Hi Everyone,

I own a 2018 V6 F-type, and I live in Portugal, I wanted to update my head unit (my car had the 8" Harman with base Meridian sound system), I was about to drive to the UK and back for the 10.25" OEM screen retrofit and few more things, as You can imagine it was a huge investment, and half of the things I wanted to do, at the end woudn´t be possible...so I kind put the idea on hold...until I saw a very good discount on a Android Head Unit....

Now that the context is explained, let me tell You that I was always in favor of retrofiting OEM equipment, and I'm kind of "anti" android systems (they just have too many stuff in there...) but the Launcher with OEM look and the wireless apple car play, toguether with the possibility of adding the rear view camera myself (that my car didn't come with)...convinced me enough...and I pushed the button....

Instalation, culd be very easy if it had some kind of user manual, but it doesn't...most difficult part is to run cables trough the central console, that will connect to the unit computer that sits on the back pannel behind the sits (in the middle)







Interestingly, the audio passes to the system trough the USB, so ont USB port will be always being used for this, and the original system must be selected in AUX mode. (I was expecting a system like this to be more integrated with the car, and not feeding sound trough the aux cable...)

Positive points, it looks good, image is very good quality, sound is very good quality (and I'm exigent here), apple car play works good enough (sometimes it doesn't want to connect but I'm still learning how it really works, some other times when the screen lights up it's already there...)







The worst part of it, (for me) is that I couldn't make the steering buttons to command the unit, volume works because it actually comands the original AMP...but I can´t change music....it cearly says on the advert that it works with steering original controls, but when discussing with them they use the excuse that "it works with steering when in original car display mode"...sure...as it always did before.... It even has an app to lear the functions, but it doesn't work...anyone knows if its possible on any way to make it work?



Another negative point, is that the original dummie side buttons aren't working, You can operate the entire system without them, but it just don´t feel right...the problem here is clear to me, the cable they provide is for the Harman 10.25 inch with virtual buttons, so it has only two cables instead of 10 like the phisical button pannel loom, but the communication with thes is really hard, they try but or they play dumb, or they don´t understand very well what I'm saying...

Rear camer adynamic lines work, but it looks like they are designed for a tilted camera setup, and not the perpendicular setup of the F-type, so they look pointing up, I ended up removing them...other than that it works fine...


Long story short...it updated the car a LOT, but as always...its an Android unit, its far from perfect....it depends if You prefer to live with the limitations, or with the "unperfections"...There is probably some units without this issues (but probably with other ones), the problem is that You never know what You will get, until is running...all The info You get is BS and RAM, Processor core amount and ROM....


PROS+:
Updates the car a lot
Very good image quality
Launcher looks very OEM
Very fast (8Gb RAM 8-core with 128Gb ROM version)
Apple car play wireless (also has android auto but I didn´t try it)
Allows to switch to the original car unit
Very good sound Quality (as strange as it may sound, sometimes it seems to sound better that original...is doesn't make sence because it is still passing trough the original system, maybe its que equalisator setting)

CONS-:
Steering wheel controld don't work in Android
Virtual OEM buttons not working (they say they will solve this with software update that I will receive)
Rear view camera Lines don't match the position of the F-type camera
Unit doesn't have its own radio FM (You have to switch mode to the FM on the steering wheel and switch to original system view or use the radio panel on the dashboard)
Unit doesn't use the original GPS and Micro, uses their own (they are working fine)

Price: (depends on the CPU, RAM and ROM You go for) with the discounts currently it going a bit under 600€ (regular is arround 900€) for the most powerfull unit.

After all, the advantages are paying off the cons, I would never think I would hear me saying that, specialy before the steering wheel buttons work to change the musics....lets see how it goes...

(I will share the link to purschase depending on how the seller handles the "cons" issues, they are showing goodwill, but also playing a bit dumb, so, let's see...

 

thanks for the write up, looks very similar to my system that I’m also working out the kink. My audio passes through the original Bluetooth unit to the amp so no USB or aux port were occupied. It could also be that my original system is 1 generation older than yours so different set up was provided.

