A4 CD Changer

[MSV96 <MSV96@aol.com>]

In a message dated 12/30/97 Scott Philiben <scottp@preciseflight.com> writes:

<<Girlfriends new Audi Assurance Plan - 1996 A4 - She can't get the CD Changer
to work correctly. She says it takes about a minute and a half to engage and
play.>>

The Audi Gods (tm) are looking on you fondly, what with a date with a woman of
enough taste to own an A4 instead of a standardfemaleissue adnoh, etc.

Only a few reasons I can think of off hand that would result in slow "engage
and play" times in a CD changer. There may be some Audi A4 O.E. changer
feature I'm not aware of that could cause this...but I doubt it.

1. Dirty discs, yes...believe it or not they need to be clean and free of
fingerprints and other contaminants. #1 cause of poor playibility blamed on CD
players I find is not the player at all...it's the customer and the way they
(mis)handle their discs.

2. The changer is in a "shuffle" mode where each time a selection ends a new
disc/track is automatically played. This mode of operation causes much longer
than normal track transition times (seek time for you CD ROM types) than
normal play. Note this "feature" is VERY hard on the changer mechanism in
terms of wear.

3. Make sure the changer suspension settings are set for the changer
orientation. If this is mis-set (there should be little icons at the screws to
tell which way to set the suspension) the changer mechanism can "bottom out"
and be in contact with the outer shell. Vibration from the car would then be
disturbing the ability of the Laser Pick-Up focus and tracking coils to
maintain servo lock...hence slow access times. Excessive skipping would be
noticed if this were the case as well.

4. (This is the bad one...) Failing Laser Pick-Up. (Please no flames about "it
could just be out of adjustment" as I have many many hours in classroom time
learning how to work on these things dating back to when they were first
introduced in the marketplace near 15 years ago...the adjustments on modern CD
players seldom go out, pick-ups do all the time.)

Hope this helps make you a hero...in any event have a wonderful date and best
of luck with this unique woman.

Mike Veglia
87 5kcstq

PS: Happy New Years to all on the list!