Hi all, so excited to join the jag fam. I recently got a 2017 XE but it just has the incontrol 8-inch touch system. I found a head unit on Alibaba that looks like the 10 inch one and fits the XE, checked with the seller and all. I really don't care about the built-in system as I will be using android auto (using head unit reloaded) except for the climate control and the heated seats. The seller did confirm that the original car UI will still be there. Im not sure if I can post links here but search for this on alibaba "1920*720 android 10.0 8core 8+64G 10.25"inch screen car dvr navigation for Jaguar XE audio multimedia 2016-2018" and you will find it. So really, my question is, has anyone done this and if so, is it worth spending £430? Thats cheapier than some other solutions out there and makes the dash look more sleek without the buttons on the side.

 

A number of folks on the F-type forum have done this, you might try searching there. Likely the same or similar units - I think the UAD one is popular.

 

So just to update - I got the unit and installed it - works great. Just a heads up if someone tries this and does not get the audio to work. You need to splice together there two black ground wires. GND and AGND labelled ones. Other than that - It's fairly straightforward. The English on the UI is crap so you're always better off using android auto or apple carplay. AA works by using the head unit reloaded app and apple carplay via zlink app that is built-in. (Both are wireless solutions). Zlink is supposed to support android auto but it's not enabled on my unit - checking it with their support but its really slow - Headunit reloaded supports wireless mode so it's not really an issue for now anyways.

Few more tips on installation:
- You don't need to remove the glove box, just wedge a plastic pry tool between the dash and the AC unit and just pop it out.
- Make sure you plug the side buttons connector into the adapter. The default one is set to LR discovery, wont work without it being switched to jaguar config
- The faceplate wont clip back on like the original - there's no gap or anything, its just really easy to pop it out.

 

Hi @Radium -- thanks for the follow-up and blazing the trail for the rest of us.

I'm really on the fence about this... balancing the ~$600 vs 'english on the UI is crap' type stuff I'm worried about. Any photos/videos you could share would be much appreciated.

What's the day to day experience like? i.e. get in car, start app on head unit, start app on phone... launch spotify from head unit? Does your backup camera work or do you have to drop out of the app to view?

Thanks again for keeping us up to date!

 

yeah I'd like to see the crap English lol.

I wonder if there's a popular one people use that's good. I hate having to leave my Bluetooth on etc or USB to my car to work every time lol. So something self contained would be ideal. It's already annoying Enough to have to click no Everytime I plugin to charge my phone when driving Bec the phone asks if I wanna share internet haha. Last I need is more "connection" to the phone lol.

 

So, currently, I'm experiencing battery drain with that installed. I'm looking into it. A lot of other people have done this and no issues with the drain so must be my fault. I'd say it's worth it even though the price is a bit high. The unit boots up really quick, in less than 30 seconds. The reversing camera works when you engage the reverse gear but you need to set the unit to use the 'original camera' from the settings. by default, it tries to use the aftermarket ones you plug in the rear. Since I've wireless AA configured, all I do is open the headunit reloaded the app and it wirelessly connects to my phone. Pretty seamless. From there, AA takes over the entire screen and looks pretty OEM. If you don't want to connect your phone. You can actually download the android auto for phones app from the play store. It will then use the local google maps and Spotify and the experience will be identical and tbh that's better than using it as a normal tablet since the UI is built for a car. It has plenty of storage so you can download offline maps and Spotify and not have to worry about anything else really. I will send you pics/videos when I reinstall the unit after I figure out how to stop the drain.

 

This unit is pretty self contained - read my previous reply. The only issue I'm having atm is the battery drain. turns out, with the new unit plugged in (remember it only replaces the screen) the original infotainment processor does not turn off properly when you leave the car, causing the battery to train overnight.

 

hey bud
did you end up fixing the battery drain issue? Thanks