C-5 12 disk CD changer troubles

[GetVette]

I'm a multiple C-3 owner and fan, perhaps "former fan", now I also own a C-5. Nice car, great ride but I hope I never have to work on it......

Today I noticed a significant problem where my 12 disk CD changer decided to skip several lines of more than one (legally copied chill-mix, mind you) CD. Some drop outs, some skips, some snap-to-a-nuther-song events. The kind of stuff you hear when your grandson gets 'hold of your classic Jimi Hendrix collection and thinks it's frizbee time. This all happened when I was sucking down a DQ in town today so road rage was not the cause. I also noticed after playing CD's for a couple of hours on this 85 degree day that the trunk mounted changer was quite hot, more so than the ambient air in the trunk area and adjacent CD changer compartment. Apparently, laser light beams come out of the player's eyes or something. These disks did not skip or burp when I last played them in the single CD player slot so I suspect the changer. I suspect the overheating also has something to do with this. I also removed all the disk copies from their respective slots and noticed minor scratching on the outer rim of the C-Disk which of course is where the most trouble was-tracks 15 and above. Thank You MR. Goodwench! Good thing I never use the original CD's in these devices. I wonder if this is an inherent problem or what.

When I bought this ride, the changer magazine was still in plastic wrap so the previous owner never used the changer. He also drove this car for five years without the required front Minnesota license plate on the front and the factory license plate frame still in plastic in the trunk. Pure luck apparently.

Any thoughts before I try playing my Slim Whitman collection?
Thanks,
Bruce G. (the "G" stands for GottaDriveMyVettes)
71 Brands Hatch Green Coupe (71K)
79 EZ-Go Green Coupe (85K)
81 Silver Coupe-collector quality (38K)
00 Silver/Black Vert-6 Speed and all options (8K)
02 EZ-GO electric 2 pass golf car (special K)

 

[Ken Anderson]

The OEM unit does not like copied CD's. Everything you describe is normal operation.

 

[Bioscache2]

The OEM unit does not like copied CD's. Everything you describe is normal operation.

I agree, while I have never put any copied cds in the vette changer, when i had a pontiac grand prix with the same change it would do the same thing on copied cds, it was always hit and miss.

 

[crooze]

I'm having similar problems but it's not subject to only home made CD's. It also skips on store bought cd's. I can't quite figure out what is making it skip. I can go over speed bumps or hit a pot hole that gives a fairly big jolt with no problem (most of the time) but I'll hit the smallest little bumps and it skips all over the place.

I did buy it used and after blowing the dust out and using a lense cleaner it got better but not to where I think it should be. If you made my old JVC changer skip you had better stop and check for bent rims or something.

 

[wwood]

I have noticed similar things. Because I only use copied (legally) CD's in my stack I can not comment on how originals might hold up. Generally I notice that the CD's work fine until I use them when cornering aggressively. This seems to be the cause of most of my CD problems. When it happens, I simply recopy the original and go again. Hope this helps.

 

[crooze]

After looking at the links listed at the bottom of the page I tried to mount my changer in a different position as I bought it used and it's not from a Corvette. After switching from a vertical mount in the center tub to putting in one of the side tubs horizontally (as a test), I cannot get this thing to skip on either home made or store bought cd's.

 

[Chrisr]

The OEM unit does not like copied CD's. Everything you describe is normal operation.

True, but......I've noticed with the CD player in my daily driver (MB C320) that I've never had a problem with store bought CD's. However, with copied one's I've noticed that the disc's with the bluish color on them don't want to play in it. But if I use the CD's with the silvery color ( look like normal CD's), I have no problem.

 

[DRTH VTR]

My in dash unit in my Z06 does not like a few tracks on a few commercial CD's. It is the same ones each time. I have been able to play some copied CD's and not others.

 

[silver98]

Try cleaning it. Remember the old cassettes and 8 track car players, they had to have the heads cleaned? Well, the CD lens can get lint / dust on it. RatShak sells cd cleaners, but be careful, too much and you can scratch that lens. Also, check the back side of the CD, if dirty, clean with a SOFT, lint free cloth radially from the center out to the edge. Do NOT rub back and forth.


Good Luck

 

[mqqn]

Hi GetVette -


I have a 99 with the changer - I make my own wav format CD's on cheap cd rom media. I use either adaptec or nero to burn them - and they all work fine in the changer.

I have heard of some folks having trouble and that those folks solved the problems by burning at a slower speed (I use 8x at this time).

I do have some issues in my Z06 with the in-dash player - it will skip occasionally over hard bumps with a homemade cd, wherease the purchased ones seem to not have that issue at all.

best regards -

mqqn

 

[crooze]

The OEM unit does not like copied CD's. Everything you describe is normal operation.

I don't agree that it is or should be normal operation. I just went from having at least one skip per song to not being able to make it to skip.

I do however agree that the speed of your burn and the quality of the cd media play a big part. After trying many different brands I have had good luck with K-Hypermedia and I never burn an audio cd faster than 4x.

 

[QWK C5]

I agree with Silver98, I experienced the same problem and my audio guy told me to clean it weekly for about a month to gradually clean the lens thoroughly. I tried it and it worked. Now i make it part of my weekly routine.

 

[97RedCorvette]

Copied CD's won't read correctly in the changer for whatever reason. The in-dash player will play them without any problem, but forget about loading the changer. My unit makes the CD's sound scratchy and overwhelmed by static. Unfortunately, this is normal. Of course, the format used to copy the CD may have something to do with it.

 

[crooze]

unit makes the CD's sound scratchy and overwhelmed by static. Unfortunately, this is normal. Of course, the format used to copy the CD may have something to do with it.

If the songs you're burning you ripped yourself take a look at the software you're using. Make sure it's doing a digital copy and not analog. I would think all CD-ROM drives these days have digital extraction capabilities. Also make sure your software (ripping or burning) isn't amplifing the music. I ran into that problem a while back and it produced the scratchy/static sound.

 

[97RedCorvette]

Make sure it's doing a digital copy and not analog. QUOTE]

I'll check my settings, but I think I it's copying digital. If that's the case, it's weird that it works fine when played on the in-dash unit but not the changer.

 

[SANOLS1]

I’ve had similar problems when cruising over a pot hole or something but nothing out of the ordinary until the one day my Teenage niece was driving with me. She inserted a Brittney Spears CD into the Dash unit. My car started sputtering and shut off. :ugh I got a message on my DIC saying “FATAL ERROR! PLEASE REMOVE CD FROM DASH BEFORE REBOOTING YOUR CAR” I’m told that Vette’s don’t run on DISCO either.

 

[Patrick]

I got a message on my DIC saying “FATAL ERROR! PLEASE REMOVE CD FROM DASH BEFORE REBOOTING YOUR CAR” I’m told that Vette’s don’t run on DISCO either.

Hmm, Corvettes apparently have defined musical tastes! Who'd have known! :L

I guess this means we'll have to rule out Country/Western music, too.

-Patrick

 

[Bioscache2]

Hmm, Corvettes apparently have defined musical tastes! Who'd have known! :L

I guess this means we'll have to rule out Country/Western music, too.

-Patrick

I wouldn't trust that brand in my car either.

 

[DRTH VTR]

I understand that hip-hop can cause the engine to backfire, resulting in oil being vomited out the throttle body!