So I now have a cd stuck in my car's cd player. Cd is old, a library cd from a Teaching Company course (15 years old), and has been heavily used. Car is also old (2007), and cd player is almost certainly worn down internally. This is of course one of those maddening car cd players that does not have a cd-rom-esque changer that shoots out, which would prevent, of course, any cd from being stuck into the thing (one wonders why car manufacturers do not design their cd players that way?). Cd almost certainly also has on it a taped-on library barcode, since it is the first cd in the course set. I was listening to it Sunday afternoon, the last of many cds I played on a long extended ride in what is essentially heat wave-like (90+ degree, high humidity) conditions. When the cd was done, it just wouldn't eject, no matter how many times I pushed the damn eject button. I have never had this problem in a car before, and of course hope I never have it again. Owner's manual suggested that the thing is too hot and perhaps the bar code may have gotten loose and stuck into the thing, and that I should let the thing cool and try it again. It otherwise gave little useful info. I tried that this afternoon, but of course, though the car hadn't been driven all day, it was nonetheless sitting on the street in the baking heat all day. No dice. I had also googled the 'how to get a stuck cd out of the car cd player' query last night and tried the first trick suggested, namely to depress both the eject button and the cd power button simultaneously for ten seconds, but still no dice. When the eject button is pushed, all you get is a clear sound suggestive of the cd spooling around and being caught in something, likely that bar code label. This lasts for a few seconds and then nothing. I then drove car back to the used car dealer today, and tried to have him get it out, but he was unsuccessful, even though he did try to stick in some sort of a paperclip thingee. He said he almost got it, and strongly suggested I wait till early morning, in hopes that the car would have cooled sufficiently, in order to allow its removal. He also thinks some of the teeth in the cd reader have likely worn down over the years. He did do some quick research on his computer to figure out how to get the player itself out, if necessary, and apparently on this particular car, that would not be an easy task, requiring 90 minutes of labor (I believe him, though he is not the greatest mechanic on the planet, and I do try to have my old mechanic, who is much better, do serious car repairs when needed, even though he is much more expensive). I am a real fan of these teaching company series and really use my car cd player often, even for music cds (though I have not actually played a cd inside my apt for many years). I am wondering 1) does anyone have any other suggestions for getting the drat cd out, esp since if I can't get it out, the library will charge me a replacement fee for the entire set, and in any case I really like my car cds and 2) is it worth replacing the cd player, and how much do you think that would set me back (presumably the guy could just put a new or newer used one in, quickly, after taking the panel out, if I end up asking him to do that? Thanks.
Have you tried force ejecting?
Turn the car off and hold eject and power at the same time, for about ten seconds.
Otherwise, here (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/how-to-remove-a-cd-stuck-in-a-car-player) are a bunch of different strategies.
Kay, I wish I had a suggestion, but this is eerily similar to the situation I'm in, though I have not figured out a solution for years and years and my CD is not a library loan. I was listening to a Teaching Company economics course, and the first CD got stuck and has never come out, so I have listened to that quite a few times now over the years. My car is 2005, and I think this CD has been in there since... 2009? I honestly can't remember. I have tried every online tip and also spoke to my dealership years ago and found out that the labor would be reasonably extensive, so I just gave up and never pursued it. Sometimes I turn it on and think aha! this time when I push eject it will come out. And sometimes it sounds like it's trying to. But it never does. I figure my car stereo is so old and out of date that I will probably replace it anyway at this point, but I don't have to drive much out here and still haven't even figured out more than 3 local radio stations to pre-program. That's also been on the to-do list. I tend to listen to my iPod anyway.
Just wanted to wish you good luck with this and keep an eye out for any more tips that might help both of us! I am going to try some of those in the article Parasaurolophus posted, though probably not fooling around with the battery or going out to get a fuse right now (not sure if there is a spare for that one in the little kit or not).
ETA: I have quite a few of their courses on CD. If you can't get the CD out and (in the admittedly unlikely event) I have that course and can find it and the CD you need, I would be happy to send it to you if you think the library would accept it and you could avoid paying for the whole set.
Or, is it a problem with their CDs that you've both discovered that is not your problem but deserves redress?
I.e., Is there anything online about those CDs in particular?
Might be worth checking...
M.
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on August 11, 2020, 07:55:26 AM
Have you tried force ejecting?
Turn the car off and hold eject and power at the same time, for about ten seconds.
Otherwise, here (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/how-to-remove-a-cd-stuck-in-a-car-player) are a bunch of different strategies.
I think the double-sided tape idea is a good one. Keep us updated, Kay16. We want to know if you solved the problem.
Any small hole in which to insert the tip of a paper clip to force ejection?
Eek, just don't get electrocuted doing that...
M.
Quote from: mamselle on August 12, 2020, 08:30:07 AM
Eek, just don't get electrocuted doing that...