My back up line is also crooked exactly like yours😂

like you said, these things will never be perfect but they do update the interior a lot.


And there must be something about these Jaguars, no system in the market is able to use factory mic, nor make steering wheel control work with the new system. I’d assume if it were at all possible, someone would have came up with something, the market is small but not that small when you combine all the Land Rovers out there, basically the same system across both brands.

 

Hi,
Do you need to disconnect the battery when you install this unit?

 

I didn't, just shut the car off. But maybe it's not a bad idea either!

 

Hi,
If you do disconnect the battery. What do you need to do after it is connected again?
Are any settings lost etc?

 

Trip computer and possibly date and window settings (reset instructions in the handbook).

 

You probably should, but i have done it a few times now and even with the car in accessory mode, so there is that.

 

Oh thanks.
For the Harman screen update, is it necessary to remove the seats, or is there an easier way to feed the cables from the back of the screen to Harman unit between the seats?
An installer said they would need to remove the seats, this didn't seem at all correct to me?

 

No seat removal required.

Pop off the trim on the transmission tunnel, at the tip of now exposed space, there is a opening big enough to pass a few wire through from the screen compartment.

Pass your wire out there and run it along the transmission tunnel to the unit behind armrest.



Another way is popping off the shifter assembly, a bit more work but you can pass through wires with much larger connector attached. I had to use this one.

 

Does your AC temp pop up when you change it, like the OEM system? I have an Android unit and wondering if anyone's has that feature? I hate having to switch to the oem system to adjust my AC temp. Whenever a door is opened, it pops up on the screen... so was hoping AC was same.

 

Also... do you have the screen with the Speed RPM showing?

On mine, the RPMs are accurate but speed is was off. Barely goes over 29mph

 

As far as i recall all f types have physical AC controls and displays, why do you need the og screen to use AC?

The dash board app never works right for me, one way or another.

 

The touchscreen lets you choose upper/lower/windshield vents.

 

in this case you have to use the og screen/page.

There are retro fit available for the screen type AC control like the ones found on the newer Range Rover or F pace, though I’m not sure if it enables vent position options, or if they even offered one for the f type, the ones i saw were for older gen Range Rover.

 

Thank you. I'll look into that

 

Is this What you’re looking for? If so, no f type specific fit, at least physically, the connectors required for it to work is probably not there in the f type either.

looks like it works as a stand alone retrofit though, where it applies(no head unit required, don’t quote e in this though),

 

I just got my Bosch unit and am working on the install with the non-existant install directions. (would have been nice if they would even have it on the website) A couple questions I have...where did you put the gps and sattelite recievers, where did you put the microphone, and where did you put the FM antenae? I've made all the connections to my car that I could find but my display does not power up. Their lack of any type if install or component swap to the new screen simply put is BS.

 

check here and see if you missed any steps.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/f...review-272327/


Reason why no instruction is they are mainly targeted for there Chinese market and 9 out of 10 times installation is included in the price at the time of sale, handled by local shops.

Most things in my thread still holds true, lemme know if you stop have questions.

You need a gps fakra Y splitter from eBay or Amazon. Though i never got the sim to work so it’s moot, and the google map is very very laggy on native Android.

Mic can be placed anywhere, it doesn’t really matter since the audio pick up is very poor unless the mic is right in front of your mouth, i have to shout for the other end to hear me clearly.

 

Mine is the Bosch unit, so no sim card. I've had mine apart and back together 3 times and everything seams to be connected. It's possible I have a defective unit. I've emailed Carputech, so I'll see what they have to say.

 

So to update my issues...after removing all the wiring I wanted to see what it would look like installed. I was having issues getting it into place with all the wires attached, so I figured I would remove the wire just to see if it would even fit. Nope. The mother board is installed into a housing that piggy backs the screen housing. With all the extra metal it doesn't sit back or down far enough. Now after disassembly of the new unit to reinstall my old screen, my old screen is now not powering up. So how screwed am I? Can I just get a used one and it will work, or does it have to be programmed to the car

Left is new, right is original