I've got the OEM Bose CD/cassette unit in my 97 Maxima, and it recently started making some really horrendous noises. When you start the car, it sounds like it's trying to eject a tape, but keeps slamming one piece of metal against another. This goes on for 1-2 minutes and it settles down, until the next time you unpower/power the car. If you press the eject button, it starts up again (there is no tape in there, btw). Since I never use the cassette anyway, is there any way to disable it, or just destroy that part of the stereo?
97 Maxima Bose cassette deck going crazy
Oct 15, 2005
10 Replies
My '97 does the exact same thing. If anyone out there has an idea, I'd like to know as well. Thanks.
It's failing/failed.
Pull the fuse, or
Get it fixed, or
Change it outright, probably including all the speakers too.
rtt
If you will need to replace the head unit but still want to keep the Bose sound, lookup
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and the PD4 interface. With that interface you can replace your head unit with an Alpine, Clarion etc, any aftermarket headunit and still interface to the existing Bose speakers. Most importantly, you keep the Bose sound.
I've had the PD-4 and loved it. I bought a Clarion MP3 CD unit and tied it to my existing Bose speakers/amps. Well worth it.
CD
Wow, $150. I got a Scosche adapter for $50 that worked just fine.
Dave
Correct me if I'm worng, but I beleive those adapters convert speaker level outputs to RCA inputs.
CD
The one I have converts a standard 4ohm powered output to the proper specs for the Bose. So I have: Pioneer headunit w/ integrated amp, scosche, bose speakers/amps.
Dave
Exactly. It takes the speaker output that comes after the amp has amplified the signal and added distortion, only to convert it to an RCA signal, then amplify again and further add distortion. That twice amplified/distorted signal is then fed to the Bose speakers.
With the PD-4 , it takes the Line leval RCA signal, "Bosefies it", then presents the signal to the Bose Amp/speakers. Amplification only takes place once. An electronically cleaner setup. I bet the PD4 setup can go louder without distortion than the Scosche setup can.
CD
Here's what I have:
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Acoutiscally, I'm sure it could be better, but IMO 95% of the people with existing Bose speakers and a blown head unit are not terribly worried about sound quality and more about having a working system for less $$. So aftermarket head unit ($75) + Scosche ($25) = cheap, reliable fix. If quality was a major issue I would have bought a separate amp and standard speakers and changed the whole system.
FWIW, I can't tell if the quality is much better or worse since all of my front Bose amps are blown out. I'm going to replace the caps in them one of these days, but mostly I want audible radio.
Dave
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If, acoutiscally, 95% of the people with existing Bose speakers and a blown head unit are not terribly worried about sound quality, then why'd they get the Bose system in the 1st place? In the 95-99 Maxima, there was a standard radio, an optional premium Nissan radio, and then the top of the line Bose system. I beleive a $900 option at the time. Surely they would have been satisfied with one of those more thrifty options.
Un-fortunately, despite my arguing otherwise, I think you're right. Those Scoche type adapters are way more popular than the PD-4. I'm just trying to present the lesser known and better quality option for the few that might want to consider it. You get what you pay for.
CD
I bought my Maxima used, and I'm sure there are many others. (I have never bought a new car.) I do wonder, however, how many Max's rolled off the dealer lots w/ Bose simply because they arrived that way from the factory.
Dave
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