Radio/Stereo: SC-900 - What to do

[400-ascona]

Morning. Hope everyone is well?

My V70R has an SC-900 stereo. The 3 disc changer works faultlessly until the lid goes on and you slide it back into the dashboard. At that point it throws a fault and seems to be unable to transport discs effectively.

So, the question is:

Should I buy a good used SC-901 unit?
Should I buy one of these:https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-Bluet...0AAOSwQcJZ6KNu
Should I do something completely different?
Should I stop worrying about the CD changer as I will probably never use it anyway!

Any thoughts, greatly appreciated.
Rob

[sdg1970]

When I got my 97 V70R, the SC 900 was in a dire state - it kept spitting the 3 disc cartridge thingy out and wouldn't engage the changer in the boot. I tried relentlessly to fix it and even bought what I thought was a good second hand unit, which turned out to be utter garbage. In the finish I stuck the more reliable SC-805 unit in it, which I had spare on the shelf.

Am now considering upgrading to a DAB if a suitable one is available!?!

[capt jack]

Our S70 had a 900-series head unit which was hugely troublesome. I replaced it with a 2nd-hand SC805, and then another one when that went kerplonk.

Right now the car has an SC805 made of the bits from 3 or 4 different old 805 units - and everything does work, although we've got one of those plug-in Bluetooth / FM widgets (£15 from Halfords) which not only plays music from the phone, it also is a really good hands-free device.

My S90 has only a radio-cassette, and so I tend to use one of the Bluetooth / FM jobbies too, although I'm more of a radio listener than anything.

This is the beastie:https://www.halfords.com/technology/...er-756621.html

Cheap enough and actually works really well.

Unless you spend megabucks the current crop of aftermarket audio head units are pretty awful. I had a look in our local Halfords the other day, and brands such as Sony and Pioneer - which you'd expect to be good - are just really tacky and flimsy compared with the Volvo original.

Jack

[400-ascona]

Thanks Jack. I definitely want to keep the standard stereo, so a plug in bluetooth module definitely seems the way to go. Just need to convince myself that I don't need to resolve the non-working disc changer first! Rob.

[RollingThunder]

If the CD changer works correctly until you fit the lid, it would imply that there is some pressure/interference being applied to the mechanism somewhere? Is it something as simply as the screws being used are too long? Just hoping for a simple solution for you!

(If you do decide to fit an aftermarket unit, I'd be interested in the 900 as I have a non functioning 901 which I'd like to repair! )

[400-ascona]

I am not going to go aftermarket, but I may well go to an SC-901. Will let you know if I do.

I haven't fitted the screws yet, so I know it's not them. I also fitted the unit into slot without the lid, and that had the same effect.

In summary:
Removed from dash with lid removed - Works
Removed from dash with lid fitted - Fails
Fitted in dash with lid removed - Fails
Fitted in dash with lid fitted - Fails

I guess I need to try it removed from dash with lid removed but at the angle it sits at within the dash to see if its the angle or some kind of distortion.

[djwazza68]

My SC900 has munched the CD mechanism on the unit and I'm looking to put a Yatour BT adapter on it; the radio works faultlessly. With a totally non functioning CD element to the stereo, will I have a snag with a Bluetooth adapter or do I need a fully functional headunit?

[RollingThunder]

As the Yatour unit plugs into the AUX/CD* socket at the back, I wouldn't expect it to need any functionality re CD/tape/radio - it'll simply take the feed from the Yatour unit to the amp and push it out to the speakers.

*I'm not sure if it plugs into the AUX or CD Changer socket on the head unit, but either way, it'll be a separate channel to the other inputs so you should be ok