Minidisc Replacement
 

I've just taken my centre console out today to replace 4 dead bulbs and notice the minidisc player is connected with the same type of plug and coloured wires and the CD player. This led me to wonder if it's an easy job to replace this with a more modern solution. What do Volvo fit in place of the mini disc option in the later vehicles? Is the connection the same and I currently have? Can anything be installed in place? Any comment appreciated.

No nothing else can be electricaly fitted there , On cars without mini disc there is a storage compartment .

I was thinking more in line with the electrical connection rather than the physical space. Is the same connection uded in later models if so they may pu tme half way to doing "something" with a Volvo unit of some sorts.

I too have been mulling on this...

There are guides to get a line in through the Amp, although for me it's a bit of a half way house. Then there's the use of the FM / AM inputs in the tuner, again with it's limitations. And finally the cheap and cheerful (and somewhat successful) use of FM transmitters to play audio through the radio...

All viable options, but not ideal (I live in a perfect world, in my head, lol)

Then I had a thought... presumably the actual "doing" part of the audio (CD player, MD Player, etc) involves generic off the shelf components, that are then coupled with an optical converter... so, I wondered if anyone has actually tried to tap into this part of the audio setup.

My MD player is jiggered (it just don't like to read the discs... ) so thought I might have a go, do a bit of investigation and so on and so forth... unless someone's already done it?

Fit a Dension Gateway 500 or Grom unit in it's place on the MOST fibre optic daisychain. Then you've got aux line in, ipod/iphone & MP3 on usb stick or hard drive.

True... But then I lose the fun of investigation and the £350 notes it'll cost....

Aye granted, there is that aspect but then there's the straightforward install of the Dension followed by a PITA fckin nightmare getting the BTA1500 bluetooth module to work like I had.

I dont see why you cannot take what I did to the FM/AM tuner and open up the mini disc player and find the analouge input and solder up a 3.5mm jack lead, just the same, as far as the stereo system is concerned it would still be playing the mini disc......


Take a pic of the insides and see what hcips are in there, then we could find the data sheet and find the inputs...

That's the plan... Although I'm wondering if there is in fact any analogue source inside an MD player with it being digital. It may well need some sort of TTL converter to fit into the read head of the MD player.

I'm hoping to have a play this weekend.

Hi - can I ask where you got the bulbs from and how much they cost. Thanks.

so in theory this would then allow a 3.5mm jack into ipod to play back through the mini disc input? Would it be stereo sound and decent quality?

Might have to look into this next time i have a few hours spare. Any suggestions where i could get the data sheet from, so i can do it all in day as google is not showing much?

I have a bit of time this weekend, so going to pull the MD player and have a bit of investigation...

I'll report on my findings.

StuT4, yes it would just be like i have done with my FM intergration, a flying 3.5mm lead, you select mini dics player and pop on your ipod.....

I dont have a mini disc player to take apart to try....

Any luck?
 

Did you get any where with this?
Am looking at the useless MD player in my new (13yearold) XC and wondering why I can't tap a mini jack or usb input into it instead. Naive, I know.

I would like to go the other way :)

is it possible to fit a minidisc player into the console, is it just a plug and play or does it need some special software update doing?

The hardware part is very easy.

But you need to load the software at the dealer.

doh! I guess that's gonna cost a pretty penny, would have been nice for retro nostalgia but not worth it if its gonna cost a lot. thanks for clarification

Ring and ask. May be minimal.

Minidisc
 

I’ve just got a 2003 xc90 with minidisc player. When I load a disc it comes up paused. How do I press play? Or move tracks? Doesn’t seem to have any control buttons. Help!

it will all be in the owner's manual , try the steering wheel buttons .. however optical disk players lazers dont seem to have a very long life .