Maxima CD Error F0 Fixed!

I was working on my 2002 Maxima BOSE radio with internal 6CD changer, in an attempt to see if I can add an AUX input for my iPhone/iPod. Along the way, I removed the radio from the car, and started to trace down the main printed circuit board to find where the audio input were for the CD, TAPE and AM/FM. I found that there are several place marked AUX IN, unfortunately, the components associated with this port were not installed, so I think that I can not just add a wire to these holes and expect to be able to drive the iPod/iPhone audio signal to go though the radio selector, so I have to do it another way.

In doing these tracing, one of the CD already in the unit (there were 4) slid out unexpectedly, and I didn't think it was a problem. Wrong! When I hook the radio back up to the car, the CD changer made an attempt to play the CD that was in slot that no longer had a CD (the one that fell out) and I immediately got a "CD ERROR FO" (that's a zero) code on the radio display. I googled, and everyone said that I am toast and that I need to have it fixed or replaced, to the tuned of $300-2000. I took the radio back out, and opened the cover over the CD changer unit. I found the problem: The moving laser head that reads the CD is jammed hard against the multi-disk separator and cannot be moved out of the way. In the picture you see that one of the separator is angled downward and is sandwiched by the laser read head arm and disk top clamp. I carefully uncouple the head unit from the separator, making sure that I do not bend anything to prevent misalignment. The photos in this blog shows the various stage of jammed to free state. Along the way, I lost one of the pins that holds the multi-disk separators, and I fashioned a replacement using a small screw almost the same length. I filed the threads off to make it slide freely like the other one.

I also carefully removed the remaining CDs that are still inside the unit, and the entire multi-disk tray then dropped down to their lowest levels. I put everything back together, and back into the car. My CD ERROR FO is now gone!

More story later when I attempt to hook up the PA11-NIS iPod adapter. Its on order. Everyone says it will not work for a Maxima with integrated 6CD changer. We'll see.

MagSafe Repair

I recently bought a broken MagSafe power adapter for the MacBook on eBay with a frayed cable at connector end for $19.01. I wasn't sure when I bid on it that the brick is still good or not, but I thought it was worth a chance to safe a bunch of Moola when compared to Apple's price.

Step 1: Cut of the plug from the cable at the frayed end. On the cable end I strip about half an inch of the outer insulation and found that the cable only has two conductors, the center one being the positive side. Plugged in to a wall outlet, the voltage measured 6.5 Vdc. I thought to myself, hemh, it should have read 16.5 volts. So I CAREFULLY checked the voltage of my other MagSafe and it too measured about 6.5 volts, with no load. Based on that I guessed that the brick is probably ok.

Step 2: Using a small vise grip on the metal/magnetic part, I carefully slide the white portion of the MagSafe connector off from the magnet. Then I slit one end of the whitish translucent insulation cover that surrounded the small circuit board. I carefully peeled that off from the metal plug/circuit board. This step exposed the three part of the wires, one being the positive center wire, the other two are split ground wires.

Step 3: I removed the old broken pieces of wires from the now exposed circuit board.

Step 4: Insert two different size of heat shrink tubings on the cable end of the power adapter, then the white outer cover of the MagSafe. I split the ground wire into two bundles. On the center wire (white sleeved) I stripped about 1/8th inch of the insulation. The wire ends are then soldered as shown in the picture.

Step 5: Put all the pieces back together and test it. Notice that the green and subsequent orange glow of the LEDs indicated that all is well.

Step 6: Slide the smaller diameter heat shrink towards the plug and shrink it. Next the larger diameter heat shrink and shrink that too.

I don't know how to label and sequence the pictures in this blog, but you can see the progression of each step in the attached pictures.