Cleaning and Maintaining Head Units

[souravbasu]

Hi All,

Let us discuss and share the tips and information on how can we maintain our HUs.

Please share your experiences on cleaning your HU's lens or head.

We may also discuss other HU related problems and their possible remedies - problems like CD read skipping errors, CD getting stuck, Cassette tape getting stuck, Display error in HU, etc etc.

Please keep posting.

Cheers!

[jkdas]

Never tried teh CD player head claening cd in a HU. They say it would get stuck. Cant I jsut use a plucker to pull it out if it happens?

[souravbasu]

I have heard people advicing not to use normal CD Lens Cleaners for domestic players in Car HUs.

Because that would do even worse to the CD Player ... it could rip off the lens system as the gap provided between the lens and CD is very little in Car CD Players in comparison to normal cd players at home. Also the brush may damage the CD loader/lifter.

I have heard people talking about wet type lens cleaners ... I really dont know what are these wet type lens cleaners.

[navin]

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-en...r-audio-3.html

please see post #35 of above thread.

Use wet cleaners if ever. OK! dry cleaners often do more harm than good and never use WD40 (dont laugh) I have a friend who tried it.

[jkdas]

Originally Posted by navin

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-en...r-audio-3.html

please see post #35 of above thread.

Use wet cleaners if ever. OK! dry cleaners often do more harm than good and never use WD40 (dont laugh) I have a friend who tried it.

***, can I meet him one day plssss. plsss

[parijnan]

Originally Posted by navin

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-en...r-audio-3.html

please see post #35 of above thread.

Use wet cleaners if ever. OK! dry cleaners often do more harm than good and never use WD40 (dont laugh) I have a friend who tried it.

1.Isopropyl alcohol?? Can you name any brands?? How about alcohol based perfumes or surgical spirit?

2. After soaking the earbud in alcohol, how do I locate the lens? The slot looks too small to take a bud. Are there any dangers of leaving lint on the lens?

[speed_n_sexy]

cd cleaners hardly work.. its better to hv a service done by the dealer rather than tryin new stuff atleast u can blame him for the results.

[abhi182]

1.Isopropyl alcohol?? Can you name any brands?? How about alcohol based perfumes or surgical spirit?

No, never use a perfume..it'll leave mineral traces all over the lens

Surgical spirit works fine

To clean a CD lens, you'll have to open the casing (ther's now way you can do it from the slot, you may just end up damaging the lens assembly)
So just open the casing, dip the earbud lighly in spirit, and very very gently , clean the lens in circular motion to remoce all traces of dust/debris from it..let it dry, and then close

[jkdas]

we all taking about car HU head cleaning right?

[abhi182]

The Car HU could mean the lens pickup mechanism
Nevertheless, for a regular tape deck mechanism, there are three methods:

1- easiest, and the least effective: use a regular cleaning tape...comes for like 75/-...doe a basic job of cleaning mildly dirty heads...use regularly and you don't need to employ any other method

2- Use a IPA based spray with a nozzle (the kind used for cleaning VCR heads...Make the nozzle reach out for the head and pinch roller...spray on both, let dry, use...little more effective than (1)

3- for dirty solied heads & pinch rollers, it's time to employee 3rd degree...get a lint free cloth (or a old soft vest), IPA and a set of screwdrivers...
take out the head unit, open it up...clean the head lightly with Lint-free dabbed in IPA...repeat with a clean section of the cloth till there are absolutely no traces of gunk on cloth
next come the pinch-rollers, dab IPA again, rub a little more vigorously on the rollersin circulr motion while slight;y tirnng the wheels till the whole wheel is cleaned.....repeat twice....

Screw back the HU, make the connections and you are done

[Sahil]

I guess keeping it dust free is the key. I just want to add that Pioneer units are the most long lasting imo. In my family a headunit+cd changer get passed from one car to another and so far Pioneers have lasted like none other....had a blaupunt and it didnt even last for 3 years. Using reputed cd lens clears and tape cleaners is the only way i have maintained my HU's.

[navin]

Originally Posted by parijnan

1.Isopropyl alcohol?? Can you name any brands?? How about alcohol based perfumes or surgical spirit?

2. After soaking the earbud in alcohol, how do I locate the lens? The slot looks too small to take a bud. Are there any dangers of leaving lint on the lens?

surgical spirit will work. It is colourless and does not leave any deposit. I think it is methyl alchohol right. Our resident doc from Punjab can confirm.

The only way I know to clean is to remove the HU from the install. then you can open the top cover and access the lens.

[Zappo]

On the same note... I find that to remove the HU (Sony Xplod) from the car it requires some special keys without which you can not not take it out of the housing no matter how much you try. Unfortunately it was not supplied to me. Ok, was there when they were installing it but they never gave it back to me. So now what do I do? Are these keys available just like that?

[souravbasu]

Originally Posted by Zappo

On the same note... I find that to remove the HU (Sony Xplod) from the car it requires some special keys without which you can not not take it out of the housing no matter how much you try. Unfortunately it was not supplied to me. Ok, was there when they were installing it but they never gave it back to me. So now what do I do? Are these keys available just like that?

while installation of Sony HU into my car I didnt see them using any such key .. although I see the manual speaks about such key. I guess this keys can be obtained from the dealer from where you have got the car stereo installed.

Just a thought, it will be really good if anybody can post step by step guide (with photo) to open a Head unit and re-install it back again.

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by Zappo

On the same note... I find that to remove the HU (Sony Xplod) from the car it requires some special keys without which you can not not take it out of the housing no matter how much you try. Unfortunately it was not supplied to me. Ok, was there when they were installing it but they never gave it back to me. So now what do I do? Are these keys available just like that?

All Head Units- Pioneer, Sony Kenwood etc have two basic methods of installation. This depends on the car in which it is being installed.

1) Most japanese cars need you to fit the "cage" - a metallic box or half box, that has "dog ears"that are bent out to secure the cage in the dash. The head unit then needs to be pushed into this cage till it clicks. Once clicked, it wont come out without a set of two "keys"
This "key" is not specific to the particular HU, it is brand specific. For example, all kenwood HU's use the same key. But a sony key wont work on a pioneer.
The keys are only useful in a click-install.
All HU's when brand new, come with 2 keys, as part of the accessories. Most installers neglect to give it to you. If you have the "key" you can just push it into the provided slots and the HU will pop out slightly and you can pull it out.

2) Most euro cars and some newer jap cars, have dashboard units that can be unscrewed. Then the "cage" of the HU is not used and the HU is secured using screws. This sort of install is best undone by an experienced person.