with copper washers of different thicknesses to find a combination where I could get a reasonable torque on the adapter while having the port for the sender in the position needed to avoid interference.