I've searched the archives and poured over the shop service manuals and can't find an answer to this question.

I have a 2004 XJ8 that did not come equipped with any of the upgrades such as a CD Changer, NAV unit, or premium sound system w/Amp. I purchased a used but clean looking Jaguar CD changer billed as fitting a 2004 XJ8 as well as the necessary fiber optic cable to connect the changer to the existing pre-wire. I cleared a jammed cartridge that still had 6 CDs from the previous owner without breaking anything and visually checked the changer internals for any obvious problems.

I then hooked up both the fiber cable and the power and ground cable (the smaller of the two plugs on the rear) and was able to immediately eject the cartridge without any trouble. Upon turning on the radio and pushing the CDC button, however, I got bupkus. There seems to be no signal coming to the head unit that the changer even exists. No error message, no 'disc error' message, nothing, just stubborn silence.

Aside from a bum changer unit is there a secret to getting these units to communicate when first installed? Is it possible that the internal mechanism, because of the initial jam, is somehow 'out of synch' so as to not even trying to look at the disc load? Are there any mechanical problems someone may be aware of that could cause this problem? One last query. Is there a secondary fuse such that the changer could have power to eject but not to power up and signal the head unit of its' presence in the system?

I know how to disassemble the unit to get to the internals but I am unsure of just which set of gear actually moves the platters in and out or moves the discs up or down to engage with the laser. Is it possible that the sometimes mentioned V and H adjustments on the side of the changer (although I don't recall this unit having them) could be for adjusting those movements as a fine scale adjustment or are they for factory use to adjust the lasers position?

Thanks in advance for any hints you guys can come up with and please be as specific as you can as I normally don't repair CD changers<G><G>

 

You will need the CD Changer, hardware to properly mount it in the boot, and the proper fiber-optic link harness. The link harness HAS TO BE the proper one for the car's equipment. If the one you have came from a car with NAV, for instance, it won't work on a car without NAV. The CD Changer also has to be added to the audio configuration by the Jaguar Diagnostic Equip. also.

Good luck!