M.
Most CD players have a special hole for exactly the paperclip insertion technique.
Whew, good.
When I was three I apparently stuck a hairpin in an electrical socket and jumped away, screaming.
I don't remember it, but the story was told often enough I have conferred memories that come back as soon as anything like that is suggested...
M.
The dealer actually did try the clip thing Monday, without success. Quite frankly, while I love the guy to death (he is actually a bivocational pastor in a local church, too), and did not even consider buying this car from anyone else, he is not a good mechanic, and the guy he has do most of the regular work for him, while better, is not as good as the guy I use for serious repairs (even though that guy charges much more). I just do not think the dealer really knew what he might do to try to get the thing out. I have a guy in my church I will ask on Sunday-- he will probably be able to get it out, and/or tell me what to do, and most importantly whether I really need to pay for 90 minutes of labor to get it out (and whether it would be worth it to replace the cd player). I will pay this if I need to, because replacing the whole cd set for the library would cost more-- I would have to do so, could not get away with trying to replace the one cd myself, and these Teaching Co series, which I do love listening to, are very expensive. It may well be that the extreme (for SE Mass.) heat we have had here this week is the issue-- even the owner's manual notes that if the player is hot, it may stick the cd inside, and the dealer advocates waiting till it gets colder, which, if the weatherman is correct, it will be this weekend, before heating back up Monday (2020 around here is turning into one of the hottest summers in the dozen years I have been here, and we are now also in pretty serious drought, too). Even getting out of work at midnight, with the car having sat for hours, still is very very hot, and ineffective-- I have tried that hit the eject and power button simultaneously trick several times, including late at night, with no effect.
I am of course perhaps the most mechanically disinclined guy I have ever met-- the D, mercifully granted, I got in 8th grade metal shop was the only D I ever got anywhere, but even I realize that the thing will come out, and thankfully I have people I trust to help me with this, and more serious car issues. I look forward to getting access to the CDs again. Thanks to all for the help, and I will let you all know what happens.
BTW, the Teaching Co has an app that allows one to get access to their courses on one's phone, without having to get the physical CDS-- anyone ever tried this?
The guy at church who is a fix-it guy is probably your best bet. Let us know how it goes.
Quote from: kaysixteen on August 12, 2020, 08:57:08 PM
BTW, the Teaching Co has an app that allows one to get access to their courses on one's phone, without having to get the physical CDS-- anyone ever tried this?
I have had the app but hadn't used it until you mentioned it. Maybe it makes total sense, but it looks like I can only access those courses that I did not buy on physical CDs. It would be nice to have access to all of them.
Good luck with getting the CD out!
I will see how the dude at church accomplishes this, which hopefully will take place before Florida-esque temps return here later next week.
ab_grp, do you mind my asking how much the TC charges for access to courses through that app?
There does not appear to be any charge for accessing courses you already own through the app (if you bought the digital version). The courses vary in price, as I'm sure you are aware. But I also have a bunch that I bought for very little due to the sales they had going on. A friend recently told me about Great Courses Plus (https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/), which is a subscription service for on-demand streaming versus the a la carte purchases made through the main site (which you could then own). There is a free trial, but I haven't tried that yet. I am so far behind on other books and courses.
Quote from: polly_mer on August 12, 2020, 11:35:08 AM
Quote from: mamselle on August 12, 2020, 08:30:07 AM
Eek, just don't get electrocuted doing that...
M.
Most CD players have a special hole for exactly the paperclip insertion technique.
That's amazing. I had no idea!
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on August 13, 2020, 12:34:44 PM
Quote from: polly_mer on August 12, 2020, 11:35:08 AM
Quote from: mamselle on August 12, 2020, 08:30:07 AM
Eek, just don't get electrocuted doing that...
M.
Most CD players have a special hole for exactly the paperclip insertion technique.
That's amazing. I had no idea!
I am really surprised about this! I thought this was a common approach, especially with computer drives. I have a disfigured paper clip on my desk for this purpose. Sometimes the drive tray won't open or is being stubborn, and popping the paperclip in usually does the trick! Give it a try.
I saw that thing about the emergency eject function hole on one of the internet sites I visited, which also said that this hole often does not look like an eject button. I am sure my friend at church will find this on my car if it is there (owner's manual makes no mention of it), but I guess I have to say that I am unsurprised my dealer bud did not seem to have any idea of this, nor could not really figure out what to do. I know him well enough to know his limitations as a mechanic. Indeed, one of the things I found the day I drove off the lot with the car this spring, was that the driver's side visor was loose, fell right off when I tried to use it (the lefthand side hook is loose, not stuck into the hole). I tried to have him fix it, but, well, let's just say he was unsuccessful. I have not yet gotten round to asking someone else to do so.
