those that installed aftermarket stereo advice
 

Good day to all:

I have decided to make the plunge and install an aftermarket stereo in my standard sound system 1999 jag xk8 convertable. I would like the car dimmer to control the brightness of the unit as well as the steering wheel controls to work.( wired remote ) I kinda know what I need to do. Then I decided to pick a car stereo head !!!!!!! In order to cut down the hours I need to find the right stereo I am asking some of you to tell me what you have installed thinking of course of my requirements. This would help me alot to narrow down the choice. ( Of course USB on front with aux jack ) Do not care about sat radio or bluetooth ) This way I know I have a unit that will fit and work.

Tks

Howard

Hi the link I put into your other questionn answers most of these https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ontrols-56937/. It has an Aux and a usb on the front, but you can also put an Ipod in the glovebox and control it via the stereo. In terms of dimming, this stero does not dim with the lights but I have not found it to be a problem as its not too bright.

.

Howard,

I just recently installed a Kenwood KDC unit into my 97 XK8 with premium audio. There are a few things you should know. Firstly, throughout my research I was unable to find a way to make the unit dim with the car's dimmer. I was, however, able to connect the steering wheel controls and had full functionality there. You'll need a new fascia plate and wiring harness, available here:

https://incartec.co.uk/Jaguar/XK8-Co...ood-Single-Din

You'll need to choose your wiring based on whether or not you have premium audio and the model year. (earlier cars had Harmon Kardon systems, later cars had Alpine systems.) Once you receive your wiring harness, you'll need to do some mods to it to fit with the pigtail supplied with your aftermarket stereo. The best way to figure out which wires match is to refer to the wiring diagram supplied with your stereo, and a wiring diagram for your model year XK. Details for wiring can get a bit funky, for instance my car had premium audio and I wanted to keep my stock amp so I fed my signal wires through the stereo's RCA ports rather than the pigtail.

Once everything is wired up and connected, you should be good to go. The automatic antenna still functions, along with the steering wheel controls if you wire them properly. If you need any further advice, PM me!

Good luck,
Riley

Great advice! Following this thread thanks.