Cd Changer in trunk...I hate it!!!!

I just hate it. And I should have said no and waited to check
aftermarket alternatives when the dealer from whom I was buying the 2
year-old Honda said it was a choice of a single CD or a 12 CD changer
in the trunk.

I agreed to it and its part of my contract and I HATE IT !!!!!!!!

I don't like:

1) The fact that the CD unit has to be on and then you have to go into
the trunk to change a CD.

2) Its not up against the side of the trunk but is about 6 inches from
the inside of the fender. The trunk's carpet doesn't even lay flat
next to it or cover it.

3) Not only do you have to tune the FM radio to the CD "station" to
play one, but you have to turn the CD thing off when you switch back
to radio (am or fm) or else there IS no radio to be heard!!!!

Sure... with 12 CDs in there you wouldn't need to take them in and out
as often, but what if you are not the only person playing CD's? Or
what if someone...for instance your teenage child just wants you to
play her CD for the short trip and then take it back from you when she
arrives at the destination?

What if its raining or snowing or 110 degrees? Or -20 degrees????
"Daddy, can you play this CD for me now???" "NO!!! Its raining out and
I'm not getting off the expressway and stopping the car so I can
change CD's!"

I can't believe there is no other way. Nothing between a single disk
opening and a 12 disk magazine in the trunk.

I plan to call an aftermarket car-audio store that I've done business
with over the years and ask them what they can do. If they CAN put in
a 3 or 4 disk changer in the dash where it belongs, I'm going to
insiste that Honda yank the trunk changer out.

However....maybe there are SOME advantages to the trunk changer that
you kind folks would like to point out to me? Cause I don't see em.

Thanks in advance for any advice and right now for listening to my
extended vent!!! Do you think I CAN get the dealer to refund my money
for the changer???

I LIKE the car. I Absolutely HATE the changer!

 

I'm loving my in dash mp3 player. I can carry hundreds of songs on one
disc. It made my Case Logic CD carrier seem like MAJOR overkill.

 

LOL, Franz are you trying to make him feel even worse about having the 12
CD's magazine unit?
Ehehehe JK

Jetstar88, I think you get a refund if you decide to bring it back to the
dealer like you said QUOTE: "I agreed to it and its part of my contract".

What car do you have? (Model/year, etc)
A lot of cars you can carry/mount the 12CD unit inside the cabin, like
under a seat or dashboard... it depends of the specs of your car.

You can also consider acquiring a MP3 compatible unit, which allows you to
use roughly ~300 songs~ in one CD.

Check www.crutchfield.com for more info.
Hope this helps.

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CORRECTION to my post

**Jetstar88, I think you won't get a refund...**

 

You obviously don't have an OEM changer. The radio shouldn't have to be on
to change a CD. And you would only push the CD button on the radio...not
tune to an FM 'station'.

 

Hi,

I don't know if there's room in the car, but I doubt it. Its a 4-dr
Civic Lx, that has a Cassette and radio in it now and I'm still
fuming...even after a nights sleep.

While wrapping up the deal, my wife and I remembered that her existing
car had a multi-disk 4 cd-changer (in the dash!!!) and so we started
discussing. They didn't bring out a brochure. We just talked about
alternatives which were:

1) A single CD/radio/cassette (no changer).

2) ***A 6 cd changer in dash, but she would "lose the cassette" as
they described it. (My wife says she never heard this...was in the
restroom or something...and the way I heard it, it sounded as if they
were going to actually remove the cassette portion of the new radio/cd
to make room for it.)

Maybe that was silly of me to think that, and maybe I still wanted to
be able to toss a cassette in once in awhile (though this is primarily
going to be the wife's car and I won't drive it during the week much)
but it didn't sound like a standard install, so I kind of dismissed
it.

3) The 12 disk changer in the trunk. I wasn't crazy about it from the
start, but it seemed a better alternative to the single CD.

What I did NOT realize ....and they didn't tell me was that they would
be drilling holes in the trunk of our new (2 year-old, but new to us)
car. Or that the CD Changer would not be up flush against the fender,
but about 6-12 inches from it and cause the carpet in the trunk to not
lay flat. AND...do I have to worry about bumping the thing everytime
we toss a suitcase or a flat tire or a long box in there??? That is
Sooooo high-school-ish!

