[Biturbos4] CD Player Troubles

[Russell Romano]

He didn't say he was trying to play MP3s so I'm assuming he simply had a generic audio CD format that he burned on a disc.  The in-dash CD player on my A6 has no problems with this at all, but obviously won't play MP3s.  The changer in my old A4 would sporadically refuse to play CDRs.

The thing to remember about CDRs is that they have a significant lower reflectivity (to the laser light reading them) than a mass manufactured disc.    So the laser pickup is only seeing like 60% of the signal strength when reading a CDR.  So even thought the data is identical and SHOULD play, the player is always working harder to see the disc.  Any environmental thing that would lower the signal level being read will hurt the playback of a CDR first.  If the player then tries to compensate electronically I can see how it might get confused and not play anything until you completely power cycle it (I design electronics for a living).

This, by the way, is why first generation DVD players couldn't play CDRs.  DVDs are read with a different wavelength of laser than CDs... so when you use one to read a conventional CD you already have less useable signal (say 80%).  Put in a CDR and read it with a DVD laser and you might get 50% signal, and that is below the threshold of readability...

This is probably a LOT more than you wanted to know about this :)

-Russ





-----Original Message-----
From: j y [mailto:jimnetpa at yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2004 10:15 AM
To: David Bray; BiturboS4
Subject: Re: [Biturbos4] CD Player Troubles


 
If you have VAG.com loaded on your laptop - then run a diagnostic on the radio. If a fault code was generated - VAG should retrieve it. I do know from personal experience that the Symphony radio will not play CDs with MP3 files (so if u burn your own CDs with MP3 files - u will get that CD ERR1 msg - i did.) If you want to listen to your own burned CDs you must purchase PHATNOISE or PHATBOX, not sure which is the trade name from your local VW dealer or purchase it on the NET. The other option is to get an aftermkt system (www.crutchfield.com) installed to play CDs with MP3 files. From my research, the factory installed (stock) BOSE Symphony radio does not. I also have the factory CD changer (in the trunk). I haven't tried, but I assume that this unit doesn't understand/play MP3 files either.
 

David Bray <brayd at rogers.com> wrote:
I wonder if I could get some info/advice from the group.

On Dec 24th near the end of a 90 minute trip, the CD playing in my S4
hesitated at the last song where it would normally "wrap" around to the
first song. This exact CDR (& others I've made) has played countless times
in my S4 without problems. After about 10 seconds of trying to seek on its
own (it seemed), the display showed "CD ERR1". I proceeded to try to
track-seek forwards or backwards to no avail - same message. I then tried 2
other CDs (one commercial, and one I had burned) and both had the same
result once inserted into the player and wouldn't play at all.

Due to the holidays, I didn't use the car for several days. When I did use
the car, all my CDs played OK again. I haven't noticed a problem since.

I'm thinking that if it was just a dirty (or wonky) CD (though visually it
looked perfect), changing CDs should have cured it immediately. It was damp
out, but not particularly cold - nothing unusual as far as I could tell.

My questions to the group are:
1. What could/would cause this?
2. Would the error code(s) be saved?
3. If so, for how long?

I just don't want to take it into the dealer only to have them tell me "No
Fault Found", which clearly, would be a waste of my time and theirs.

TIA,
David
2001 S4, 6 spd

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