Thanks Bill for understanding... As I mentioned early on I do completely understand why people wouldn’t want to do the upgrade as it certainly takes away from the classic look which is why I was torn between keeping the original head unit with the possibility of the Nav tool which does add apple
car play to the stereo and allow a reverse camera to be installed, but from what I read it won’t activate automatically when you put the car in reverse and you need to hit the navigation button to see the rear camera .

You would also need to always have you’re phone connected to gain access to your google maps , music, etc which I wasn’t personally keen on doing.


This is why I was torn between the two systems and mentioned them both in the hope to help others who may contemplate an upgrade in making a decision.

I am very happy with the functionality of the new system I chose and am glad I took this path because it’s literally instant to boot up and connect online with a Sim installed.

Once again it really was a plunge as I am aware that
many write ups warn about potential issues that can arise when messing with the car electronics .... particularly jags ... and again for me the two things I can say which are small issues are the aerial taking a long time to retract and the buzzing noise at the steering which after further investigation does appear to be unrelated but I will report on that once I get round to further investigation.

However time will tell if this was a wise choice but I can also say that there is no issue to re install the old unit since no connectors were removed or cut during the installation.

So..... as long as the installers are experienced at removing the trim and understand installation. you shouldn’t have any damages at all.

Naturally we all know plastic clips can break and in my case the original plastic is very brittle due to the heat but I can report that nothing was broken during the installation.

Once again I do hope this helps and is of value for anyone out there contemplating a stereo upgrade.

 

Cee Jay, let's assume for the moment that Luke's intention was to promote the Navtool unit. I'd have to rate his marketing skills as a -1 out of 10. In his very long and detailed original post, he mentions Navtool once. The rest of the post is focused on the system he DID buy, which was not a Navtool item. It would have been much easier for him to just drop a link to Navtool in a post and promote the hell out of it besides. Maybe I am missing the subtle devious plot that you've picked up on.

BTW, Navtool as a company does not impress me at all, and I would not buy from them.

“If it is true that we need a degree of certainty to get by, it is also true that too much of the stuff can be lethal.”
― Terry Eagleton, The Meaning of Life

 

Maybe so Bill, but why didnt Luke tske the opportunity to prove he owned a X150 by replying to post no 8?

 

First Posts from people usually aren't an in-depth deep dive into a semi-major project using a specific item with a link to an already-forbidden company like N*vt**l.
Plus, no other posts in any other thread.

 

If I'm wrong in my assumption, I whole-heartedly apologize. I have been wrong a few times before............................................ ..

 

Ok can someone enlighten me why the nav tool is a banned item or topic ?? I originally found out the info about the Nav tool by browsing older threads here on the forum and then researched it before making my decisions...

Had I been aware that Nav tool is banned I wouldn’t have even mentioned it as I’m new to the forums and didn’t know that there are all these rules and regulations .

Secondly why would I need to prove or show more detailed pictures of my car to prove ownership ? Is this also a requirement to make posts here ? Why would I have taken pictures of the interior and gone into depth about all the issues I encountered with a view to simply helping other people out ???

I’m sorry but I really don’t understand why people are reacting this way . If what I have posted has broken rules or upset people which I find to be absurd then please by all means “ADMINS” delete and ban this thread . It’s really of absolutely no loss to me whatsoever . !!!

 

It's not 'People', it's me.
This forum has had MANY people post ad-type posts as their first post ever. Usually these posts include something about Navt**l, and then they either never post again or the Admin/Moderators delete/ban them.
If you are indeed an ACTUAL Jaguar/XK person, then all is well and I do apologize.

This is a mostly a reaction to all the many FIRST POST = SPAM threads there have been. Again, mostly referencing Navt00L.

 

NavFool is a Drop-Ship company BASED out of New York, with only a single office in a New York business park with two employees world-wide. They take orders for items and have the manufacturers of those items deliver to the buyer. The actual COMPANY is pretty much nothing but a market-markup scam.

 

Ok thanks for clearing this up C jay. I have updated my profile now with a pic of the car . I wasn’t aware of people using the forums to promote bad products neither did I realise that the Nav tool was a bad product . It appears I was lucky to circumnavigate that by choosing the android unit.

