Options to replace stereo in 2006 M35x

[BobKo]

Hi, forumites!

My neighbor, a WW II Marine who fought at Okinawa, has a 2006 M35x with the elaborate in-dash stereo system. His multi-disk player is giving him fits, sometimes working but usually not. He took the car to his dealer and I've done some checking online, and the only options we can find are to buy a new unit for $1,500 (plus labor at the dealer), buy a refurb unit for $1,200, or buy a used/junkyard unit for $500 or so. (The last vary in price, but also reliability I assume.)

My neighbor is in his 90s and shouldn't be driving -- the maddeningly intermittent disk player is a distraction he REALLY doesn't need. Are there any options to rip the whole thing out and replace it with an aftermarket unit? It can be single- or multi-disk, but anything else besides a radio is a frill he doesn't need. He doesn't need bluetooth, an aux input, iPhone interface or subwoofer connections. All he needs is a stereo that can get AM/FM radio and play CDs, and is attached to the dash in a reasonably finished way. Duct taping an aftermarket stereo on is not an option.

I'm a decent installer, so I will do the work for him. However, I can't find any options beyond an expensive new or refurb unit that just doesn't make sense for a 91-year-old. Let's face it... he may not be driving this car in 6 months. And putting in a $500 used unit makes me uneasy -- will it be reliable? If it craps out in two months, then we're back to square one. Ideally, I'd love to put in a $150 Sony, Pioneer, JVC or Kenwood unit with the right mounting bracket and trim piece, and screw the interconnection with the touch screen.

Any thoughts, suggestions or recommendations?

Thanks for reading!

Bob

[Larz]

Welcome to the forum and bless you for taking the time to help others, especially our seniors. Your life will be that much better for your efforts towards others.
I believe the CD system is made by Clarion (although there are Bose labels everywhere and they charged for Bose - level products). On my 07 M35, I had to slide out the entire radio / CD system to get to something else and I remember seeing a "Clarion LTD" Infiniti part number label on the rear of the rear of the changer and thinking "bastards!" LOL.
There is a professkionally re-fubished CD changer on offer at Ebay at the moment. It is a "refurbished" unit, which to my mind says it had the trouble yours is having and has been fixed. That should be more reliable and work longer than any used changer that will break like yours did. $250 + $20 to ship

http://www.ebay.com/itm/06-07-Infiniti- ... uu&vxp=mtr

For $250 it's worth a go if you ask me.

[BobKo]

Thanks! I called the neighbors and left a message about this. I checked on eBay a few months ago for this part and don't remember seeing one this promising for that low a price. It's a great deal if it works -- they do enjoy using the changer, with the husband and wife each loading their favorite disks.

I expect they will make a decision about this tonight, so maybe that will take care of problem.

Bob

[Ilya]

Nice of you take care of this for him...you'll be rewarded down the road in good karma. We need to take care of our seniors, especially our vets.

That being said, unfortunately, a lot of this car runs through the A/V system so you'll have to replace it with a like unit. Definitely get a used on at the yard or on eBay. As for getting to the unit, in my signature is the FAQ thread I created and in the electronics sections is some guides on how to remove the radio (I did one when I installed the USA Spec. iPod adapter). This should get you everything you need on how to replace it, etc.

Welcome to the forum

[Sstupid]

Awesome of you to help this guy, BobKo. Apparently these disc changers have issues with the lens and get read errors. There is a place you can find on YouTube that will repair it if you send it in, but buying the Ebay unit sounds like a better deal. It's really easy to get it out. Takes no more than 5-10 minutes.

[BobKo]

Thank you all for the tips. I ordered the one on eBay and just for good measure paid an extra $8.50 for 6 months insurance. The unit is supposed to arrive next Thursday, June 30.

We're good friends with these neighbors, so we try to help out whenever possible. I'll report back when the unit is installed.

Bob

[Ilya]

Let us know if you have any more questions Bob.

