I tackled the ACM installation today. I found great info in this thread:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-photos-50454/

There were a few differences. My XJR doesn't have the 4-zone climate so there were no vents to remove. There were only two console screws behind the rear control panel.

I installed the following components:



I have the Jaguar ACM, a Sirius XM radio, the Cobra iRadar, a phone base, and a powered phone mount. The last item is a JL audio 3-channel switcher.



I want to use both the XM radio and Pandora from my phone. I also use Audiogalaxy and stream music from my home server. I didn't want to have to switch cables and this one is automatic. It senses when an attached device is turned on and plays the one with the highest priority. I only have two sources at the present time so this leaves me room to expand.

I mounted the ACM interface in the glove box. My XJR has the shelf someone mentioned in seamagineer's thread, so I had to cut a couple of slots in the back of it for the wires.




The ACM fit over the ECM behind the glove box. I tapped the power socket in the glove box for the switcher and radar detector, and the footwell light for a constant 12-volt for the switcher.



I should have hardwired the XM radio too, because the power plug is huge. I put a power expander strip on the shelf so I could plug in both the XM and the phone power, but it doesn't really fit. If I hardwire the XM the phone can plug straight into the glove box socket.

My phone battery died so I didn't get any more pictures, but I put the XM antenna at the base of the windshield in the center of the dash and ran the wire around to the right A-pillar. I put the radar detector on a windshield mount just to the right of the mirror and ran the wire along the front edge of the headliner and then down the A-pillar.

I only had one tense moment. Before I put everything back together I reconnected the battery. I learned long ago to test things before I put them back together - it saves a lot of time. Well, the nav screen displayed an hourglass for about 20 seconds and then said: "Communications fault. Contact your dealer."

The problem was that the new harness wasn't fully seated in the back of the nav unit. It was a tight fit and I'd used as much force as I felt comfortable with when I first put it in, and it appeared to be all the way in. I pulled it back out and put the original connector back in and it worked fine. I noticed the original conector definitely locked in. I eyeballed everything as best I could, checking for bent pins, etc, and finally just used a little more force and the new connector clicked home. It worked fine after that.

My only other screwup was the glove box door lanyard. I let the door dangle and accidently leaned on it and pulled one end of the lanyard out of the crimped sleeve. (I ended up taking the whole glove box out anyway, and it made the wiring a lot easier.) It turns out the plastic piece the lanyard is attached to is easy to remove from the glove box. You just press the front of the piece towards the outside of the box, which releases a small tab, and the plastic anchor slides right out. I took a spade connector and cut the barrel off, then used that as a new sleeve to crimp on the lanyard.

It's all back together now and everything seems to work fine. The only other snag was with the XM radio. I needed to remove the old radio from my old BMW from my account and add the radio I got for the Jag. Of course, you can do anything at all with your account online - add radios, change plans, pay your bill - but you can't remove a radio. That takes a phone call and 45 minutes. That was definitely the hardest part of the job!

 

Nice work and writeup!

 

I borrowed my daughter's phone to get a few shots of the finished installation. I had to warm the suction cups on the radar mount with a heat gun to get them to stick.



From this angle it's noticable, but from any other you really don't see it. You don't see it at all from the driver's seat, since it's behind the mirror.

Here's the phone in the iGrip mount. After driving the car last night I decided to change the priority of the devices and make the phone number one instead of the XM. With the phone behind the XM I had to turn the XM off for the phone to play, and the power button on this receiver is near the top of the unit, where I can barely reach it in the ashtray. With the phone being first priority I just insert the 1/8 plug into the top of the phone and it switches to that input. Since the satellite radio is more or less permanent while the phone gets in and out of the car with me this is much easier.






I haven't used this radar detector much, but it seems to be pretty cool. Without the phone link it's a basic radar detector that both beeps and gives voice announcements. What I do not like is that every time it powers on it announces: "Testing... System ready." That's going to get old quickly.

With the phone link it outsources all the bells and whistles to the Droid (or iPhone.) It has a database of speed cameras, red light cameras, etc and will put them on a map or just alert you when you approach. You can mark known false alarm locations so it won't report them every time. You can also report a radar location and it supposedly updates everyones iRadar for a specified period of time - a kind of high-tech CB call: "Hey y'all, there's a Smokey at exit 23!"



I also have a bluetooth OBDII connector so I can use Torque. Anyone else use this? I'm curious to know if your readings are similar to mine for HP and vacuum. It doesn't seem to read boost through the OBD connection.

 

I use Troque upgraded software. mine shows Boost and when running vacuum gauge. Did you select vehicle profile setting?

 

I have the latest software, but it never reads boost, just vacuum.

 

good writeup, ACM install certainly brings the car up to modern entertainment options...somewhat. The first time mine read my SD card, it took FOREVER to get the tracks loaded in the correct order.

 

How did you secure the XM radio in.there?

 

I didn't secure it. I had to remove the ashtray insert and cut the plastic behind it so the radio would lie flat, and that and the wiring keeps it from moving.

 

My CD changer gets stuck occasionally, especially in winter, which requires me to remove i,t free it up and lub it. Where did you source your ACM and components from and how much do they cost? I would like to go to an iPod or Sirius Radio instead of the CD changer also.

 

I got the ACM from Park Place Jaguar. Parts and Accessories | Mercedes | Lexus | Porsche | Park Place Stores

 

I folks. I'm new at this. I have just bought a 2004 XJ8 VDP and have been reading the threads. I live in Vancouver BC and we have only two dealers who not very helpful. Could any one tell me where I might purchace on line, or from a Canada / US dealer the ACM for the fiber optics unit. I hate our local radio (push any button, they are all the same) and really want to use my 160gig ipod!!

Cheers