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Old 7th April 2008, 13:14   #1
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'Sasta Solution' -Need CD changer repair / replace advice

Hello Hello!

I did not think that I would be posting here till I had a decent car in India with a decent budget of a few lakhs to get some serious ICE advice (Mera bhi ego hai! Yeh 50K budgets are an insult to the likes of Sam, LBM, Gunbir, etc.). But unfortunate circumstance's in my pimpin rides pimpin music system has led me here. Here's how the story goes:

I currently drive a 1998 Daewoo Cielo (Yes, yes - I hear everyone laughing out loud now). The car has a stock head unit / stock 6 CD Changer / stock front speakers / upgraded rear Sony speakers as the stock ones blew out on me. The CD changer was recently serviced and cleaned and was working fine until the car was driven over 1500kms over rough terrain and now it has developed an annoying bug.

The CD plays fine and does not skip but intermittently the audio cuts out of all 4 speakers. It does not matter if I am on a bumpy road or on the smooth NH-8 - the audio will cut out for about 10 seconds randomly and then resume. It is clearly not a skip but seems more like a loose connection somewhere. When I listen to the radio, the speakers do not cut out at all so we can rule out a loose speaker wire connection. My driver who drove the car for the 1500kms says it's a grounding issue. Car stereo shops beg to differ - they say that there is no grounding involved - just a direct connection.

So I took the car to 2 audio repair shops. Shop A told me that it may be a connection problem at the back of the head unit but they will need to take the HU, Changer and changer lead wire out of the car. They would charge me Rs.550 just to look at it. More than this - getting the lead out is a pain and I would need to leave the car with them for a few hours and then they would take a week to diagnose the problem - I want to avoid this as it is way too much effort.

Shop B said that your lense is gone - Rs.1500 to replace it. Or if I want temporary 'Jugad' - he can increase the gain (?) and this would be Rs.600.

So now it seems I have 4 options. Please help me pick the lesser of the evil.

1) DIY solution - Can someone help me figure out what the problem is - I can try and troubleshoot it myself. - Cost Rs.0 (But could lead to premature hair loss)

2) I have an ipod - should I pick up a FM transmitter? How much do these run and will I get semi-decent audio quality without much interference (LBM's swift is not the benchmark here. My erstwhile 1988 Maruti 800 with manual 'tape' player that only produced blissful static is the benchmark.) - Cost Rs.1000 (Guesstimate?)

3) Buy a supercheap headunit with single CD player with aux direct connect or mp3 capability - Any suggestions on brand / model - Cost Rs.3000 (Guesstimate Again? and is this really worth it?)

4) Listen to Delhi's Hit 95 FM and suffer from an influence of a bad music taste which comprises 'Pope and Roke". - Cost: Having some shady love ballad by Bryan Adams stuck in my head for weeks on end.

I like my music and primarily listen to my ipod. I do not commute much but would like to have my tunes play in my car through CD without 'chika chika stop the music remix' whenever I am driving. I know that I am being 'El Cheapo' here but the truth of the matter is that I am only in India till October and after that point I am going to abandon this car and really do not feel like investing anything substantial in this pile of future raw material for some nice wrought iron furniture.

So gents, please breeeng on your suggestions.

Thanks,
vcash

P.S. I am thinking of upgrading the front speakers as the ones in the car right now are pretty weak and it's the rear that is providing all the volume. Any cheap front speakers brand / model I can get that are relatively loud? I presume that these are 3 inchers in the dash.

P.P.S My quest for upgrading the front speakers made me realize something - I need to get out of the ICE sub-forum fast! No one has replied to my original post and I am already compromising my value driven ideals!! (This place has some funny witchcraft thingy going on!).

Last edited by vcash : 7th April 2008 at 13:23.
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Old 7th April 2008, 13:24   #2
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Does sound like the problem is with either the CD changer or the connecting cable. The only option would be to remove the changer and the cable and have a respected technician look at it. Considering you still drive the car, I would assume you might be emotionally attached to the ICE gear also, and wouldn't want to swap the HU + Changer for a new mp3 head unit.
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Old 7th April 2008, 13:45   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bass&Trouble View Post
Considering you still drive the car, I would assume you might be emotionally attached to the ICE gear also, and wouldn't want to swap the HU + Changer for a new mp3 head unit.
Oh No!!!! There is zero, nada, nil emotional attachment here. The reason I drive this glorious ride is more out of financial motivation (Yes an oxymoron if there ever was one - Daewoo, Cielo and Financially Viable seldom go together). However the choice was simple - buying a new car for an extremely short period and losing a lot of money when selling it or driving an old car that was parked at home and was not seeing any action and spending less money repairing it than the hit on depreciation from a new car.
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Old 7th April 2008, 14:39   #4
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In which case, do get a budget mp3 player from Pioneer or so with front aux-in and thus play your iPod through it too. Damage ~ 4k.
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Old 7th April 2008, 15:58   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bass&Trouble View Post
Damage ~ 4k.
4K!!!! You just increased my car's value to 6K. 3K for the depreciated music system and 3K for the car!! Seriously B&T - "Sasta Solution Mangta Hai". I am leaning towards this FM transmitter idea. Alternatively - Are there any plain jane stereo sytems - no aux no nothing - just mp3 CD for like 1500 to 2000?
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Old 7th April 2008, 16:12   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vcash View Post
Yeh 50K budgets are an insult to the likes of Sam,
Sam would rather spend the money on flowers, wine and food.

