CD Changer

[Lindsay]

Sorry if this question has been asked over and over again but....... I am wanting a cd changer for my Bravo 100 HLX. I have the compatable stereo but no changer. Question 1. Do I have to get a Grundig CD player? Question 2. If so, where is the cheapest place to buy them as I am not even going to bother fiat as they will charge me an arm and 5 legs and Question 5??? ummmmm, how the hell do you put it in?? Are there wires already in the boot or something??
Waaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, help me please, I want to play my backstreet boys greated hits I got for Xmas and my CD discman fingy is pissing me off coz I keep knocking the car adaptor out everytime I change gear as it plugs into the ciggy lighter and I nearly crash the car trying to put it back in.......
ummmmmmmmmmmm, I am having a bad day.

 

[gary]

hiya lindsay!

i actully work for fiat! the changer you need is a grundig mcd36 or mcd46 (which i beleive is the new slimmer version of the mcd36) fiat dealers do sell them or any good audio dealer will be able to get them. The only problem is..that you willneed to take it to a fiat dealer to take the stereo out with special keys ( they shouldnt charge u cos it takes about 10 seconds)! If this is all sounding to much, you can take that stereo out, buy a surround trim (available from any fiat dealer) and then fit any front loading cd player. The only problem with this is that you will lose your clock, cassette player and radio controls on the steering wheel if u have them.

hope this is some help to you

Gary

 

[ian]

Re: Re: CD Changer

being as you work for fiat could you tell me if the mcd40 a ten disk changer will work on my 98 bravo.i know theres only 6 buttons on the head unit but does that mean you can only select the first 6 disks on the changer cheers for any help

 

[GARY]

Re: Re: Re: CD Changer

SORRY MATE..IVE NEVER COME ACCROSS A 10 DISC CHANGER...THE ONLY WAY YOUR GONNA KNOW IS TO TRY PLUG IT IN THE HEAD UNIT AND TRY IT...SORRY I CANT HELP

 

[Steve]

MCD40 - will work ok

I remember back when I started an MCD36 thread nearly two years ago now, that someone had fitted the MCD40 no problem, but like you say the stereo only has 6 buttons for swapping discs, so you won't be able to directly access them. They will play in sequence one after the other(should do), but if you can get it for £40 you have nothing to lose.
Only other drawback is that you have to fit it in the boot as it would be too tall to fit under the rear seats, hope this helps.

Steve

 

[Jamie]

Warning

By way of example, I might put you off buying a new 'universal' head unit. There are three cars on my drive, my Fiat(standard issue radio, and 2 others that have a universal head unit and my fiat was the only one not broken into last night as the stereo is non-transferable to other vehicles (apart from Bravo's, Brava's and Marea's).
The facia's had been removed from the other 2 cars but they will still smash the windows and **** the lock to see if the facia had been left in the glove box etc.
My advice, go for the grundig, you will still get some daft arse on this web site telling you they are shite, but with a CD player they are fairly good, and the clarity is comparible to my home system (cost me a grand). The only problem it doesn't have loads of pointless features and flashy lights just like a baby's toy to amuse small minds, and I admit it isn't ear piercingly loud, but who wants to look like a ****???????? A stereo is not rated by Hi-fi boffins because it goes "loud as ****"

 

[Jamie]

Warning

By way of example, I might put you off buying a new 'universal' head unit. There are three cars on my drive, my Fiat(standard issue radio, and 2 others that have a universal head unit and my fiat was the only one not broken into last night as the stereo is non-transferable to other vehicles (apart from Bravo's, Brava's and Marea's).
The facia's had been removed from the other 2 cars but they will still smash the windows and **** the lock to see if the facia had been left in the glove box etc.
My advice, go for the grundig, you will still get some daft arse on this web site telling you they are shite, but with a CD player they are fairly good, and the clarity is comparible to my home system (cost me a grand). The only problem it doesn't have loads of pointless features and flashy lights just like a baby's toy to amuse small minds, and I admit it isn't ear piercingly loud, but who wants to look like a ****???????? A stereo is not rated by Hi-fi boffins because it goes "loud as ****"
PS. This isn't a go at you Gary.

 

[Garry]

Lindsay,

I have had two Marea's and a Laguna in between them and when I first looked at the Fiat CD player I thought it would be cool to have the steering controls managing the CD player, until I saw the cost for only a 6 disc unit.

At the time (about jan 98) I was persuaded by a mate of mine to buy a Sony CD changer with an RF modulator. I am not sure if they still sell them, or if anyone else does them, but the idea is that you mount the changer somewhere in the car (mines always been in the boot) and then there is a metal box about the size of a CD case but about 3 times thicker which the CD plugs into, a control unit and two aerial leads. I have mounted the metal box in the space behind the glovebox (need to take the glovebox out with about 5 screws and then I have stuck the box to the car with silicone sealant) and then you provide power to this box. (I have used some crimp blocks for the power, and it has a IGN ON lead, which I have found if you connect to the power aerial output the cd goes on and off with the stereo power). The aerial leads go inline with the main aerial and the stero and the small controller plugs into the box. This I have sited just below the ashtray by two small drops of superglue at each end to the "odds and sods tray" under the ashtray.

