[s-cars] Radio Options

[Paul Luevano]

List-

	Looking for some advice.  Patient is a 95.5 S6 with, what I assume to 
be, the OEM Delta Radio.  As mentioned here a few weeks ago, the radio 
volume button stopped lowering the volume.  No matter which way it was 
turned, up or down, volume would increase.

	Folk on this list said "Common problem!", "Easy fix!", "just clean the 
volume pot with some contact cleaner.  Well, I tried that, and no 
improvement.

	I found a "Factory refurbished" radio on EBay, the seller had good 
feedback, so I pulled the trigger.  Arrived quickly and seemed fine. 
Even came with a copy of Ti Kan's Delta write up!  Worked fine out fo 
the box, but I soon discovered that more often than not, there was rally 
bad static on the radio.  Not static weak signal static, but static, 
something is electrically loose static.  Only on the radio, CD and tape 
worked fine.

	I contacted the seller (Morgan Technolgy, Canada) and they agreed to a 
refund.  In talking with them, discovered they were a "Authorized 
Blaupunkt Service Center".   I asked if they could just repair my 
original, they said yes.  Great.  Send both radios to them.

	A few day later I hear back from them.  They claim that there is 
nothing wrong with the radio I bought from them.  That in fact, it is 
showing stronger signal than my radio.  That's great, if that was indeed 
the fact in the real world, not on the workbench, I would not have sent 
it back to you.  Also, with my original radio that "someone tried to 
repair this radio before, and did not use the proper parts.  We 
can't/won't work on it".  I try to get them to explain, but their 
English is not good, and no matter what I said to them, (please just 
replace the parts and send it back with no guarantee, I'm fine with 
that", "Nope, can't do it, we wont work on it.".

	So, now I'm out $60 (shipping back and forth) and still without a 
working radio.

	Options:

	1) Try another service center.  (Recommendations?)
	2) Roll the dice with a used EBay radio.
	3) Replace with a new radio.

	I like option 1 best.  This radio works, sounds great to me, I just 
need the damn volume to work.

	Option 2, meh.  It's a gamble.

	Option 3.  If I can find a good radio that matched the interior 
aesthetic of the car, looks OEM, and I don't have to heavily modify the 
wiring harness.

	Thoughts, oh great Audi brain?

Paul Luevano
Wayland MA