S60 head unit / general ICE help

[wegal]

Hi all,

I have just had the shock of my life.... i have a HU-850 head unit and the CD part of it wont play CD's anymore, it just makes a whirring sound and then says CD error.

Have just spoken to trevor burgis a local volvo indy and they are saying that the CD unit on exchange is £571 :-(

The damn thing doesnt even play MP3 !!!!

I cant afford that, i cant find one on ebay and im stuck listening to the radio.. which is rubbish.

Does anyone know what my options are here ?

Im gutted, my car is 4 years old and it doesnt even look like i can put an aftermarket unit in without messing up the look of the dash, thats if i can even put an aftermarket unit in.

HEEEELLLPPPPPPP.... im in tears here :-(

[richiemat]

Wegal,

Same thing happened to my Hu-850 in my S60. Mine was luckily under warranty so it got sent back to Sweden & I now have a foc replacement with 'uprated internals' - yeah right. Oh and I lost the cds that were in it.

Its a bit of a ticking time bomb in my opinion, at the time I was looking at erm a blue'somethingorother' - will post details when I can remember but they're not cheap either. Failing all of that its probably possible to fit an aftermarket unit.

I know just how you feel!

edit search for 'bluepower' in google

[wegal]

cheers ill look it up :-)

[Liddo]

Nope, not cheap at all

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-Volvo-S60-...item414a801d1e

Funny, I only seen this on Ebay today

Ive got a Nokia N85, and that has an FM transmitter built it, so IF my CD packs up, I'll just transmit to it.

Cant you buy a CD changer for the boot????

[jim]

usually I take it out open it up and clean the laser eye with nail polish remover/alcohol etc and a cotton bud making sure its clean and no streaks/smears/dust /dirt remain, this seems to work for 9 out of 10 cd player errors. Most errors are caused by dust/dirt being sucked into the unit and finding its way onto the laser.....the whirring sound is usually it scanning for info and not being able to find it. Its more of a worry when it makes no noise at all.
________
Cheap Replica Double Eagle Automatic Electric

[richiemat]

Nope, not cheap at all

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-Volvo-S60-...item414a801d1e

Funny, I only seen this on Ebay today

Ive got a Nokia N85, and that has an FM transmitter built it, so IF my CD packs up, I'll just transmit to it.

Cant you buy a CD changer for the boot????

that's the gadget. does more for its money than the Volvo unit, I know if I was paying I would go for one of these.

Wegal what have you decided to do?

[Cubes]

I have had lots of simliar probs with my SC901. Had a simliar quote from Volvo for a reconditioned unit in exchange for mine, or £900+ for a new one.

As Jim said, the whirring is caused by the laser not being able to locate the info on the cd surface. I used (quite a few times) a cd lense cleaner which eventually worked (if you can find a 'wet & dry' one they work best).

Mine doesn't play copy cds of any sort (mp3,wma, etc). That's down to a variation in the software used between models. When I bought my car I treid a copy cd in a C70 of the same year in the showroom and it worked fine.

Have you thought about buying a cd multi changer for the boot? I have recently bought/installed one (thanks to Niles) so now I have a 9 cd changer in effect.

Off topic (sorry!), but I just got some HID bulbs delivered today! Hope they're just as easy to fit!!

[Baj]

You can get an adaptor plate and fit any new head unit. You will need an adaptor cable too but they are not expensive.
Or you could do what I did but thats not so cheap.

You will most likely lose your steering wheel stereo controls with either of these.

[Jaseb77]

get a usa-spec pa11-vol

and ipod your hu unit, will be seen as a "virtual " 6 disc changer
much cheaper and keep your head-unit

[wegal]

I hacve spoken to a few ice people, aftermarket kinda stuff and they are all sayin the same. I cannot fit a non volvo head unit and use the volvo amp. It will not work. No sound will come out of the speakers. If I want the same sound quality that I have currently but with after marjket stuff then its basically a complete rebuild of the sound system, which will not leave me muich change out of a grand. seen 3 different ice people and they have all said the same.