As to the Teaching Co app, I may well try that out. But I ain't gonna spend too much on it, not when cds are available for free through ILL. I will however have to figure out whether my home cd player, which I have not used for years ( I use it only for radio) still works. Maybe I will splurge on another $25 walmart one if need be.
Quote from: kaysixteen on August 13, 2020, 08:19:01 PM
I saw that thing about the emergency eject function hole on one of the internet sites I visited, which also said that this hole often does not look like an eject button. I am sure my friend at church will find this on my car if it is there (owner's manual makes no mention of it), but I guess I have to say that I am unsurprised my dealer bud did not seem to have any idea of this, nor could not really figure out what to do. I know him well enough to know his limitations as a mechanic. Indeed, one of the things I found the day I drove off the lot with the car this spring, was that the driver's side visor was loose, fell right off when I tried to use it (the lefthand side hook is loose, not stuck into the hole). I tried to have him fix it, but, well, let's just say he was unsuccessful. I have not yet gotten round to asking someone else to do so.
As to the Teaching Co app, I may well try that out. But I ain't gonna spend too much on it, not when cds are available for free through ILL. I will however have to figure out whether my home cd player, which I have not used for years ( I use it only for radio) still works. Maybe I will splurge on another $25 walmart one if need be.
I bought a Walmart cheapie and had to use the paper clip far too often.....until even that wouldn't work. Might consider a bit higher price.
Well? Did the guy at church fix it?
Quote from: ab_grp on August 13, 2020, 12:05:49 PM
There does not appear to be any charge for accessing courses you already own through the app (if you bought the digital version). The courses vary in price, as I'm sure you are aware. But I also have a bunch that I bought for very little due to the sales they had going on. A friend recently told me about Great Courses Plus (https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/), which is a subscription service for on-demand streaming versus the a la carte purchases made through the main site (which you could then own). There is a free trial, but I haven't tried that yet. I am so far behind on other books and courses.
If your local public library system offers Kanopy, you can watch the Great Courses with your library card. There's a "MyWatch List" feature so you can save titles for future viewing.
He deferred that task to another guy he felt better able to handle the task. This guy tried, knows what to do, but lacked the tool he ended up deciding he''ll need to get it out. He promises to bring it next Sunday and assures me he can do it, tells me to definitely not spend any money to have the dealer take out the console. I believe him, esp. since he owes me a favor. But the CD player itself may end up having been ruined by the flapping library bar code sticker, so we will see whether I will have to have a new one installed at some point anyhow.
So my bud from church did manage to extract the cd from the car yesterday, for which I am quite grateful. esp given how expensive the TC series are. He explicitly told me he does not know whether the cd player will work-- it is obviously original to the 13yo car, and it did let that cd stick into it. It continues to be very hot around here, so I am not going to test out the thing (of course with an old, crappy cd that I actually own myself) for a few days, when it is expected to be cooler. If it does not work, and/or I cannot extract that cd, I will cry uncle and consider buying a new player (I miss it greatly, since, whether playiing TC series or music ccds, both are very much better than what's available on the radio here, usually-- sadly, much of the music played is, ahem, just not to the taste of the average 52yo fat white dude from New England (indeed, besides the hip hop, various other modern genres, etc., I have also been surprised to hear just how much country is available now, something that used to be almost unheard of for Boston radio)). So two more questions 1) do you think I did anything wrong with that cd, which actually does not have any taped barcode on it (beyond perhaps overheating the player after 4-5 hours of solid play on a 90+ degree, high humidity afternoon) and 2) has anyone any suggestions as to how I might avoid this happening again?
Thanks for updating us.
The kids would tell you to upgrade to something that will sync with your phone to stream.
I suppose I could do something like that, but it would require me to bring the thing with me in the car (I have a cheapo burner phone to take in car for emergency use), learn how to do the sync thing, and perhaps pay real money for stuff I would want to hear (?).
BTW, the dealer pointed out that several buttons on the rear-view mirror allow me, amongst other things, to get access to satellite radio. He says they'd charge maybe 25 bucks a month for it. Is this worth buying?
Quote from: kaysixteen on August 24, 2020, 10:12:08 PM
I suppose I could do something like that, but it would require me to bring the thing with me in the car (I have a cheapo burner phone to take in car for emergency use), learn how to do the sync thing, and perhaps pay real money for stuff I would want to hear (?).
BTW, the dealer pointed out that several buttons on the rear-view mirror allow me, amongst other things, to get access to satellite radio. He says they'd charge maybe 25 bucks a month for it. Is this worth buying?
YES!
Quote from: kaysixteen on August 24, 2020, 10:12:08 PM
I suppose I could do something like that, but it would require me to bring the thing with me in the car (I have a cheapo burner phone to take in car for emergency use), learn how to do the sync thing, and perhaps pay real money for stuff I would want to hear (?).
