HampshireRob

Anyone know if this Nissan/Clarion HU will work as a direct replacement for the standard Bose/Clarion HU without wiring loom and/or connector mods? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290357649033&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT Reason: It keeps the Nissan look but it gives an AUX for iPod, etc instead of tape. Note that i'm not expecting it to sound any better/worse as it's likely to be very similar internally. Thanks, Rob.

Hi there, As with many on here I've put up with a notchy gearbox for ages and put it down to being a characteristic of the car. It's never really been that bad - just very mechanical going from 1st to 2nd with a heavy clunk - no big deal. However, I've just had it serviced and specifically asked for the transmission oil to be replaced (although it wasn't really due as it's only covered 25k miles). The outcome is a box that's almost impossible to engage 1st until warmed up and a 2nd that occasionally crunches as if the synchro is buggered. Garage assured me that the old oil came out completely clean and the correct spec went in (EP80/90 GL4 - please someone confirm this is right?). If the gearbox is fragile/compromised in some way is there a more sympathetic (thicker/thinner) spec oil I can try (whatever was in there before was much, much better). Anyone else seen this sort of symptom after changing oil? Starting to think a second hand box is on the cards :-(

jhh, you need to be extra careful putting the anti-shock rubber dampers and springs back. As far as I know the unit has little/no software buffering (which is how many new units solve the problem now - cheaper as there are fewer mechanical parts involved). Any shocks or bad harmonics (perpetuating and overlaying vibrations) will be made much worse it it's not set-up right. I'm guessing here obviously. Good luck. P.S. I'd still consider replacing the head unit at least at some point - it's really not that great.

Driven by a very attractive blond young lady. I was in a UK GM 54 plate GT (unsuccessfully trying to catch-up). What exhaust is on it - it sounded great?

And 'yes', if you switch CD transports to the one that works you will not need to dismantle it to get the the suspect end of the ribbon.

Can't say for sure. There are two main PCBs - one inside the CD unit, and one outside. Don't know which chip holds the ECU values. If I was a betting man i'd say it's most likely to be the external one.

Resetting the headunit/ECU 'pairing' requires special software and flashing kit none of us have. I'd swop the whole of the CD transport unit from the second hand unit into yours.

Don't know about the specific cause of the Bose skipping issue. However, it'll probably be down to: 1. Over a longer period of time all lasers will loose strength to the point that the laser pick-up gets a marginal reflected signal and can’t differentiate signal to noise - and the unit skips. The more you play it, the more it degrades. Some degrade very quickly (cheap materials/design compromise). Some Sony kit was notorious for this ~10 years ago leading to a class lawsuit in the US. 2. Over a period of time the bearings on the electrical spindle motor wear and the precision of the spinning plane reduces - and the unit skips. Same as above but needing a new motor. 3. Same for the motor guiding the position/angle of the laser itself. 4. As everything is built to the lowest-bidder the lenses on mass produced CD kit are often plastic. Over a period of time the heat generated by the amps can 'dry out' the lens and change the laser focussing properties (like its gone long/short sighted and/or developed a cataract). And you've guessed it - it causes it to skip (often related to issue 1 above). 5. The CD transport suspension is failing. This is very unlikely. Looks like a pretty good design inside, and not prone to wear. 6. Moisture. Hot to cold causes condensation on the disk and lens. Does it behave worse in hot/cold/humid conditions? 7. Dirty lens – try giving it a clean. Having coaxed an old Sony DVD player back to life I’ve read-up on all the above over the years. Replacing a laser pickup with a new one is costly – they are often obsolete and the few that are left go for a premium (£100+ not uncommon). In the end, I bought a base model player from the same family and transferred the whole CD/DVD transport mechanism. Cost me £10 for a broken donor. If I was a betting man I’d say that the “Bose†(Clarion) and non-Bose (probably Clarion too) share the same transport. Probably your best bet is to get a cheap non-Bose unit and swap the transport. Hope this helps.

Cheers for the feedback guys - much appreciated. Have thought about doing it as a little sideline. However... 1. My wife would kill me (i'm in the middle of gutting the house and modernising). Every hour fixing radios would be an hour away from rewiring/plumming and family time, etc. 2. There'll always be one person who sends a dead unit, claiming "it worked fine before apart from the left channel problem", or "it never skipped before, you owe me £500". Sorry, it's the blame culture we've got now that makes this sort of thing quite unappealing. I work pretty hard anyway and my spare-time philosophy has shifted towards 'quality' time (driving/kids/house/wife - you guess the order?). I'd rather everyone just benefitted from my experience (hence the original post). To those who decide to do-it-yourself...good on yer! It's actually quite fun. If you've got any questions or get stuck, just ask, I'll be more than happy to help. Rob. P.S. Off-topic but personally I don't think the Clarrion / Bose kit is much cop (lots of fairly low-rent electronics in there - all done to the lowest bidder as with most things these days). I can understand those of you who rip the stuff out at the first opportunity.