Last night, I went to a Honda Parts/Accessories site and saw the 6 CD
changer for the first time and realized where I/we went wrong. It just
doesn't have a cassette is all. Doesn't come with it. But is a
standard radio/CD combo and its shown in a Honda Civic dash so it
should work. I don't know if it will play MP3's. Don't care THAT much
at this point, though I wish I could go that route. But I'm going to
call Honda today and tell them I want the 6 CD changer installed in
place of the contraption in the trunk and the chincy silver controller
box in the car.

I won't really need a refund, since the 6-cd changer is actually
listed as $66 more than the current unit. And....after putting 2 holes
in my trunk that will now be there forever promoting rust-through when
the car ages, they should pay ME or at least eat the difference. At
any rate, they wouldn't be changing the price of the sale
fundamentally. It would/will be more of an exchange. If only I could
exchange the trunk with the screwholes for one without them!!!!

Fact is... part of the reason for my rage is that I like the car, and
I even like the salespeople. For used car salemen, they were pretty
cool. And, of course, I'm mad at myself for going along with something
(the changer in the trunk) that I didn't like, but THOUGHT I would get
used to.

That was before I saw WHERE and HOW it was installed and realized it
needed an additional ----- nevermind. It is partly my own fault, so I
am angry with me too. I just hate the thing!!!! To me the idea of
having to stop the car to change a CD ...ever... is nutz! (And having
to turn off the CD controller to go back to the radio. I am constantly
hopping stations and CD's. That's too much complication when switching
fromj radio to CD and back again.

Thanks again for 'listening' and any more advice.

 

You fucked up. You (a) didn't think about the concept, and (b) didn't
ask questions.

Worst case, you learned a lesson and it cost you a few hundred dollars.

*I* knew when trunk-mounted CD changers came out years ago how stupid
the entire idea was. It doesn't take a genius to think about it for a
minute and come up with all the things that are wrong with that concept.
But, when they came out, they were the only alternative--and the auto
manufacturers and car audio people spend millions convincing the public
how GREAT they were. Yeah, right. People are stupid.

Next time, before you jump into something, think about it. When you
jump in, or fail to think it all the way through, don't go ranting and
raving about things; accept your own failure, learn your lesson, and
move on.

This isn't a case of someone ripping you off. This is a case of you not
thinking things all the way through, not asking questions, and not
understanding your options. No one twisted your arm or misrepresented
anything.

 

As you noted, the in-dash 6CD is a factory job, what you got was an
aftermarket with an adapter. That's a substantial difference, and should
have been made obvious in the sale. At least my trunk-changer was bolted
up against the rear shelf, not on the floor, but then my rear seats didn't
fold down. That might not be good placement in a Honda.

The VW multi-CD has a changer in the trunk, but there's still a single CD
in the dash. You could get what you want, except that your changer isn't
pre-installed in a covered compartment like the VW.

The in-dash multi-cd is the best way to go, and forget about the cassette
altogether. I took my three year old car in for service on the radio
because the volume control stopped working. The technician also replaced
the cassette drive belt, which he said was missing =;-)
I don't know when I last played a cassette. I think I must have, at least
once... maybe not.

 

(Please note: I can see other posts in Outlook Express's Newsgroup
Reader, but can't reply there for some reason, so this one will be at
a weird place in the thread. I'm, replying in sequence to Elmo's and
Dold's replies and to everyone else's, but this will show below my own
instead.)

Well... I still wish that I had gone for (or been given more of an
opportunity to go for) the 6 CD changer, but yes...it is my own fault
mostly. And yes...you hit the nail right on the head that the unit is
NOT a factory OEM unit.

If I had known that, I could have gone to the aftermarket place.
Having said that, the changer in the trunk and the controller in the
car ARE both JVC, which I have no problem with. In fact...yes...I'll
admit it...the current setup is growing on me in terms of normal
useage.

Also, the poster (Elmo) who was kind of brutal is right. I am mad at
myself for not asking more questions. And I'm still wrestling with the
fact that there are tiny holes in my trunk that didn't need to be.

But leaving most of the emotion out and just focusing on the decision
as to whether to stay put or try to "raise a ruckus" and swap the 12
CD trunk unit for the 6 CD dash one, here is how I see it:

Pros (for keeping it as is):

1) 12 CD's should theoretically involve much less frequent changing of
disks.

2) Its in there now and its working ok...sounds great.. so why mess
with it.