Your cheapo burner phone is unlikely to be able to sync or stream; those are smart phone dealies.
A few years ago my spouse and I each bought USB to FM broadcasters for our cars (the old aux type, not the ones with bluetooth). Both of ours were under $20. Essentially it's a small piece of tech that fits into your cigarette lighter (as the name implies) and accepts a USB drive with music or lectures loaded on it (it probably also works with a phone/ipod, but we are not that fancy). You set it to broadcast to a radio station that doesn't have a strong signal in your area, and then it plays the contents of the USB drive through your car speakers. Spouse worked through a series of audiobooks freely downloadable from our public library; I listened to some academic lectures and enjoyed free downloads from classical radio stations. We did find that longer pieces would restart each time we turned the car on, which was not always advantageous, so if an audiobook came in a single two-hour block (for instance), we would use Audacity (free) to break it into 3-4 segments, each a few minutes shorter than our expected commute. We found this much less costly than buying new radios or investing in fancy phones that would stream.
The two we bought are no longer available on Amazon, but I can send you a link to one if you would like to see what they look like.
AR.
Quote from: AvidReader on August 25, 2020, 04:34:35 AM
A few years ago my spouse and I each bought USB to FM broadcasters for our cars (the old aux type, not the ones with bluetooth). Both of ours were under $20. Essentially it's a small piece of tech that fits into your cigarette lighter (as the name implies) and accepts a USB drive with music or lectures loaded on it (it probably also works with a phone/ipod, but we are not that fancy). You set it to broadcast to a radio station that doesn't have a strong signal in your area, and then it plays the contents of the USB drive through your car speakers. Spouse worked through a series of audiobooks freely downloadable from our public library; I listened to some academic lectures and enjoyed free downloads from classical radio stations. We did find that longer pieces would restart each time we turned the car on, which was not always advantageous, so if an audiobook came in a single two-hour block (for instance), we would use Audacity (free) to break it into 3-4 segments, each a few minutes shorter than our expected commute. We found this much less costly than buying new radios or investing in fancy phones that would stream.
The two we bought are no longer available on Amazon, but I can send you a link to one if you would like to see what they look like.
AR.
Could you, please? Many thanks.
(signed, the owner of a 2019 Accord without a CD player--because designers thought it was obsolete technology already)
I've also had several plug-in adaptors over the years. They can really range in quality, and if you can't find or they can't tune into an appropriate void in the station spectrum the sound may not be clear. But it's a reasonably inexpensive option to try!
As far as satellite radio, when we bought our most recent vehicle about two years ago it came with a 6-month trial. After that, I got approximately 540 calls per day from the vendor asking me to renew and making me offers. The calls came from a whole nest of related phone numbers, so I eventually just had to block each one as it came in. Even more annoying is that although the truck is in both of our names, my husband is the one who drives it and who got to enjoy the satellite radio while I have the very old vehicle and audio system previously described. Not sure why they decided to harass me to renew. At least they leave us alone now (or have for a while now, fingers crossed), but beware if you go that route involving a subscription.
There are times when I realize how limited my tech knowledge is, and how old I am getting, and this is one of those times. Random thoughts and questions include:
1) You bought a 2019 car that contains no cd player? How many of you have cars that did not come with one, and how normal is it nowadays for cars to omit them? And if one has no cd player in one's car, can it be added?
2) Remind me what a USB is here, and how this might get me access to stuff? The only thing that comes to my mind when I hear the acronym 'USB' is the port on the computer that I am putting the flash drive into, or am I in error?
3) I do actually have a smartphone, a very new one (May) which I have essentially never taken out of my apartment. If I were to take it into the car, what-all could I do with it, in terms of getting music and things like Teaching Co. lectures, to hear in the car?
4) Can a cheap portable cd player be plugged into the cigarette lighter and played in the car?
1) CD players are no longer standard in new cars period. I am refraining from trading in the second 2004 car in part because it still runs and the modern 'amenities' annoy me in the new car we got last year.
2) The USB is the flash drive for a computer. You can put podcasts, audio books, and music on it to be played through the car's audio system that is now a computer.
3) Your smart phone is a computer with apps and storage. Most entertainment things you can do on your computer or put on a USB can be done with your phone. New cars let you send audio output from your phone through the better car audio system.
4) Your internet works as well as mine on this one. I haven't seen it done and I suspect it would need to be a specialized player with extra stabilizers to prevent the physical jostling from the road. Discussions where I've been assert going to satellite radio or just turning up the volume for a podcast/audiobook played on the smart phone is better.
Paul, I think I DM'ed you, but it shows no record of the message in my box! If you didn't get it, will you let me know?
