hpram99

before I start, please don't tell me to buy an aftermarket cd player. It's not gonna happen, I'd rather pay the $150 for a working stock unit.

ok, now that I'm not going to get any replies
I've posted this in the audio section, but most of the people that hang around in there are a little less tech oriented, so I didn't learn anything.
The cd player will accept cd's, read them, and shoot them back out. The motor spins up, and seems to work fine, so I assume the laser assembly is defective.

Anyone know what I could use as a replacement assembly (new/used, doesn't matter). Or anything else I could troubleshoot... besides sticking a cleaning disc in it. It's been like this for years, about 20 of them have gone through a cycle and not done anything.

thanks!

F1blueRx7

iTrader: (5)

You might be able to take it to a shop that repairs cd players and have them adjust and/or clean the cd lense. You can do this with kenwood units, but you might have to call a couple of electronics repair shops to find someone withe exp with cd players. Otherwise, try and buy one second hand.

YearsOfDecay

Try a lens cleaner CD... its a CD with little hairs on one side, works pretty well, but you might have to use it a couple of times before it works..... if the lens has a lot of dust or smoke haze on it, it won't read.. also, be aware the the stock CD units have a hard time with CD-R's and some newer CD's with multi-media bonus tracks on them.. Mine wouldn't play them even after I cleaned it and got it working well.

I've trained my CD player to not accept rap music... it spits it right back out!!!!

Also... be aware... your stock unit is at LEAST 12 years old now.... even "working" units are about to crap out.. its just a matter of time!

I didn't want to go with an aftermarket either... BUT, if you do it right and take your time, (like most people DON"T and end up breaking thier consoles), you can do an excelent job!!! Mine looks like it was supposed to be there (i fit... and dremeled, and fit and dremeled and sanded and cut and fidgeted, and got it little "wings" on the side of the stereo surround to perfectly match the stereo bezel!)

hpram99

YearsOfDecay: yeah, got it.

I'm not neccesarily affraid of ripping out the dash, I have a good amount of experience in doing so. If I was so inclined, I would have 3 8" subs in a custom mount in the back of my 'vert with neon lighting etc. I'm a stereo freak, so I have some experience with hacking cars

truespin88

Have you tried contacting Mazda about this? They might have something to say...

JLB

Mine is doing the same thing. It came on very gradually, at first it got really picky with CDR's, now it will search for up to 5 minutes before it can find a track on a store bought CD. Based on the speed that the insiode of my windshield gets a film on it I am not surprised the lens is getting dirty. Black car/black leather = lots of oils released by the interior when sitting in the sun.

Oh, one other thing my stock CD did - it couldn't find tracks if it was cold, but once the temps in the car came up it worked ok. I'm guessing the grease in the CD workings is getting really old and hard.

I plan on cracking mine open real soon to see if I can clean and regrease it myself. i like seeing the stock stereo still in there.

Jason
'91 NA

totpkg

Ok, contact Bryan Roller @ bryroller@hotmail.com.
I know he repairs broken windshield wiper switches and if I remember right he was also repairing the stock CD/audio systems in RX7's. He is a good guy and will help if he can or at least point you in the right direction.

kk

hpram99

thank you very much. Last 2 times I posted this question in the audio section I got nothing. Just goes to show that the tech people are smarter ;D

jpd3253

The Pioneer unit in the 'verts are repaired by Pioneer and Pioneer only. Pioneer does not sell replacement parts to independent shops. So, you can ship the unit to Pioneer, or as in my case I let a repair shop handle it since they tested the unit after Pioneer repaired and returned it. The Pioneer repair service supposedly goes through the entire unit and brings everthing back to factory spec. Total cost, in my case, was $300 which included repairing the CD, Cassette, and Radio. I don't know what the cost for just the CD would be. I went this route because I wanted the stock radio, not an after market and assumed that any used unit would be just as bad as mine.

JDP

NZConvertible

I know you don't want to hear it, but the above post proves that unless you're obsessed with keeping it looking stock, and are prepared to accept significant compromises in audio quality as a result, it is simply not worth spending money fixing the stock head unit.