Basically volvo have shafted people with the premium sound system.

My choices are not great.... its a minimum of £600 which ever way i go, so in the interests of keeping my car standard im going to replace the volvo CD player with a new volvo CD player. I feel like ive just taken one up the arse with no kiss no cuddle and no KY.

Such is life.......

[Cubes]

Err... CD changer...?
Second hand Volvo one or an Alpine...

[Jaseb77]

Wegal

the IPOD setup will allow you to leave all Volvo kit in place & and all stearing controls work the IPOD, sounds great and will cost about £100 so thats a better option yes/no, or do you really want CD's cluttering up the car ?

[Baj]

I hacve spoken to a few ice people, aftermarket kinda stuff and they are all sayin the same. I cannot fit a non volvo head unit and use the volvo amp. It will not work. No sound will come out of the speakers.

I beg to differ.
I am using the Volvo Amp with my PC.

The amp remote fly needs powering which is easy enough and I just wired a 6 pin din plug to connect to the speaker cable connector so I could put my old HU back in when needed.
The centre speaker wont work as it is amplified from the HU but a third party HU is unlikely to be 5.1 anyway.

[jim]

you can use the volvo amp its just about what you connect and how. You get different advice from lots of people and there are reasons not to use std stuff if you want to change out parts but saying you can't is wrong, its painful or difficult maybe and may cost more but you can integrate volvo stuff including steering wheel controls etc to other builds. it is quick and easy to bin all the volvo stuff and go with separates.
like others say either clean the unit, add a cd changer or ipod interface are the easiest choices, start ripping bits out and changing the system will always cost you more.
________
Digital Vaporizers

[roy chu]

Hi Wegal, I feel your pain, I have a HU 850 in my S60 and my dad has the same in his V70.

Mine packed up last year Sept 08, it was clicking bad, it was due to the spindle where the discs are held in the changer unit due to temp conditions it became brittle and broke at the base so the the discs were just flailing inside.

I went to a place in Cheltenham, they had fitted some audio for me before and I know them quite well now, anyway they have a guy who drives down every friday from hull, and he fixes the units, in the end, I paid £300 for him to pick up and deliver back to the garage, he fitted a complete new CD Changer mechanism and it is now a lot quieter, but just to cover my back at the same time, I have a PA11 VOL Ipod interface fitted, so there was always a back up.

The Car Hi Fi centre, removed the stereo and fitted it aswell, my GSM phone and RTI still worked independently. There was just no music for a couple of weeks. As you are in manchester sourcing out a place for this fix should be looked into if you wish to keep you origional unit. If you choose not to go for a fix, then you have the option os a PA11 VOL ipod interface which allows you 6 folders of music which you can have 99 tracks in each folder.

If you like CD text, then you could go down the sensolutions route, which allows ipod interface with CD text utilising your origional stereo and the controls from the steering wheel work with both devices. The IMIV from sensolutions gives you a wider scope of music options, you can have 99 folders and in again in each folder you get 99 tracks.

As another alternative if you do not have phone or factory RTI, the bluepower looks fantastic, you get everything in the 1 unit, sat, bluetooth phone, slots for memory cards, again ipod interface, it will utilise you origional factory amps, already a conection to add a rear view camera, phono outputs, video outputs for rear screens should you ever want to go for this. It is the cleanest factory install around for the Volvo phase 2 models. I think blanking plates look a little untidy but thats just my opinion.

If you want to enquire about another replacement HU850 then there is a guy based I think in Stafford, not sure, but his name is Leigh, he has a salvage place (LB Volvo Spares) for Volvos 1996 onwards. The number is : 07759415420, I have bought stuff off him and he is very helpful, he used to work for Volvo previous to this business in the Bodyshop. I am sure he could get a HU 850.

Best of luck on the decision.

Roy

[Gouldy]

i have the standard headunit out of a S60, it has a CD player built in , is it the same as what your after?