Kay, as Polly said, we download music and books to our USB (flash) drives and can play them through the car. (Some newer cars, in lieu of a CD player, have USB drives). The USB-to-radio converter (which I struggled to find now; ours are 5 years old) also has a bluetooth-to-radio equivalent (much easier to find on, say, Amazon, and still well under $20). As ab_grp notes, they do vary in quality, and it might be harder to find a quiet station if you are in a major metropolitan area. But they are much, much cheaper than a new car radio.
I think I saw on another thread that you have a computer now? If it has a CD drive, you could probably plug in/connect your phone and insert the CD and copy the sound files to your phone, then play them in your car. (I have not tried this). Alternately, if you can download the files directly to your phone (my library has an app for this) you could use a bluetooth adapter to play them on your commute.
AR.
I think it depends what kinds of connections you have in your car. I used to have a portable CD player that I used when I had a car (long ago) that did not have one installed. They still seem to be available on Amazon (e.g., http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Rechargeable-Gueray-Personal-Headphones/dp/B07MV8Q3N7#ace-2342880709). This one seems to be USB-chargeable, so I guess you could charge it in your home and then use it on the road (plug in via aux cord that comes with it) if you don't have a USB port in your car. I don't have one in my 2005 vehicle. Our 2018 truck did not come with a CD player but has several USB ports. In the truck, we can either use bluetooth with our phones/iPod type devices or plug them in directly via the aux cable. This is the bluetooth adaptor I have for my car: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076CG3MSR. Because I rarely have to drive anymore, I haven't gotten it synced up yet, but I think this is the type of device being mentioned in the thread that would allow you to use your smartphone/bluetooth in the car. There are probably several other options with adaptors that would allow you to connect various devices in various ways. And if you would prefer not to bring your smartphone with you, maybe you could look into an inexpensive MP3 player that you could put your media on to take with you? Just another option to think about.
Quote from: AvidReader on August 26, 2020, 06:34:25 AM
Paul, I think I DM'ed you, but it shows no record of the message in my box! If you didn't get it, will you let me know?
By default, DMs you send aren't saved in your profile. You have to edit your profile message preferences to autosave the DMs you send.
My 2015 Subaru Impreza has a CD player and I've enjoyed many a tune with it! (Yes, I still like to buy CDs) The sound system isn't the greatest so I can't hear low notes well.
There's a USB port and an AUX port in the center armrest. My iPhone is paired with the car but I don't use STARLINK.
Thanks all for answering.
I know that there is no USB port in my 2007 Malibu. This car does have much more tech stuff in it, than my previous car ('04 Hyundai) did. It really is remarkable how many more visible gizmos/ options there are in this one, but, no, no USB port. Given this, exactly what would I need to do to play music or lectures, etc., downloaded elsewhere, in this car? I get that people below have been talking about this issue, but my tech ignorance seems to be necessitating asking for a quick, telescoped answer-- take the Gueray thing hmaria linked to below, for instance: 1) the AUX cable she refers to, does one/ can one, plug this into the cig lighter (the ad on amazon said you can bring it somewhere and get 4 hours of play time, battery free, on a single charge, but will it play continually via the cig lighter) and 2) the ad explicitly said that one needs to check ahead of time the cd's format, saying that those cds that do not rotate will not work with this player, so how does one tell whether any given cd you have is a rotating one or not? Also, my home computer is a laptop thing with no cd drive. I do have, as said, a smartphone. So how may I, if possible, download cds here and then play them in the car, and is this going to be possible since I do not have that USB port in the car?
Kay, maybe it was my Amazon link you were referring to. That device has a rechargeable battery, so if you have a USB port on your computer (probable) you could charge it there and take the CD player with you. Older models like the one I had did have things you plugged into your lighter, and there may still be some that do that. I did see that the one I linked may not play all CDs, but it was just one of several different options available, and I didn't look through them all. Maybe it's like DVDs... some players don't play them all, and it depends on the regional format. But it was just an example for you of a portable player. If you would like more help sorting through which might work for you, I would be happy to try to help. As for the aux cable, it goes into a little hole in your dashboard. You likely have one, though I can look up your car specs later (maybe tomorrow). It isn't as tiny as the hole you would put a paperclip in to try to oust the CD, but look for something like that, like you would plug a headphone jack into. As far as your home computer, you can get a CD/DVD drive relatively cheaply that will plug in via USB to your computer, so you could use that to download media off the CD and put it on something amenable for your car (smartphone or other bluetooth or similar) if you don't want to use the portable CD player. Again, I'd be happy to help you with that, and I'm sure others would, too. You may need to provide some more details, and we can help you figure out the path forward that will be easiest and play what you want to play. I am not super technically inclined but have had to deal with a lot of what you are facing given our cars' similar ages.