The money is far better spent on a new head unit that doesn't skip over every bump, can run aftermarket amps properly (or at least has an internal amp if you don't take that route), has all the extra features of modern head units, and looks a helluva lot better.

hpram99

you were right, I don't want to hear it

WonkoTheSane

iTrader: (2)

<background>I work with a car audio shop that does electronics repairs (TV/CD Players/Home and Car stereo/etc)</background>.

to be honest, by the time the player gets to where the laser assembly is shot, it's time to toss it. Unless you are hard-core enough to want to drop 300 on it like jpd3253, nothign you can do internally will be of much help. If running a cleaning disc through it doesn't help, then you may be able to get another month or two out of it by adjusting power, but there's just not a lot of life left in it at that point.

As NZConvertible and JPD both pointed out, any unit is going to be as old as yours, it's a time bomb. It's not a matter of if it will fail, it's a matter of when.

Another option (I dunno if if you considered it), is leaving your factory deck in the dash, and doing a stealth install under the seat, or in the storage bins for another deck or a cd changer. A CD Changer you can run through a FM modulator into your factory deck (Assuming the radio is working fine), or an external deck you can re-route wires to it from the speakers. You can get a nice one with remote control for well under 300 dollars, and still come out with a better sounding unit..

Just something to consider

Electrikhead

I agree with NZ, its not logical to keep the stock one in, save teh "look"

NZConvertible

Well it sounded like your only reason for not wanting a new head unit was money, so I'm assuming you're under the mistaken impression that getting a 15yo CD player to work properly would be cheaper than buying a new one.

hitmang11

im torn between buyin a new one an possible tryin to fix or replace internals of my stock cd player in my 90GTU, it doesnt work if its cold, and wont play sum burned cds im actually suprised it plays any. And it skips like no ****** other. Ive tried cleaning, and id like to keep it lookin stock, i like the look of the 89-91 cd players, so i dont know...

hitmang11

.

hitmang11

.

Jodoolin

JPD3253 is only partially correct about Pioneer repair. Yes Pioneer can rebuild the radio. However, they do in fact sell replacement parts to authorized Pioneer repair shops. I had a similar problem as yours (spitting back disks) along with the rather common "skips with a bump" PIA.

Authorized Pioneer electronic repair shop diagnosed a bad lazer. You can find authorized repair shops on the Pioneer website. After some hassles with the repair guy, it was Icemark who suggested that the entire "sled" be replaced rather than futzing around trying to find the alignment tool needed to put only the lazer in. No alignment needed with the entire sled install.

Replacing the sled and labor totaled about $140.00. Now works fine thank you very much. He got the sled from Pioneer.

I am with you hpram, we are among the very very few trying to keep my nearly mint RX bone stock. Sure the radio/cd is old technology but then so is the 7 itself. If I want great sound I stay home and listen to my Carver system.

Parastie

I wonder if you could gut the insides of the CD player and wire in a new generation one? Last time i checked my CD player was doing the same thing, but my dad said he got it to work. If it's not working i'm going to buy one of those cheap $40 decks at walmart and see if it's possible.

hpram99

I tried to make it sound like money was no object.
stated in my first post: "before I start, please don't tell me to buy an aftermarket cd player. It's not gonna happen, I'd rather pay the $150 for a working stock unit."

I have a handful of good working aftermarket units, and access to more units at wholesale price.

so no, price is not the problem


amen bro

jpd3253

IMO. If you want the stock cd unit, have it repaired by Pioneer. I made the mistake of buying a "working" unit and it was marginally better than the unit I had. So, I still ended up having to have the unit repaired by Pioneer, costing me more money. For what it is worth, the my repaired CD has problems associated with its age and technology...it will skip on hard bumps and some burned CDRs totally confuse it. However, since my intent is stock, I accept the CD's limitations. LOL... I'm now trying to get the original '88 door woofers re-coned, try explaining that one.

JDP

NZConvertible

The reason I have a half-decent stereo at home is the same reason I didn't waste my time with the stock head unit. I hate listening to crap-sounding music, no matter where I am.

mcnannay

i love having the stock look too, i would have a real hard time chopping up my dash to fit anything, i want to come up with a system using an ipod and maybe a hidden head unit somewhere, i don't know yet, but i dont want to sacrifice good sound and all that

NZConvertible

There is no "chopping" of anything required to fit an aftermarket head unit. And keeping the stock unit is sacrificing good sound.

jon88se

hehe even with a decent head unit and speakers they still sound like garbage in most FC's that don't have amps - most of us have no cats and straight through mufflers and it takes a lot of stereo to sound good over that racket. a downpipe, racepipe and the Apexi Dual N1 = stereo sounds like my ***