[olmckb]

I've had long running problems with the Bose System (Clarion) 6 CD changer not loading or ejecting CDs on my 2006 M45. Just about since I've owned the car which I bought new. Major issue was just getting the "load CD" or "Select CD to eject" messages to even appear after either of the buttons on the dash panel is pushed. It worked occasionally and was always frustrating. This week the buttons stopped working almost entirely (took 100-150 tries to get a message) and even if I'd get an "eject" message, nothing would happen after selecting CD 1-6. I could see the unit cycling to try to eject but nothing came out. Since I recently had the passenger airbag recall which involved entire dash dismantle by Infiniti Techs, I suspect a misalignment but wasn't sure. Side noteL about 9 months ago I put an iSimple device in so I could use the iPhone playlists on the Bose system in the car. It worked really well and in doing so I learned how easy it was to take the dash apart to get access to the radio. Thanks to Youtube and others.
So yesterday I started taking the dash apart and after removing the radio face panel did a "why not?" push of the eject button directly on the front of the CD changer with the car in "off" mode. CD#1 ejected perfectly. So I thought I'd try the "hold the button for over 1.5 seconds" and then the other 5 CD's ejected. Hmmm. I also loaded/ejected a blank CD no problem. So issue seemed to be with the interface of the back of the dash panel buttons and CD changer buttons. I pulled the radio out and put everything on the workbench. I noted that the back of the dash panel button is very strangely shaped. It is mainly square but has a small plastic protrusion that looks like it is what is supposed to actually push the CD changer button. After carefully measuring clearances and alignment with calipers it looked to me that the face panel button protrusion was not contacting the CD changer button. So I luckily found a couple of flat ended small plastic covers in my stash of stuff that fit tightly over the plastic protrusions. That increased the width of the face panel back side of the button. With a little trial and error I got the distance right. Reinstalled the radio and panels and it works like a charm. First time every time. Thought I'd share this, especially since it is not an electrical repair or internal CD changer repair issue, but rather a mechanical interface issue that is very easy to overlook.

[Ilya]

I've had long running problems with the Bose System (Clarion) 6 CD changer not loading or ejecting CDs on my 2006 M45. Just about since I've owned the car which I bought new. Major issue was just getting the "load CD" or "Select CD to eject" messages to even appear after either of the buttons on the dash panel is pushed. It worked occasionally and was always frustrating. This week the buttons stopped working almost entirely (took 100-150 tries to get a message) and even if I'd get an "eject" message, nothing would happen after selecting CD 1-6. I could see the unit cycling to try to eject but nothing came out. Since I recently had the passenger airbag recall which involved entire dash dismantle by Infiniti Techs, I suspect a misalignment but wasn't sure. Side noteL about 9 months ago I put an iSimple device in so I could use the iPhone playlists on the Bose system in the car. It worked really well and in doing so I learned how easy it was to take the dash apart to get access to the radio. Thanks to Youtube and others.
So yesterday I started taking the dash apart and after removing the radio face panel did a "why not?" push of the eject button directly on the front of the CD changer with the car in "off" mode. CD#1 ejected perfectly. So I thought I'd try the "hold the button for over 1.5 seconds" and then the other 5 CD's ejected. Hmmm. I also loaded/ejected a blank CD no problem. So issue seemed to be with the interface of the back of the dash panel buttons and CD changer buttons. I pulled the radio out and put everything on the workbench. I noted that the back of the dash panel button is very strangely shaped. It is mainly square but has a small plastic protrusion that looks like it is what is supposed to actually push the CD changer button. After carefully measuring clearances and alignment with calipers it looked to me that the face panel button protrusion was not contacting the CD changer button. So I luckily found a couple of flat ended small plastic covers in my stash of stuff that fit tightly over the plastic protrusions. That increased the width of the face panel back side of the button. With a little trial and error I got the distance right. Reinstalled the radio and panels and it works like a charm. First time every time. Thought I'd share this, especially since it is not an electrical repair or internal CD changer repair issue, but rather a mechanical interface issue that is very easy to overlook.

Good work, sir! My guess is with age that panel might flex or whatever and that's what causes the issue. Good solution!

Welcome to the forum!