Thanks. Just a few more follow-up thoughts while I digest this and any additional comments anyone else might care to offer tonight:
1) I actually do not know, exactly, that there is no USB port in the car, nor the sort of aux cable hole you mention. I know that there is nothing like this staring me in the face anywhere, and I have not checked the owner's manual, but I see I am now in possession of a good reason to check both what I can see in and around the cd player/ radio, and read the owner's manual. Having a day off tomorrow, I am going to do exactly this.
2) Is there any way to check any given CD to see what sort it is? I would say that all my cds are US-made/ sold, but that would be a lie. I have imported many cheap cds from the UK and Germany in recent years. They all have played in all my car cd players over the years without any problems. I will also spend some time on amazon myself asap, seeking various other options I might consider buying.
3) Say I buy a CD drive to use with my laptop, and download stuff onto (presumably blank CDs bought at say Walmart) OR onto some sort of flashdrive? If the latter, then how would I plug such a flashdrive into my smartphone? Is there a USB port capable of doing this on it-- that actually would be something I certainly could look at myself, though also I had never thought to do this, as well...?
I'm pretty sure it's USB or smart phone and then the one device connects into something else like the car audio statement. Micro-USBs exist that might connect into the phone, but that's probably not the best way to transfer information between a computer and your phone.
More useful would be a cloud service with syncing between devices that each have the relevant app.
I wasn't sure if we were allowed to insert links, hence my relative vagueness above. But this is an example of what spouse and I use:
https://www.amazon.com/iKross-Black-3-5mm-Radio-Transmitter/dp/B00HMDB2VE/
As noted above, we download lectures and audiobooks from the internet (our library has many available for free), stick the files on a USB (flash) drive and plug the drive into the USB slot, whereupon the device broadcasts to our car radios.
HOWEVER, if we had smart phones, I would probably get something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/VicTsing-Bluetooth-Transmitter-Hands-Free-Assistant/dp/B07SK8YK8L/
(I have no attachment to this particular one--Amazon recommended it when I clicked on our old one).
I suspect that you could plug in your phone to charge it while broadcasting an audio file to the transmitter via bluetooth, and it *looks* as if the transmitter would then do what my old one does and broadcast to your car radio.
In this scenario, I think that you could just download materials from your library directly onto your phone and play from there, or you could, as ab_grp suggests, download media off existing CDs and put it on either a smartphone or a flash (USB) drive.
Hope this is helpful.
AR.
I use Apple's USB Super Drive to play CDs and DVDs on my Mac Book. It's worked fine for me.
I forgot to mention I have a USB adapter/charger to plug into my AUX port in my car. It's a light pearl pink color with dual USB ports that light up in blue when in use. I have a 6 ft long charging cord with a solid plastic coating. (I've seen charging cords 8-10 ft long in gas stations) With my commute, I can charge my iPhone on the way home.
Awright, although I was not actually motivated to pull out the owner's manual, I did make several observations today, when driving (and this is even more important since I did find out that the car cd player is now indeed kaput). There does not appear to be anything resembling a USB port, or any sort of hole that might reasonably have anything inserted in it, anywhere on the dash. I just spent about a half hour surfing amazon under the search terms 'car cd player portable', and got a variety of options. Some are clearly cheaper models that require you to use batteries while on the go, so obviously I will pay more to avoid this. Random questions from my search include:
1) what is an aux port, requiring an aux cable? Is this the same as a USB port?
2) what is a TF card?
3) There was for sale a car cigarette lighter adapter, but the one I saw said it was for a specific model of Memorex player? would this mean it would not work a/or be safe to work, with any other player?
4) some of the models say that they do not have internal speakers and thus must be used either with headphones/ earbuds, or with a direct linked connection to the car's internal speakers. I assume I would need to have a USB port to do the latter? Thus, if I bought one of these models, would it actually be safe to use it while driving, wearing headphones or earbuds?
5) Some of these models are also available for less money from 3d party used vendors. I buy almost all my books used from such 3d party vendors via- amazon, but books are different animals. Would anyone care to offer an opinion as to whether it is worth it to save a few bucks by buying consumer electronics used here?
I'll try.
1) Aux port can be several things, but in this context is probably just the little round hole into which you would plug headphones or speakers. You might need to know the size (3.5mm is most common, but there's also a 1/4" one).
2) Google says a TF card is the same as a MicroSD card, so basically a very tiny storage unit that inserts into a larger device to store lots of information. It will be around the size of your thumbnail, if not smaller. they often live in digital cameras or phones, but can also be purchased separately. Note that there are lots of sizes of SD card in general and that they are not always transferable between devices.
3) Cigarette lighter to USB adapters are really inexpensive now. I have gotten them at Big Lots and also at Dollar Tree, if you have either of those where you are. We have a number of the cheap ones, and have not had any trouble with them.
