TriTard

my bose HU 6 disc jammed up about a month ago and so far i have dealt with it. listened to the radio but now im starting to get tired of that. so ive been trying to figure out what the best option is. i would love to be able to hookup my ipod to the HU but i dont really want to go aftermarket. the current stock radio display screen would then become useless and would look rather goofy. so im thinking of doing a mod to the bose HU to play the ipod.

1.) is there a way that i can repair the 6-disc?
2.) if i cant reapir, and i choose to replace the 6 disc, is it as easy as removing the old one and putting the new one in? or is there a security measure i have to deal with? aka, radio "locking" up

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

are the discs just stuck in the 6 disc?
it's not too difficult to remove the unit and inspect it to see what's wrong with it.

you could always buy the ipod adapter to plug into the aux on the back of the OEM
if the 6 disc is broken, there used to be a guy who sold them on ebay for a good price, lots of members here have bought their 6 disc players from that seller

TriTard

it got jammed when all 6 slots were full. a couple days after that, it spit out about 2 CDs (if i remember correctly). there a still a few CDs inside but i dont really care about them. since then, it just makes a noise like its loading when you first start up the car.

i saw a couple different ipod adapters on here, all of them were around $60. which one is the best/easiest to install? i assume, if i get that adapter, i would not necessarily have to fix the CD player?

the parts group has 6 discs for about $120 or $140

JakesRX8

I bought an iPod adapter from ebay a couple months ago. I think I paid around $65 for it. Works great and was simple to install. Just be careful with that first plastic clip when removing the center console cover. It's very fragile.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

What year is your 8? Some IPOD adapters are dependent on the head units firmware but the OEM IPOD adapter works with any firmware and works fine for me. But the OEM IPOD interface lacks many options that the aftermarket units have. But for me, I had no choice do to the old firmware on my head unit.

Also, OEM CD changer units can be had very cheap as many just don't use CD's anymore.

mrl84

i would recomend buying a ipod adapter then once you have it, removing the radio and seeing if you can unjam the cds. if you can or cant install the ipod adapter, either way you only had to remove the radio once and you can play your ipod and maybe cds. the one "magic" bolt on removing the radio is a bit of a PITA.

TriTard

ive got an 04. i saw on the forums somewhere about how to check the firmware version but i dont remember where.

i was already planning on taking the 6 disc out when i installed the adapter and seeing if i could unjam it. i looked on ebay and the average price for one is about $140. idk where you found one for $60; maybe you could point me in the right direction?

Z0oMzo0m

iTrader: (4)

what about the GROM AUX. adapter? its simple to install and run about 80.00

You can YouTUBE the "radio removal" and he shows you a simple way or rather easier way to find and get the "MAGIC" bolt out

TriTard

i watched that video a while back the grom is about $130 online.

GameChanger

For the record you can go aftermarket and still have the LCD functional. Just use the Metra Turbo 2 kit and your golden.

Z0oMzo0m

iTrader: (4)

130.00!! damn i got mine for 80.00 back just shy a year ago..

04Green

iTrader: (1)

There are several GROM units. I got the one that is an MP 3 player, aux input and, with the cable, I think an IPOD adapter. I think that is the $130 one. I believe there was a procedure for checking firmware on the GROM site. I have a September 2003 build and my head unit works. Most of these I have seen connect to the same connector that the 6 disk (or Sat) connects to, so you will not get both. I have a 4 GB memory stick in it. Will easily do 600 songs (100 for each virtual CD). No need to haul an IPOD around, but if I want, I can feed through the provided AUX.

Go GROM. And yeah, that bold is hard, but not impossible. An alternative, if you have small hands, or know someone that does, is to pull the bottom half of the circle for the radio out and reach through there to swap the cables. I think it is possible, but not with size XL hands. Need to do a tad of research on which cable, but beats the alternative if it works.

TriTard

i was thinking that the ipod adapters connect to the AUX/MD connection? would make sense to me, but hey, what do i know?

ive got an 04 bose 6 disc. does that help determine what firmware i have? or could you link me to how i can find out what firmware im currently running?

shaunv74

There's a thread somewhere on the site. You have to push a series of buttons on the stereo and it will tell you the firmware. A search may yield you the results. I don't remember where the thread is.

Also I have a standard '04 single CD player unit I would sell you for $75 OBO if you are interested and just want a working CD player.

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-parts-sale-wanted-44/fs-standard-oem-cd-player-%2475-181820/

TriTard

i appreciate the offer but ill prolly just buy an adapter for my ipod and forget about the CDs.

04Green

iTrader: (1)

For the GROM, it is supposed to connect to your IPOD and allow you to use the steering wheel controls. I am not sure how it goes beyond that. I do know I can get 6 100 song playlists. I think if I go over 100 it still works, it just wraps the numbers around, but 600 songs is plenty for me. I am old and there is not that much music I like.

DisturbedOne87

iTrader: (5)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Monster-iCarPlay...#ht_1440wt_964

i have something similar to this and it sounds good picking up your ipod music through a radio station

TriTard

@disturbedone

those things dont work in the city. too many radio stations, bad ipod audio quality

TriTard

if i pull out the 6 disc, try to repair it, and put it back in, does the radio lock up as a security measure? i know some radios do that, just wondering if the rx8 bose HU has that feature.

i dont want to pull the thing out and not be able to get anything to work again.

shaunv74

Not that I'm aware of. I swapped my standard CD player for an OEM MP3 player unit and had no problems with it starting up again.

TriTard

i just pulled the 6 disc out and played with it for a bit until i got the CD that was jammed back in place. put the car back together, and everything worked fine. i was able to eject the remaining 3 CDs however, the CD player no longer works. I hit the CD button and it says "No Disc" and it wont let me load one.

and just an FYI, that pesky hidden bolt was really easy to get loose. after fidgeting with sockets trying to get it loose (lost a socket in the process), i finally managed to unscrew it with just my fingers. not sure if thats bcuz it wasnt tight or i had already loosened it.

EDIT: i found out that i have firmware version 9.55 so i should be good to go for the XCarLink ipod adapter. what is it like compared to GROM?

04Green

iTrader: (1)

They both seem about the same. I looked at both. The XCarLink web site pissed me off so much I went with the GROM. I am using the USB stick method for the GROM. I do not have an IPOD other than a shuffle that someone gave me that I keep by the pool. I am kind of the Apple Anti-Steve. I like the fact that the music stays in the car. Only GROM issue is that, when you turn it on, the music starts, plays off USB for half a second, stops for half a second, then starts for good. I think there is a software patch, but it is not enough of a problem to bother downloading it.

TriTard

i think im leaning towards the GROM unit. it seems a lot of people are experiencing obnoxious buzzing noises with the XCarLink

mrl84

i have the xcarlink and i have no buzzing. i did have a problem where my steering wheel controls didnt work, but it turned out to be a problem with my ipod.