Quote:
Originally Posted by vcash View Post
I currently drive a 1998 Daewoo Cielo (Yes, yes - I hear everyone laughing out loud now).
Oh no. we are pretty used to laughing our fellow ICEers cars primarily a particular Sierra :-)

Quote:
Originally Posted by vcash View Post
The CD plays fine and does not skip but intermittently the audio cuts out of all 4 speakers.
Shop A told me that it may be a connection problem
Shop B said that your lense is gone

1) DIY solution
2) I have an ipod - should I pick up a FM transmitter?
3) Buy a supercheap headunit with single CD player with aux direct connect or mp3 capability - Any suggestions on brand / model - Cost Rs.3000
1. DIY solution: check speker connections if one speaker is touching metal it could be shorting the HU.

2. FM tranmitters are pretty poor. I would avoid them. It would be better to get a cheap CD player. BTW some car audio shops will sell you a OEM CD player for cheap.

3. If you looking at budget front speakers think Blaupunkt or JBL. I would listen thse 2 as well as Pioneer (since they are so easily available) and choose.
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Old 7th April 2008, 16:36   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by navin View Post
Oh no. we are pretty used to laughing our fellow ICEers cars primarily a particular Sierra :-)
Hey Man...Why would you laugh at a fellow ICEer's Sierra!?!
I am an architect by profession and let me tell you that the Sierra was one of the best looking cars on the Indian road - pity though it was far ahead of its times.... and hence a failure. It was just apt in its proportions.... unlike the Safari which is so unstable because of its height.... Even today you come across so many well-maintained and possessed Sierras and they look better proportioned and agile than the Safari...
So please do not laugh..... or is it a case of 'khatte angoor'!?! No offence meant, bro...
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Old 7th April 2008, 17:01   #8
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I think that a change of equipment as B&T suggested would be the most sasta option in the long run (money-wise & time-wise).

A really sasta way to get it done would be to go to your friendly neighbourhood Car Accessory shop and look at HUs that people have left there after they upgraded. You will find pretty good HUs for as low as 1000 bucks. Lots of people even leave brand new HUs that come standard with their cars, after they upgrade to aftermarket HUs.

If your original budget is 3K, I'm sure you can fit in decent 4in coaxials from Pio or Blau or JBL, along with a second-hand HU.

Happy Hunting

EDIT:
Quote:
Originally Posted by asejwal View Post
...Hey Man...Why would you laugh at a fellow ICEer's Sierra!?!...
Chill, buddy! Navin didn't mean Sierras in general, but a particular black "modded" Sierra (may it rest in peace) that one of our prominent ICErs used to inflict upon fellow roadgoers. That Sierra has a story that is best "experienced" with a trip to the TBHP Meet section, to an old Mumbai TBHP meet Thread.

Last edited by hydrashok : 7th April 2008 at 17:07.
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Old 7th April 2008, 17:45   #9
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Thanks for the advice guys. I am going to give Navin's DIY option a shot first. Here are some pictures I took. Anything obvious jump out that I should attend to first? There is some wierd wire that's sitting on top of the CD changer - what the heck is that? I hope thats not shorting something.

P.S. I don't think these are Sony speakers - My driver told me he got them replaced - unless these are daewoo casing(?)
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Old 7th April 2008, 19:22   #10
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Sabse sasts solutions...

Hack a DIY "line in" somewhere in HU's circuit Now wandering if it really is possible.
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Old 16th April 2008, 14:15   #11
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Update Update Update!

The remixa editiona musica systema has gone from annoying skip to death. That's right - yesterday at approximatley 5:35pm, I regret to inform you that the head unit powered down and is refusing to start up again. If I remove the face plate, the security light keeps beeping red so I do not think that it is a power / fuse issue. So Any suggestion to get my music on again?

I may just have to go and try and pick up one of these discarded oem head units people trade in when they go get an upgrade - any clue on where to go in Gurgaon for this? And what should I pay for this? Rs.50 / Rs.500 / Rs.5000???
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Old 17th April 2008, 01:56   #12
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if you can go to lajpat rai market, get a dups jvc/sony/etc etc labelled mp3 player

u can have a VCD playing unit as low as 2.5k..with remote.! beat that
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Old 17th April 2008, 10:07   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vcash View Post
...If I remove the face plate, the security light keeps beeping red so I do not think that it is a power / fuse issue. So Any suggestion to get my music on again?...
Sounds like a Face Plate health issue - the HU is not recognizing that the faceplate has been remounted, and hence not changing state from Power Down to Restart. If the Security Light is blinking, it means that power is OK and most likely so is the rest of the HU.

Could be a simple thing that a competent service person would be able to correct. Give it a try - get it serviced.
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Old 17th April 2008, 10:47   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SirAlec View Post
if you can go to lajpat rai market, get a dups jvc/sony/etc etc labelled mp3 player

u can have a VCD playing unit as low as 2.5k..with remote.! beat that
Precisely what I was thinking

Where can I find such duplicate/Chinese no-brand or fake brand players in mumbai? Seems a good idea if such player is available for 2k (I.e. without VCD capability)
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Old 17th April 2008, 10:53   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by asejwal View Post
Hey Man...Why would you laugh at a fellow ICEer's Sierra!?!
So please do not laugh..... or is it a case of 'khatte angoor'!?! No offence meant, bro...
Don't be offended Arun, go through this thread & discover the saga for yourself!
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modif...a-belongs.html (Guess who this Modified Sierra belongs to?)
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