4) Yes, I think you would need a USB or aux port to get sound to your speakers from drives that require a linked connection. I do not think that putting a USB adapter into your cigarette lighter would fix this, as there is probably no speaker connection to/from the cigarette lighter.
4b) Some states prohibit using headphones or earbuds while driving. As an alternative, I imagine you could find a battery-powered speaker (with an aux or usb cable) and plug that in.
5) In my experience, the one real advantage of buying new if the prices are comparable is that Amazon (& their affiliates) has (have) been really quick to replace broken electronics. I also usually price check on ebay, though.
AR.
I might need more coffee, but I haven't seen mention of an aux port for a 2007 Malibu in the user manual or other guides (aside from part of a rear entertainment system), and others have posted on car forums saying there sometimes isn't one in Malibus around that time. It may depend on which stereo system you have installed. If that's the case, probably a combination of one of the bluetooth FM tuners (the device you plug into your lighter) and an inexpensive bluetooth MP3 player might be your best bet. And I think you said you would need an external CD/DVD player/reader to plug into your computer to transfer media to the MP3 player? I took a quick look on Amazon, and I think you could probably do all of that at most $80 (likely less), but I will take a closer look in a bit.
As a side note, it is a huge pain to look through the hard copy of a car user manual at times, so you may want to check out the PDF to have it for easier searching in general: https://my.chevrolet.com/content/dam/gmownercenter/gmna/dynamic/manuals/2007/chevrolet/malibu/2007_chevrolet_malibu_owners.pdf
Here's a get to know your 2007 Malibu that I also took a look at: https://my.chevrolet.com/content/dam/gmownercenter/gmna/dynamic/manuals/2007/chevrolet/malibu/2007_chevrolet_malibu_getknow.pdf
Maybe you can clarify which stereo option you have and how well the details of the audio in these manuals matches up to your system? If you do have a rear entertainment system, maybe you could use the aux port for that? It says that can transmit through the car stereo speakers. With a reasonable cord length, you should be able to use your player with it up front.
Also, I am just trying to help here, but I might be wrong! This is just what I dug up this morning.
Thanks for these links. I am going to try to ascertain exactly what I have and how cheaply I can get something, because, well, I do not want to spend much, and I would much prefer to be able to multitask by taking the portable CD player from car to apt and back again, rather than buying one for each. Sound quality is of very limited consequence to me. I am certainly not going to wear earpieces of any kind driving, whether or not it would be legal here. Sounds dumb and dangerous.
It might could be that I will investigate the ability to download audio, whether music or lectures, to a USB drive, and then import this into the car, but I am not at all sure that, given my very very limited budget, that I am all that motivated to do so. What I am motivated to get is basic cd access in the car that would not require batteries there, as though this were 1994.
So I went ahead and looked at more Amazon offerings, and finally bought something. I paid rather more than the average offering I saw there, largely because many of the cheaper ones 1) obviously could not be used in my car, lacking as it does an aux/ usb port (unless I want to go broke using batteries and/ or 2) had crappy customer reviews, clearly of the 'you get what you paid for' variety (i.e., it played for a week and then stopped working, etc.). The thing I bought not only had excellent reviews, but also, at least from what I could personally interpret from the ad, seemed to meet my needs. I just got it, opened it, and am not exactly sure I got what I needed. The thing works fine inside the house, but even if I had wanted to put batteries in it for use in the car, I couldn't, because it does not take batteries. The rechargeable batteries the ad mentioned were the batteries for the remote control (it is a combo CD/ DVD player). Thus, the only way for me to use it in the car would be to plug it into the cig lighter, as of course I have no aux port in the car (it clearly has the port on the machine, and comes with a cable, for me to plug it into a port in a car were there one). So unless I could plug it into the cig lighter, I will have to buy something else for the car (and, truth be told, my search on amazon, which took at least an hour *after having read everything in this fora thread*, I lack much confidence that there is much available for my situation, unless appropriate cables that would safely allow me to use the cig lighter, exisit). Obviously I do not wish to screw up the unit, nor especially mess up the car. I did just email the cd customer service address to ask this same question to them, and to specifically ask whether the usb cables that come with the unit could themselves be inserted in the lighter, but I figure I might as well ask here as well, and thanks in advance for any help. FYI there are two distinct cables in question. One is sticking directly into the unit itself, and there is an attachable electric socket adapter that is fittable into it, in order to allow me to use it with a wall electric socket. On another side of the unit, OTOH, there are three holes, marked USB in, AV out, and HDMI out, and there is a separate multi-headed detachable cable that also comes with the unit, one side of which fits into the AV out hole.
Regarding the cable that can go into an electric socket, what and how many ends does it have? Is it just a standard US outlet power cable, or does it also have a USB or other end? Can it come out of the CD player, or is it permanently affixed? You certainly need some way to get power to the player.
