CD player problem.

[photo2001]

Got in my 2000 Forester the other day and tried the cd player. It played the first minute or so of the song, then stopped playing. I tried removing it and playing it again and the same thing happened. The car has been sitting outside without being run for a few weeks and I'm wondering if moisture got into the player. It used to be garaged and I never had this problem, but I lost my garage space. The other thing is that I always leave a cd in the player, even when it's just parked. Is this a bad idea? Is there a way to clean the lens in a cd player? This is a single cd player, not a changer. Thanks for any advice.

[ejlain]

Hi Photo. First thing to do would be try other CD's. Does it do the same thing with other CD's?. If not, the CD may be scratched or dirty. You can try cleaning the disc with some Isopropyl Alcohol a soft cloth. Just use gentle circle motions. You can also repair most CD's with a DiscDoctor. They are available at any electronics or CD store and go for about $40. Also, you can buy a LensCleaner kit for the INTERNAL laser in your CD player.

 

I suppose anything is possible, but just because you let the car sit for a few weeks, i doubt very much it is a moisture problem. Try the above before you do anything and keep us posted.

 

Thanks

 

Ed

[photo2001]

Hi Ed,

 

The same thing happened with two cd's I tried. One time the player had trouble ejecting one of the cd's. I will try to clean the cd's as you suggest. When I took the cd's out, it looked as if there were either some scratches or dust on them. Thanks for the ideas! I'll post back when I have some results.

 

Kevin

[coloradosubarules]

Might be time for a new CD player. Sometimes electronics are sensitve to the elements. Maybe you should consider a marine car stero. J/k.

 

Sorry to hear about your troubles.

[BlueTrain]

when you say it doesnt play, does it show the track playing on the display, but no sound?

or

do you just hear the disc spinning, but nothing on display?

 

if worse comes to worse, you could always just go over to your local big box store and slap in a 120$ Pioneer and have good sound.

[photo2001]

when you say it doesnt play, does it show the track playing on the display, but no sound?

or

do you just hear the disc spinning, but nothing on display?

 

if worse comes to worse, you could always just go over to your local big box store and slap in a 120$ Pioneer and have good sound.

 

It shows the track on the display, and I hear the disc spinning, but no sound, except for the first few seconds of the track. Btw, I have a Subaru 6 disc changer that I bought on ebay that I plan to have professionally installed, but wasn't planning to do that for awhile. It's the kind where the changer mounts under the passenger seat and the controller mounts in the dash. I might be installing it sooner than planned.

[Tiny Clark]

You don't clean CD's/DVD's by wiping them in a circular motion.

 

You wipe across the diameter. That way, if you scratch it, it won't affect playability.

[Martinjmpr]

Is this a pre-recorded CD or one that you burned? Some of my burned CDs eventually deteriorate or get easily damaged. Of course, since they're so cheap, if that happens, I just toss them and burn another one.

 

Also, if this is a burned CD, does it have a paper label on it? I've had problems in the past with discs that had paper labels on them. What happens sometimes is that the label gets hot and expands, or the sticky stuff starts wearing off and the label comes up a little, making it hard to play or eject the CD. For that reason, I've stopped putting labels on CDs that I play in the car.

 

BTW, I wish you luck with your 6-disc changer. I have one on my OBW and I hate it. It skips all the time, is a complete PITA to load or unload (DON'T try to do it while driving!) and the only place you can get replacement cassettes (or magazines or whatever you want to call them) is from Subaru for over $50 a pop. I have purchased an AM/FM/WB/Single CD deck and plan on installing it this month.

[cookie]

start to act up about a year ago. I just replaced it with a Sony that has been working pretty well. The original Clarion actually had a bit better sound but became a real pain with skipping. You can buy a good head unit so cheaply it is almost not worth fixing one.

[brus brother]

Well, if you are going to trash it anyway, here is a site that will tell you how to adjust the laser reader. It's really simple once you're in there and who knows, you may find a nest of dead ants that are the culprit to begin with. I've learned a lot in life by disassembling things that were ready to be trashed and then solved the problem, saved a few bucks and kept the landfills from filling up on my account. Check this site out and let me know how you made out. If you're not interested, mail the sucker to me (2000 Legacy - no CD Player) and I'll play with it. I like challenges.

http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2004/3/24/45212/6874

[photo2001]

Is this a pre-recorded CD or one that you burned? Some of my burned CDs eventually deteriorate or get easily damaged. Of course, since they're so cheap, if that happens, I just toss them and burn another one.

 

Also, if this is a burned CD, does it have a paper label on it? I've had problems in the past with discs that had paper labels on them. What happens sometimes is that the label gets hot and expands, or the sticky stuff starts wearing off and the label comes up a little, making it hard to play or eject the CD. For that reason, I've stopped putting labels on CDs that I play in the car.

 

BTW, I wish you luck with your 6-disc changer. I have one on my OBW and I hate it. It skips all the time, is a complete PITA to load or unload (DON'T try to do it while driving!) and the only place you can get replacement cassettes (or magazines or whatever you want to call them) is from Subaru for over $50 a pop. I have purchased an AM/FM/WB/Single CD deck and plan on installing it this month.

 

These are pre-recorded cd's. I did try a burned cd with a label once, which played, but ejecting was tricky so I didn't do that again.

Then I read somewhere that self-labeled cd's are a bad idea in these units. I just ordered a car cd-cleaner disc (put it in the player and it cleans the lens) from Amazon and some cd cleaning cloths to see if that helps.

Btw, I checked at Clarion's website and they did sell the replacement magazines at that time, don't remember how much though. I won't be needing an extra magazine, I usually play the same 2 cd's for months at a time, so six cd's will work for me for a long time.