 

Hey Luke, do us a favor please and refrain from mentioning where you sourced the product. They have a history of spamming and trolling websites once something negative is said about them. Their website says they are rated A by the Better Business Bureau but if you go out to the New York BBB you will see they are rated F. So we avoid mentioning them on this site.

That said, you bought from them vs going to Alibaba. There are other threads about this product as well. Please post a video. We've seen the one by the manufacturer. It would be cool to see one by a forum member.

Also, please address the screen glare and any other issues you have. Can you also take a detailed pic of the backside? I'd like to see the connections.

This is a tablet with proprietary coding I presume. Tablets don't age well and the companies that sell these disappear quickly or simply discontinue the product. Did you keep all the original parts in case you need to revert?

Thanks.

 

Some additional questions:

How do the interface with steering wheel controls perform?
Can you change the appearance of the tablet (change background, app buttons appearance and size, etc...)

Thank you.

 

Luke, would you mind continuing this thread on this thread that is a lengthy discussion of the particular product you chose?

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...2012-a-237605/

 

Hi Sean , no I didn’t buy anything from
nav tool I just mentioned them at the start as I was considering it as a solution.

I sourced the unit from AliExpress .. As mentioned previously I did say I would have liked some more
customisation for the button size etc but at this time it’s not possible .

I am going to discuss with the factory if they can add this in an upgrade as well as options for the clock display to be analogue instead of digital.

I will try take some video tomorrow and yes there is a glare on the screen which most likely can be fixed with an anti glare screen protector .

 

As for the steering controls it works perfectly no delays it’s responsive and no complaints . The connector wa a plug and play . I didn’t take detailed pictures on the installation unfortunately so I can’t show the connectors .


Yes I kept the original head unit and parts so it’s not an issue at anytime to re install it back to the factory default.

 

What about Vehicle Settings? There are a lot of them, and omission would be not good.
Heated steering wheel? I've not seen that on any other screen than OEM.

 

As mentioned earlier all the vehicle settings are available and work on this unit. It does have the heated steering wheel control as well but I can’t verify it as my car doesn’t have heated steering .

The only setting I believe I lost was the valet option that’s all .

 

I can help explain. I saw a very similar situation on the Toyota 4Runner forum when an Android head unit was made available for the current generation of vehicles. There were a lot of posts early on by people new to the forum. They praised the head unit, lightly mentioned the issues, and would post if the manufacturer released a software fix for the unit (ie - there was a brightness issue).

After a month or two, regular users started purchasing the units and sharing the poor experience they had. The story changed pretty quick, and the new users were suddenly no where to be found.

I am the target market for this, as the only part of my XKR that I don't like is the screen. But I'll be watching this from the sidelines until there is either more information or a trusted member here reviews it.

 

This is the same product marketed under several different brands was discussed at length in this thread https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...2012-a-237605/

I have invited the OP to participate there hopefully to keep this comprehensive and all in one place.

A couple of members here seem a bit overbearing but in their defense it is strange this is how a new member introduces themselves. Regardless the feedback is quite welcome as there are many members here interested. Hopefully Luke sticks with us and can provide valuable feedback over time.

 

A couple years ago I saw probably the same vein of screen upgrade in the F150 forums. Same thing; a new guy posted all about it then left. A couple guys fell for it and were very disappointed. Now when anyone brings it up they get lambasted by the guys in there to Avoid At All Costs.
Course, maybe a different manufacturer, or maybe now a better product.

 

Thanks , I will stay active and today send a few more pictures of the screen and give feedback on how things progress. The only reason I went ahead was because I can revert back if after time this upgrade ends up being problematic so there really isn’t much of a risk in my view but I certainly gained all the things I wanted by proceeding .

Yes I’m aware that some of these factories in China may just disappear and stop supporting the products, but I personally couldn’t find another viable option to increase the connectivity and functions of the original head unit.

Let’s see how it goes and for those who are still considering this and prefer to stay on the side of caution perhaps it’s wise to wait a while to see if I encounter an issues ..... so far it’s been a week but all is working fine ..