The unit I have comes with a small infra red remote about the size of a credit card and this means I can play with the cd player without having to fiddle with the buttons on the controller itself (even though the wheel mounted controls would be good)

To use it you tune the radio to the FM frequency you select for the unit (usually right in the middle of Radio two) and play the CD's as needed. When you don't want the CD's you power off the CD player, switch back to RDS (because for some manky reason the fiat unit won't sick to a non-rds frequency when in rds mode) and listen to the radio as needed.

I know audiophiles will claim that the sound isn't as good, and as an engineer I know it's not as good, but when you are in a car with all of the other noises going on you really can't tell the difference - and the benefit is that if you ever change your car you can take the cd with you and be pretty much guaranteed that it will work in the new one too.

Mine cost about £270 four years ago and it's a 10 disc changer - and it uses the standard sone interface so can drive the bigger changers if needs be.

Garry

 

[tom]

cd changer query

hey!

ive just got my fiat bravo and i have to say what a fab car it is!

my last car had a cd player, and i miss it!

im learning from this forum that a grundig cd changer seems right for me..., i have a AD182H head unit, and a cable in the boot...

i see there are some people that work for fiat on this forum giving great advice... but no talk about money!!!

COULD SOMEONE PLEASE QUOTE HOW MUCH A GRUNDIG CD CHANGER WOULD COST (INCLUDING FITTING) from a UK Fiat dealer?

Thanks for your time!

Tom

 

[Steve]

Cost of MCD

This was a while ago, but Fiat quoted me £325 for the MCD36.
This was to fit it, too.
My car is a Series I Bravo has so had the cable already in the boot. I shopped around for a while and found www.caraudiodirect.com where selling them for £199 inc delivery.
Got one, fitted it myself in 10 minutes(4 screws)
Easy Peasy.

If the cable wasn't there already(as in the Series II cars) then it would have taken a lot longer.

P.S. Best place to fit the CD player is to place it under the middle of the rear seats and cut a bit of the carpet to gain access from inside the car.

 

[tom]

Re: Cost of MCD

thanks steve

my bravo's a 1998 'S' reg

is this series 1 or 2??

i dont know where to look for the cable

tom

 

[Lindsay]

Where am I supposed to look?

Where abouts is this cable? Mines a 2000 w reg 100HLX, will it have one? I have cd controls on my stereo.
Taa!!

 

[Steve]

Sorry .....

The cable only came fitted in the SeriesI - '98 and earlier I think.
It would be hanging in the boot on the left hand side, between the wheel arch and the rear light cluster, but only Bravo/a's that are 1.6SX, 1.8SX, etc instead of 100SX etc. seem to have it.

To fit a cable is tricky enough and time comsumming,
means removing Radio/Glove Box, Passenger side door sill, rear panels (in Bravo), lota work...

Steve

 

[Matt]

2001 brava

For what its worth I have a 2001 imported brava. It too has a cable in the left hand side of the boot.

 

[Jamie]

Here you go, cheaper!

try this link, on this page the MCD 46 is up for £170, I got mine from here and they delivered it next day.
http://www.autoelectronics.fsbusiness.co.uk/cd%20changers.htm

 

[Tony]

Leads

Did the Changer come with the Lead to connect from Head to changer?

 

[Steve]

Leads should be supplied..

...with any CD-Changer.

 

[tom]

cant find the cable

i removed loads of the interior trim in the boot on the left hand side. there are plenty of cables and wires, none of which end there; they all continue on to the light cluster, or they go back down into the depths of the car.

help please!

mines a 1998 sx, so it should have the cable, right?

it even says in the fiat owners handbook that came with the car "the vehicle is already fitted with a multi-pole cable in the lefthand side of the boot for the installation of a compact disk player..."

can anyone tell me what im looking for? what colour is it? will it have some kind of a plug on the end?

thanks

tom

 

[Steve]

Re: can't find cable

On mine (97SX) it was clearly visable outside the trim, hanging in the boot.
It was folded onto it's self and wrapped in foam.
It is quite a thick cable, like a power cable, and a plug on the end with a dust cap.

Did you buy the car new?(i.e. the previous owner maybe removed the cable if they had a CD - player previosuly?)

Steve

 

[craig]

have found!

hi i have found de cable exactly as same as yours(foam and taped back on its self ) but uno question, is this the only one required ? or like sony units it requires an rca as well ?

cheers in advance craig.