Before you begin have a think about whether you are competent enough in this sort of thing - you’ll be completely stripping down the radio, unsoldering some joints near to components and removing some delicate ribbon cables and springs. Added to that, you’ll end up with about 40 screws of different lengths that you’ll need to find a home for when it all goes back together. And before we start, I’m assuming the Bose is already out – there are loads of resources on the web which show you how to do this. In terms of tools, you’ll need a selection of screwdrivers, needle-nose pliers and a small tipped soldering iron. Removing the Face Plate ==================== Use a flat headed screwdriver to prise up the plastic near the metal lugs. I found it easiest to do two either side of a corner to get going rather than two on the same side. Be careful you don’t prise the face plate away from the PCB. Once the face plate is hooked over every lug then just pull it away – it’s connected by a push fit connector which will just release as you pull. Accessing the Tape Deck =================== Unscrew as shown below. Now just carefully prise the bottom lid off with a flat headed screwdriver. You should now be looking at the tape mechanism. Remove the 4 retaining screws as highlighted and pull the tape mechanism clear – it’s connected to the board underneath by a push fit connector. You should now be looking at something like this. Removing the Side Panels ===================== For the first panel remove the highlighted screws. The panel will just slide up and off. Then remove the screws securing the second side panel. The panel will just slide up and off. Removing the main PCB =================== Use the pliers to twist the metal pillar so it lines up with the slot on the PCB. Pull out the white ribbon cable. That links the main PCB with the CD unit below. The main PCB can now be removed leaving the CD Unit behind (with the metal face plate still attached). Removing the Front Panel ===================== Unscrew the highlighted screws. The face will now pull off. And leave you with the CD unit. Hopefully, you are now looking at the CD unit. Getting Inside the CD Unit ===================== Remove the small black screws holding the case in place (I’ve only showed one side). Remove the cover and you should be looking at something like this. Note that it makes no difference whether you remove the CDs or not. Removing the Springs ================= Using the needle nosed pliers remove the 4 springs. Removing the CD daughter-board =========================== Unsolder the two metal posts as highlighted and use the pliers to twist them straight so they’ll fit through the slots. Then remove the two black screws. Remove the ribbon by pulling the two securing clips forward. Now pull the PCB free (teasing it off the metal pillars). Removing the Shock Absorbers ========================= There are 4 in total. Remove the small screw holding each in place. Then poke them through the holes one by one towards the CD unit. Be very careful not to rip them as they may be liquid filled. Pull the CD transport free. Fixing the Damaged Cable ==================== The problem lies in the ribbon cable attachment shown below. Remove the sticky plastic cover first. Slide the clips forward as before. Pull the cable free. The line down the silver contact part of the ribbon cable is the problem. The design of the cable relies on the connector gripping the soft metal contacts. Problem is that over a period of years the vibration and temperature changes cause some of the contacts to become marginal…and for some reason the track which carries the left channel suffers the most. It’s a bit of a hack but what I did was to re-insert the ribbon, but not as far in, so that the connector was gripping a nice thick piece of wire. It might come back after a few years…who knows? An alternative is to buy another ribbon, perhaps with a less-soft compound that will not deform as much. Re-Assembly ========== Now the fun begins…got any pieces left? Tip === Print off my guide and every time you remove a screw, sellotape it to the print out exactly where I removed it. Good luck guys, Rob.

Well, I took the Bose out this morning and spent a couple of hours completely stripping it down. It was a bit of a pain in the ass but the conclusion is.... ...it's now fixed! No left channel speaker cutting out. Let there be rock When I get some time (~20 pictures to explain it) i'll do a write-up. For those interested in what causes it... ...it's the ribbon cable between the CD transport and one of the audio daughter-boards.

I was looking for an engineer's approach to fixing the Bose - sending it back to Clarion and handing over £275 is a bit too defeatist for me. Anyway, I'm pretty sure I've identified the problem from looking at other Nissan forums in the US. Probably spend this/next weekend doing the fix. Looks like a ~3 hour job which is why Clarion are charging a relatively high price (covering ~3 hours of labour). Parts (if you replace the cable which you probably don't need to) are going to be ~20p. I'll keep you posted.

For anyone interested the Nissan part numbers are: Camshaft position sensors 23731-AL61A and 23731-AL60C Crankshaft position sensor 23731-6J96B PDF telling you how to change them (from a Maxima owners' site - page 20 for the 350Z specifics): http://maxima.theowensfamily.com/tsb/NTB03-124.pdf

Sorry Chris, I had to take your final answer ("throttle pedal sensor"). No prize today Just picked it up. All seems Ok after 40 miles - we'll see...but, lumpy idle has gone though so the signs are looking positive.

Double-checked the usual suspects? 1. Battery (easy to get this tested) 2. Throttle body (easy to clean) 3. Vacuum leak (harder to spot I guess) 4. Earthing problem (harder to spot) 5. Crank Position Sensor (or bad connection to harness - a bad sensor housing can leak oil onto the electrics) 6. Cam1/Cam2 Position Sensor (or bad connection to harness - a bad sensor housing can leak oil onto the electrics) With mine i'm sure its either 5. or 6. above which is why i'm having the lot changed. £160 gamble for you though I guess? You're welcome to borrow my old sensors if you'd like to do some tests? 2/3 will probably be ok (might be obvious once they're off). Let you know how I get on tomorrow.