Hi,
I want to put a new stereo in my 95 XJS convertible and need some help. I looked and looked online (so not to have to make this post if the info was already available online)to see instructions (preferably a video) on how to remove the radio, door panel and rear side panel.
Thanks,
Steve

 

Radio is easy, I just did mine and put in a Kenwood KDC-X798 which I love, an all black faced unit you can change the lighting colors on to match the cars original lighting, has bluetooth and syncs to my smartphone, and a pigtail you can hide over under the lip of the console, a 32Gb USB drive holds all 5800+ songs we own (.MP3 format) from our computer at a time so we have our entire music library with us.

For removal, gently pull off the large knobs that control your temp and fan speed on your A/C control unit, you will see a large nut in behind both, loosen them and remove them (I found a duck-billed pair of pliers works great, kinda like needle-nose pliers but the tip is wider, not sure what you call them of your overseas). Gently work the A/C control out, don't even need to disconnect the wires, just let it lay down. The radio has 4 screws, remove them. On the sides of the stock radio are two L brackets held on by two screws each, remove them and re-use those same screws to secure those same brackets to your new radio (on the Kenwood there was already pre-threaded holes in the right spots and right size). You wont use the slide-in frame that comes with the aftermarket radio since your using those brackets. I found that adding a washer as a spacer behind the top two screws tilts the radio out just a tiny bit more at the top and makes it flush up more with the A/C bezel once its all reinstalled.

I would highly recommend using one of these before you even start, a guy on eBay makes custom harness ends that plug directly into your cars factory harness without any cutting or using quick-connects....

New Jaguar XJS 95 96 Radio Harness Adapter for Aftermarket Radio Installation | eBay


I used one of those and the Kenwoods harness and put them together soldering them and using proper heat shrink tubing working on a table before I ever went out to the car so once I got to the car everything went right in. I just had to fish the cord for MIC for the hands free Bluetooth (optional, you don't have to use it at all but now I can actually hear my phone when it rings when I'm going down the highway with the top down) down from where I wanted it up by the instrument cluster and I pulled the pigtail or the USB drive over and tucked it up under the lip of the passenger side of the floor console so it's hidden but I can still get to it easy when I want.

 

Does my 95 XJS convertible have a built in amp? Will that effect using the harness you advised me to purchase. Where is this amp located?
Thanks for your help!
Steve

 

I don't know if yours does or not but none of ours ever had including the models with the premium sound system and CD changer. The harness has everything that we needed for an aftermarket radio, The only thing it doesn't have is a plug for the stock CD changer but I haven't found a way to make the old stock CD changers work with a modern-day aftermarket head unit anyway, and with things like USB drives now CD changers are obsolete anyway.

 

@SouthernGypsy
I looked for such a harness but could not find one. The link you supplied me with was just perfect and I did purchase the harness. It took a little over 30 minutes to splice and put on heat shrink tubing. I would have figured out how to get to the radio fairly easily but I was more confident with your instructions as I am always afraid to pull things off as there might be some screw holding it down. It literally took me 10 minutes to pull out the old radio and install the new one due to your instructions. Tomorrow the speakers will arrive so I will be busy with that.
I am using all Alpine equipment.
Head Unit CDE-HD149BT
Front Speakers SPR-60C
Rear Speakers SPR-60
Amp MRV-F300

 

Awesome