3) The 6 CD changer would eliminate the cassette (and I still have
some I like to play) and it would eliminate a storage pocket in the
dashboard.

4) The salesmen will be pissed off over something they will see as
petty.

Cons (for keeping it as is):

1) Its less spontaneous. Sure...I can make copies of the CD's and put
the copies in the CD Trunk Changer, which will cut down considerably
on the need or urge to change disks, but when that feeling to change
one does, its a nuisance. Especially if the trunk is full of snow.
Should I be paranoid about any falling on the changer? (I suppose I
could get a plastic cover for it...or would that suffocate it?)

2) Did I say it created holes in my trunk? (yes...I'm kidding...I know
I did...and am laughing at you laughing at me, but it still bugs me).

3) Its occupying a portion of the trunk. Upon closer inspection, I'll
admit there was not a better place to locate it (the floor is not flat
if you move closer to the fender), but it still seems intrusive into
the trunk and its capacity.

4) The controller does not operate in the accessory position and it
does not turn back on when the car is restarted. The radio's tuner
won't work unless the CD controller is off. Minor nuisances, but its a
step backwards from the trade-in.

OKay... I'm calm now. And I am leaning now toward leaving it be and
chalking up to experience. But still interested in your input
regardless of whether you think I am nutz for not liking the trunk
changer setup or agree that its a weird compromise just to have more
than one CD at a time accessible.

Thanks for your feedback everyone.

 

My 2 cents: Replace it with an in-dash CD-MP3 player. 200 songs per
disk (I can record up to 40 hours of talk radio to a CDRW) and you get
the song title, artist & album displayed!

Alternatively: Buy a portable CD-MP3 player and use that. If you
have an input jack you're all set. Otherwise you can buy an FM
transmitter (I think Radio Shack sells one for just this purpose) and
tune it to an unused station.

MrMJPEG
In MP3 heaven with daily MP3 recordings of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh,
Hannity, Michael Savage & Dr. Laura! I set up an FTP server at home,
download & burn that day's shows on a CDRW and listen to it on the way
home. The ONLY way to go if you have a long commute!

I'm saving up for a JVC SH-707

 

i thought about it, im happy with mine. i end up changin em out every couple
months with a new set of 10 cd's ive burned with favorite songs.

 

For those few times when you might want to play a tape, leave a walkman in
the trunk along with an FM-link. Then you could stop your car, open the
trunk, put the tape in, and be on your way ;-)

< http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=T6283LL/A >

 

But they do. That's exactly the setup I have in my dash from the factory.

 

Ok, didn't knew that.... we are always learning I supose.
Thanks

 

< http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=T6283LL/A >

I bought one of these for my Sony MD player.
It works okay most of the time, but occasionally it sounds like a weak
radio station, and it occasionally gets overrun by an FM radio station.

I'd like to get something else for my 2003 Civic with the Honda
AM/FM/Single-CD player. I'm almost happy with the unit as it is. I think
I'd be satisfied with an inline FM adapter, but I can't seem to locate one
of those.

I don't want to replace the head unit.

Another thought would be to take the existing Belkin adapter, and tie wrap
it to the antenna cable, thinking that close proximity might work better.
I've even thought of adding a "y" connector at the radio, leaving a short
chunk of wire hanging out to catch better signal inside the car.

 

I spent some more time searching around.
I bought my adapter at Fry's Electronics. Now I find that the other unit
at Fry's, the irock, has a six inch antenna. That might make a substantial
difference. I think I'll buy one of those tomorrow to check it out.
I also found the JVC KS-IF200 at www.crutchfield.com
This one wires in to the antenna connection, and detects audio on its RCA
input to turn itself on, presumably switching the external antenna out, so
that local channels have less impact on the performance. It's $39, instead
of $29, and it will require a mini-to-RCA adapter cable. It will probably
work a lot better, but I wouldn't be able to carry it to a rental car when
I'm out of town.

It also isn't in stock until 11/10, and I hate to wait ;-)

 

I started thinking about the antenna on this transmitter, or lack thereof.
This morning I looped my cellphone headset around the Belkin transmitter,
and draped the wire up to the dashboard. Greatly improved performance.
No static, no overrides from adjacent stations.

I had been thinking about an extension of the headphone connector on the
transmitter anyway. I think if that wire was long enough to put the
transmitter up under the dash, the wire would add enough antenna so that it
would work fine.