Which radio is in your Jaguar X-Type?
Jaguar fitted different radios over the years. Find your X-Type’s years below, but go by the serial: radios are often swapped, and the free check reads it for you.
How to find your Jaguar X-Type radio serial number
Most Jaguar X-Type radios show their serial on the screen, so you don’t need to take anything apart. The serial tells us exactly which code your radio needs.
On the screen
- Turn the ignition on and switch the radio on.
- Hold buttons 2 and 6 together for 2–3 seconds.
- Watch the screen: the serial scrolls past, usually last. Write down the letter and 6 numbers.
- Nothing? Try buttons 1 and 6 instead. Still nothing? The serial is also on a label on the radio itself.
On the label
The serial is also printed on a label on the top or side of the radio. Most radios slide out with a pair of radio removal keys (a few pounds from any car parts shop). Push them into the slots on the front until they click, then ease the radio forward. Some have screws to undo first.
Take a photo of the label rather than copying it by hand: it’s easy to mix up 0 and O, or 1 and I.
Tips for your Jaguar X-Type
- Try PTY and EJECT together first: five numbers on the display is the Alpine serial, and nothing has to come out.
- If that does nothing, hold buttons 2 and 6 — an M and six numbers means a Visteon radio, and that code is instant.
- The serial is five numbers but the code itself is four, so don’t worry when they’re different lengths.
What your serial looks like
-
M123456Ford M-series (Visteon)M and 6 numbers Instant -
12345Jaguar Alpine5 numbers By email
Can’t find it or can’t read it? Send us a photo of the label: £9.99, with a full refund if we can’t find your code.
How to enter your Jaguar X-Type radio code
Once you have your code, key it in like this. The example below shows the button presses. Your order page shows the same steps next to your code.
- Press button 1 until the first number of your code shows. Do the same with buttons 2, 3 and 4.
- Press button 5 to finish (Land Rover: the right-hand arrow button).
- Code not accepted? The screen shows LOCKED and a number. Stop before it gets to 10 and read our locked radio help.
- Press the button with each number on it (the 9 buttons work like a phone keypad).
- A beep means it worked.
If your Jaguar X-Type radio says LOCKED, WAIT or SAFE
Each wrong code makes the radio wait longer before the next try, and some radios lock for good after too many. Don’t guess: get the right code first, then follow the steps for your radio.
| Radio | What to do |
|---|---|
| Ford M-series (Visteon) | LOCKED 10: leave the radio and ignition on for about an hour, then try again, or hold button 6 for 10 seconds to get 3 more tries. LOCKED 13 means those tries are used up: the radio then needs a Ford dealer or a radio specialist. |
| Jaguar Alpine | PLEASE WAIT — leave the radio on for at least 30 minutes. |
What LOCKED, WAIT and SAFE mean, and how long to wait →
Why we use your radio’s serial, not your number plate
A radio code belongs to the radio, not the car. A dealer usually looks it up from the Jaguar X-Type’s number plate or VIN (the 17-character number in your logbook), which only works if the car still has the radio it left the factory with. Radios are often swapped under warranty, upgraded, or changed by a previous owner.
The serial number is printed on the radio itself, so the code we give you matches the radio in front of you. It is also how we can check it for free before you pay. Main dealers often charge £30–£130, and you usually have to book the car in.
Jaguar X-Type radio code questions
Where is the serial on an X-Type radio?
Press PTY and EJECT together and it shows on screen. On Premium Sound cars, hold buttons 2 and 6 for an M serial instead.
My display says PLEASE WAIT.
Three wrong codes make it pause. Leave the radio powered for half an hour or so, then try the right code.
Is the Estate any different?
No, the radios are the same as the saloon’s.
How much is a Jaguar X-Type radio code?
£9.99 per code. The free check comes first, so you only pay once we know we can do it, and you get your money back if the code doesn’t work.
How long does it take?
Most Jaguar X-Type codes appear on screen the moment you’ve paid, and we email you a copy. If yours has to be looked up by our team, we email it within 2 hours and tell you before you pay.
What if the code doesn’t work?
Check the serial first: 0 and O, or 1 and I, are easy to mix up. Still stuck? Tell us from your order page and we’ll put it right or refund you in full.
Another Jaguar?
See every Jaguar radio we can unlock on our Jaguar radio code page, or pick a model: S-Type, XJ, XK.
Updated September 2026