I am guessing that the AV out with the several ends looks something like this:
(sorry for the link; just need a picture)
https://www.amazon.com/MonkeyJack-Headphone-Digital-Camera-Player/dp/B074XCSRTD
If that's correct, the really important part would be the bit that goes into the CD player itself (the black piece in the picture). If it is a 3.5mm jack, I think you might be able to get a small 3.5mm speaker that could plug in instead of the existing cable. If it's something else, that might be trickier.
I know many of us here are happy to help and reply once we have more information. You might also consider taking the device you've gotten to a store like Best Buy, whose employees might be able to identify the type of cables you need at this point. Even pictures are tricky, and I know we would all hate to give you the wrong information.
AR.
Thanks. I actually, and perhaps surprisingly, did get a quick reply to my emailed question from the manufacturer's customer service line. The woman told me exactly how to do it, either with the cable they provided or with a phone charger.
Quote from: kaysixteen on September 07, 2020, 08:44:16 AM
Thanks. I actually, and perhaps surprisingly, did get a quick reply to my emailed question from the manufacturer's customer service line. The woman told me exactly how to do it, either with the cable they provided or with a phone charger.
It's great that they had good customer service and could help you with your specific circumstances. When you get it set up and try it out, please let us know how things go.
Because it's come up multiple times on this thread: links, even for specific products, are fine when relevant to the discussion at hand.
Starting a thread as a newcomer to talk about one's love of Jimmy Jane's Fabulous Gadget will be moderated.
Being established forumites who want to talk details with links raises no concerns unless that becomes many of a person's posts in ways that don't accord with the thread discussion.
Quote from: kaysixteen on September 07, 2020, 08:44:16 AM
Thanks. I actually, and perhaps surprisingly, did get a quick reply to my emailed question from the manufacturer's customer service line. The woman told me exactly how to do it, either with the cable they provided or with a phone charger.
Yay! Wonderful news.
Thank you for clarifying, Polly. I tried to look it up last week, & failed miserably to find the rules, which is really embarrassing.
AR.
Quote from: AvidReader on September 07, 2020, 04:29:55 PM
Thank you for clarifying, Polly. I tried to look it up last week, & failed miserably to find the rules, which is really embarrassing.
AR.
https://thefora.org/index.php?topic=4.0 has the rules in a list form. A link as part of true discussion is neither spam nor advertising.
Thank you!
AR.
A few follow-up questions a month into my experience using this portable CD player, the first time I have had a CD player in years, other than those built into the cars:
1) I am dissatisfied with the volume on the thing-- in the car, at max volume, it is not inaudible for a lecture, but pretty hard to concentrate on. I am considering buying a cheap wireless speaker that I found on amazon, but would like opinions as to whether it would be wasting my money to do so.
2) I am also dissatisfied with how long it will play on a charge, which is for these sorts of lectures less than three hours, and it takes 4-5 back home to charge it again. I am not sure whether it would plug into the cig lighter-- the service rep last month seemed to indicate no, if I understood her correctly, but she was clearly not a native speaker of English. It clearly did not come with an attachment to do so. Would it be worth buying such an attachment and risking plugging it into the lighter? What would be the worst that could occur if I did that and it did not work? I am esp interested in whether that would risk damaging the car.
3) Having again today perused Amazon for potential additional cd player choices to use in the car-- this one certainly works well enough in the house where I can plug it into the electric socket-- I am still underwhelmed by my choices for ones with both 1) rechargeable battery options and 2) no need to use headphones or earbuds (remember I have no aux port in this car). Am I missing something? Where else might I look?
4) My library system does not offer electronic access to the Teaching Company lectures. I have looked on the TC site and the price for a subscription, while not awful, is real... I am wondering whether it would be worth buying. I could do so right away and stream on my laptop, but am unsure whether I could do so with the phone I have, and, more to the point perhaps, whether it would be useful to do so if my purpose would be to take the phone into the car and use it there for this, listening to it without headphones (which would certainly be illegal in my state), whether there would be 1) adequate volume on it doing this 2) issues associated with whether the course would stream effectively while driving and/or 3) whether the course could be downloaded onto the phone at home and listened to directly offline? I do not know where to get such info reliably.. I am going to take the phone into the public library later this week and try to ask the librarians, since their answer would not be perhaps colored by a potential sales-motivated ulterior motive.
which leads us to:
4) looking at Amazon to do such research, I have to fess up to the reality that I am, for a wide variety of clear reasons, deeply ignorant of the state of Gizmoland in 2020. I do not even, like it or not, know what a Bluetooth is. And that ain't all. It is not necessarily easy to ask for this, but I was wondering if anyone had any suggested reading for someone like me, 50+, not tech savvy or experienced, and without the $ needed to buy much, to learn about these sorts of things. I will also ask the librarians for such, of course.