CarPlay Screen Radio for the Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ (1999-2004): How to Install Android Auto and Apple CarPlay

The Grand Cherokee WJ is one of those off-roaders that never retires. With the 4.7 V8 or the 2.7 CRD, Quadra-Drive traction and a body that takes whatever you throw at it, many of the ones still on the road belong to people who use them for towing, for rough tracks, or simply because nothing else offers the same for the money. The only thing that gives away its age day to day is the audio system: a cassette or CD radio with a single-line display, no Bluetooth, no navigation and no safe way to use a phone. A model-specific screen radio for the WJ changes that completely, and it respects the sober look of its console.

Does the Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ have CarPlay as standard?

No, and it could not have: when the WJ was built, neither Apple CarPlay nor Android Auto existed. Depending on the year and the trim, the car left the factory with one of these units:

• A cassette radio with a single-line display on the earliest cars and the most basic trims.
• A CD radio, sometimes with a multi-disc changer in the boot.
• A CD-ROM navigation system on some late cars, with a tiny screen and maps that have not been updated in decades.
• The Infinity Gold sound system with its own amplifier on the Limited and Overland trims.

None of them supports phone mirroring or hands-free Bluetooth. Jeep offers no update whatsoever for this generation, so the only way to have CarPlay in a WJ is to replace the unit with a screen designed for its radio aperture.

The solution: an Android screen radio for the Grand Cherokee WJ

The screen radio for the Grand Cherokee WJ replaces the original unit with an HD touchscreen, using the frame and harness specific to this console, so it sits in the factory aperture without cutting any trim or leaving gaps. Here is what it adds:

• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto: the phone connects by itself at start-up.
• GPS navigation with its own aerial, compatible with Google Maps and Waze, with maps that stay up to date.
• Bluetooth with hands-free calling and music streaming, something the WJ never had from the factory.
• FM radio and playback over USB, Bluetooth and Spotify.
• Two USB ports for charging the phone or playing from a memory stick.
• A free reversing camera, which switches on by itself when you select reverse: in a car almost 4.7 metres long with a high tailgate and a spare wheel, it makes a real difference when parking.
• Plug & play installation, with no cutting or splicing of the car’s wiring.
• Three memory configurations: 1 GB + 16 GB, 2 GB + 32 GB or 4 GB + 64 GB.

If you are going to use navigation and music at the same time, we recommend the 2 GB or 4 GB RAM version: with several apps open, the smoothness is noticeable from day one.

Grand Cherokee WJ compatibility: supported versions

The kit is designed for the Jeep Grand Cherokee of the WJ series (1999-2004), the generation that followed the ZJ and preceded the WK. Compatibility is determined by the shape of the centre console and the radio aperture, not by the engine, so it fits:

• The 4.0 and 4.7 V8 petrol engines and the 2.7 CRD diesel sold in Europe.
• Laredo, Limited and Overland trims.
• Versions with Quadra-Trac or Quadra-Drive.
• Cars with a cassette radio, a CD radio or the factory CD-ROM navigation.

Two useful warnings. First: if your WJ has the Infinity Gold system, the amplifier is separate and it is worth mentioning before ordering so the installer knows how to power it. Second: the WJ and the later WK have different consoles, so always compare your dashboard with the product photos. If you have any doubt, send us a photo of your current radio on WhatsApp and we will confirm compatibility free of charge.

If you have a more modern Grand Cherokee, we have a guide for the Grand Cherokee WK2, and for the Cherokee of the same era, the one for the Jeep Cherokee 2001-2007.

What is the installation like?

The radio aperture of the WJ is roomy and easy to strip down, so it is a straightforward fit even on a car with some years on it:

1. Remove the centre console trim, which is a push fit, and undo the screws holding the original radio.
2. Plug the harness of the new screen into the factory connector of the car, without cutting anything in the original loom.
3. Connect the radio aerial, the GPS aerial, the USB ports and, if you fit it, the reversing camera cable run to the tailgate.
4. Seat the screen in its frame and fix it into the radio aperture.
5. Pair the phone for CarPlay or Android Auto and check the sound in all four speakers.

At an automotive electronics workshop the job takes one to two hours, plus the time to run the camera cable to the tailgate. The kit includes a manual and, on a car as accessible as the WJ, it is a perfectly realistic home job with basic tools. If the FM radio sounds noisy, that is usually down to the aerial adapter: we explain it in our guide on why an Android radio does not pick up stations.

How much does it cost to add CarPlay to a Grand Cherokee WJ?

The dealer has nothing to offer: there is no original unit with CarPlay for this generation, and genuine parts for the CD-ROM navigation are discontinued items that turn up in scrapyards. The other classic alternative, a universal aftermarket head unit, means buying the adapter frame, the aerial adapter and the camera separately, and the result is rarely as tidy as a unit made for the aperture.

The model-specific WJ radio already includes the frame, the harness, the GPS aerial and the reversing camera in the box. You can check the current price of each memory configuration on the product page.

Frequently asked questions

Does it work with the Infinity sound system on the Limited?
Yes, but the Infinity amplifier is separate from the radio and its power supply has to be respected during the swap. Let us know before ordering and we will tell you how to plan it with your installer.

My WJ has no steering wheel controls. Is that a problem?
Not at all. The screen is a touchscreen and works on its own. On cars that do have audio controls on the steering wheel, they can normally be kept; send us a photo of your steering wheel and we will confirm it.

Do I lose the clock and the trip computer information?
No. On the WJ the trip computer and the compass sit in the overhead module or in the instrument cluster, so they are independent of the radio and keep working as before.

Can I refit the original radio if I sell the car?
Yes. Since the factory wiring is not cut, you simply unplug the harness and refit the original unit. Keep the old radio and the trim panel.

My Grand Cherokee is a US import. Does the same kit fit?
In most cases yes, because the radio aperture is the same, but it is worth comparing the console with the photos: some American cars have different trim surrounds.

If you have another model from the brand, our guide to CarPlay screens for Jeep covers them all.

See the CarPlay radio for the Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ

If you want wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in your Grand Cherokee WJ, with a reversing camera included and everything needed to fit it, you can see the details and the available configurations of the CarPlay screen radio for the Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ in our shop.