940 original radio does nothing - replace or fix?

[Cuda]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

While i agree with the general sentiment of what you've said, try replacning your ancient head unit with a modern one of a similar output spec. Then see if you still maintain the old ones are just as good, even with the BT-FM transmitter etc and setting ergonmomics aside.

Thr main problem is that there isn't anything currently produced that i want to install in a 25 year old car. Or to any car actually.
Blaupunkt started making a modern versioon of their legendary Bremen HU recently. the price? A modest 400 euros. This is ridiculous money for a simple car stereo if you ask me.
And i'm not using an FM transmitter. The BT module connects to the CD box input.

[MiniNinjaRob]

You could try a nice secondhand Clarion or similar from the later 90’s. But you won’t get Bluetooth or DAB unfortunately.
Best thing to do is find a relatively unobtrusive head unit. Some brands seem to make their units flash like the Blackpool pleasure beach, some are more subtle.

I bought a Sony one a few years back that had a disco light sequence going on and no way to turn it off. Thankfully it became faulty IIRC and I swapped it with a nicer one. My current Pioneer isn’t too gaudy.

[bgarston]

Originally Posted by MiniNinjaRob

You could try a nice secondhand Clarion or similar from the later 90’s. But you won’t get Bluetooth or DAB unfortunately.
Best thing to do is find a relatively unobtrusive head unit. Some brands seem to make their units flash like the Blackpool pleasure beach, some are more subtle.

I bought a Sony one a few years back that had a disco light sequence going on and no way to turn it off. Thankfully it became faulty IIRC and I swapped it with a nicer one. My current Pioneer isn’t too gaudy.

Back in 2017, I purchased a Sony MEX-N6002BD from Halfrauds for the 940 which has been brilliant (CD, FM, DAB, USB/MP3 playback, Bluetooth, Hands-free). This unit does have flashing lights, etc by default but these can be switched off - the colour of the display can be changed too so it blends in with the illumination of the rest of the dash.

I needed a facia adapter which I got cheap from eBay, a DAB Film Antenna, again from Halfrauds and a harness adaptor - Be careful here, depending on the age of the car this differs; my car is a 1996 model which needs the harness for a 850/MK1 V70 and not a 940 (I found this out the hard way) - the Autoleads website should be a good guide.

Hope this is useful?

Ben

[SashaG]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

triaxial 13cm, 80W RMS jobbbies (cheap make but do the job) and the rears in my other car are 6.5" (soon to hopefully be changed for 8") triaxial beasts

Hi Dave,
how exactly are you going to fit 8" in those door cards? Are there adapters available for that?

Thanks
Sasha

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by SashaG

Hi Dave,
how exactly are you going to fit 8" in those door cards? Are there adapters available for that?

Thanks
Sasha

My other car isn't a Volvo Sasha!

[Foeux]

How odd. Mine had just begun to do this too.

Took out radio. Wiggled all connections. Scrubbed boards. Nothing

Code works but dimly lit lcd and nothing good thereafter. No sound. No crackles. No proper lighting.

There are two plugs leading to the back, the third single black wire is the aerial cable.

There are two round, unused plug sockets on the back 'CD' & 'AMP'.

Am I correct to assume that if the amp socket lies empty, then I haven't got one or is it not that simple.

With reference to the blaupunkt unit mentioned earlier in the thread, they are pretty cool looking but cost almost what I paid for the whole car.

I am semi-inclined to just source a good cassette player and use an aux lead with it.

I have seen working stereos of this type (cr90x) for over £100 on ebay. Madness.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Foeux

How odd. Mine had just begun to do this too.

Took out radio. Wiggled all connections. Scrubbed boards. Nothing

Code works but dimly lit lcd and nothing good thereafter. No sound. No crackles. No proper lighting.

There are two plugs leading to the back, the third single black wire is the aerial cable.

There are two round, unused plug sockets on the back 'CD' & 'AMP'.

Am I correct to assume that if the amp socket lies empty, then I haven't got one or is it not that simple.

With reference to the blaupunkt unit mentioned earlier in the thread, they are pretty cool looking but cost almost what I paid for the whole car.

I am semi-inclined to just source a good cassette player and use an aux lead with it.

I have seen working stereos of this type (cr90x) for over £100 on ebay. Madness.

If you plan on using your phone to provide the music, why not get a mechless head unit with BlueTooth? Many have nuilt in USB sockets to charge the phone and/or play mp3 files directly from the USB but the benefit of using your phone is that many head units will also function as a handsfree kit and (new ones at least) often come with a handsfree microphone.

That means you can have music playing from your phone while the sat-nag instructs you to turn left etc and then when a call comes, you can talk handsfree using the car speakers as the other person and the microphone for you.

Even a BlueTooth-FM transmitter does the same job but the only microphone (if you'r lucky) is built in to the BT-FM unit or your phone.

Alternatively there are similar head units with a single shot CD player and the sound from a modern unit, even of similar spec to the original, is much better quality.

[Forrest]

Originally Posted by Cuda

Blaupunkt started making a modern versioon of their legendary Bremen HU recently. the price? A modest 400 euros.

I treated myself to one of these for my Mk2 Scirocco. It looks good and works well. I particularly like the ability to stream music from a smartphone - in a thirty year old car. I did wonder about getting one for my daily driver 940 but I don’t think it will fit so well, even with an adapter plate.

[360beast]

I have a CR-906, I don't know if it worked before removal though.

[Foeux]

Hello Pals. I hope OP is experiencing success with their bust radio.

I have been looking and doing a bit.

I found an old alpine unit in the garage and it works when connected with the appropriate adapter cabling. To those who said the difference in sound is very marked, they are totally correct. I will be sad to lose cassette functionality but the LS400 and 205 both have casette players.

For <£100, I can equip the 940 with DAB, hands free, bluetooth, USB - seemingly every modern gadget going.

If I end up getting shot of the Lexus and 'upgrading' the 940 to a daily, I think the loss in originality will be made up for with gain of functionality.

Many units allow me to change the colour of the display so it will at least glow the right colour, even if it looks like a UPVC conservatory on a thatched cottage.