CD player broken, Ford blames Flowmaster

[Mean03V6]

Ok, so here's the deal. When I first get in my car, my CD player works fine. As the CD player heats up, it starts to freeze up and eject my discs. After the radio has been on for about 5 minutes, it spits out any disc I put in it. Before it does, however, I can hear the unit making a distinct clicking sound as it tries to rotate the disc. So, I took the Stang in to the service department here at the dealer by my house. Well, after taking a look at it, and mind you, my car only has 16k miles on it, Ford decided to refuse warranty service on the unit because, and I quote directly from the sheet the dealership gave me "...most likely cause of the unit's malfunction is interior resonation that is originating from the custom aftermarket exhaust system. Most likely the resonation from the exhaust has vibrated loose some components of the stereo and, as the exhaust is NOT OEM, the repairs to said system will not be under factory warranty." You just have to love that. So, forget it I said. I'm just going to buy a new CD changer and system anyway sooner or later. I tell you, they'll do anything to get out of warranty service, won't they?

 

['66 coupe]

You only have one Ford dealer in your area?
Don't forget a Lincoln/Mercury dealer won't mind touching it. And from my experience, Lincoln/Merc dealers are levels above Ford dealers.

 

[ChrisYellowV6]

oh god, you too!?!?!??? The ford dealer here said that my MAC duals caused my CD player to not eject discs. Is it the 6 disc in dash changer? If so, there is a techincal bulletian out on that model, along with the front window motors on the 99+ models. Legally, they have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the exhaust is what caused your CD player to malfunction. Do that or get with a buddy who has the same headunit, switch out with his, let him take it in to get replaced under warranty. Don't you love my ways of getting around the dealer a**holes?

Also, as '06 coupe said, take it to another dealer! Don't mention that the other won't fix it due to the flowmasters, unless they refuse to do it also. You can also call the 800 ford number and file a complaint against that dealership and they will have a talking to with them. Hope it works out for you man!

 

[GREENBIOCH]

That has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard

 

[cobra232]

my cd player did the same thing but with the stock exhaust on. they just don`t want to pay to replace it. the resonance from the exhaust is of no consequence to the cd operating correctly. the v8 makes more resonance with stock exhaust than the 3.8 with aftermarket exhaust. also my wife`s 99 GT vert had to have the cd replaced from the same malfunction. go to another dealer and if they say the same thing write a letter to ford about it and threaten to contact the better business bureau

 

[Mean03V6]

Well guys, I tried another Ford dealer about thirty minutes from here. They claimed the same thing so I'm going to take you guys' advice and try a Lincoln/Mercury dealer...I believe there's one somewhere around here. It's not the six disc changer, it's the base model single CD unit. Honestly, I'm amazed there are other Stangers out there who have dealt with this issue...makes me feel better knowing that, even though I still feel that saying the exhaust is causing my problem is . Well, I'll keep you guys posted on what happens. Thanks for the feedback. You guys rock. Later.

 

[75player]

That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. If you follow Fords reasoning on that one, any car with subs in it would cause the same thing. Resonance of the exhaust? Give me a break. I better go rip out my subs cuz the extra bass will probably shake components loose in my CD player. Dude, call Fords 1-800 number about this. My father in law works for Ford and I'm gonna give him a call on this one tonight. I just can't believe that Ford would endorse the dealers diagnosis.

 

[97v6Silver]

OMG! you outta sue them

 

[Mean03V6]

Well, I tried the Lincoln dealer and, although they took longer to tell me, they claimed once AGAIN that the exhaust was the cause. I tried to argue that, for crying out loud, the Ford aftermarket rep tried to sell me the EXACT SAME exhaust system at the time I was buying the car and I didn't have the money, so I declined. That was when they really pi$$ed me off by saying had I bought the exhaust from the dealer, my stereo would be covered. So, having exhausted (no pun intended ) all options that would let me get the unit replaced for free (and having made up my mind that I'm NOT going to buy another Ford unit), it looks like I'm going to be starting the process of getting my custom system done. After stopping by my usual performance shop, it's looking like I'll be getting a Pioneer head unit, a 300 watt Kicker 2 way amp, and two Kicker 12's in the trunk for now. Of course, eventually I want to swap out the 6 X 9 front speakers and the rear factory speakers, but I figure the subs would be a good place to start. The shop is wanting me to fork out about $950 for everything installed, and that's with a custom box for the 12's. It sounded like a good deal to me, but I will openly tell you I have no clue what systems are running these days. Could you guys please give me some opinions on that system and that price? Also, any system recommendations would be appreciated. I am on a very very very very tight budget, so I can't go with anything really neat. I heard that Pioneer was one of the best brands to go with though, and apparently, so is Kicker. Any feedback would be appreciated. I know this new question is kind of :OT: , but it is stereo related. Thanks guys.

 

[01White5spd]

$950 is way too much money in my opinion. A head unit shouldn't cost over $200 installed and the subs and amp you could get for around $300-400 installed. The only way it could cost that much is if they are giving you a reallly fancy head unit and some very high end subs.
My system has a 180w AIWA cd/mp3 player($189 installed over 2 years ago), a lightning audio 250 watt amp($100) and one 12" sony explode sub($50) with box($40). An install for the sub/amp would be $50-75 plus another $60 for parts. So that adds up to ~$500 installed. I also got component kenwood speakers up front($120) and regular 3-way kenwoods in back(~$80). So, with head unit, sub/amp, and speakers its still under $700 and that was over 2 years ago, so it should cost less now.

 

[Mean03V6]

$950 is way too much money in my opinion. A head unit shouldn't cost over $200 installed and the subs and amp you could get for around $300-400 installed. The only way it could cost that much is if they are giving you a reallly fancy head unit and some very high end subs.
My system has a 180w AIWA cd/mp3 player($189 installed over 2 years ago), a lightning audio 250 watt amp($100) and one 12" sony explode sub($50) with box($40). An install for the sub/amp would be $50-75 plus another $60 for parts. So that adds up to ~$500 installed. I also got component kenwood speakers up front($120) and regular 3-way kenwoods in back(~$80). So, with head unit, sub/amp, and speakers its still under $700 and that was over 2 years ago, so it should cost less now.

Holy crap. If I could get a system done for $700 or less, I"d be very happy. That $950 I got quoted only covered the Pioneer 2600 Head unit ($199), the Amp ($299.99), the box ($125 b/c its custom), and the two Kicker Comp. subs ($179.99 for both). Install for the subs would run $65, with a $45 install for the head unit and $32 in small parts like wiring harness, RCA cables, and the dash kit. After parts and labor, the total was $1,015.67 but b/c I shop there all the time and am buds with the owner, they were going to give the system to me for about $900-$950. I think I'm going to run by Best Buy today and see how much they want to do a system for me. I'm looking at nearly $1,000 just for the head unit and the subs, that doesn't even cover swapping out the factory speakers. Time to shop around I reckon.

 

[01White5spd]

Best buys is a good place to look, I got my head unit on Sale there and it came with free install and they sometimes have packages with subs and an amp although they don't make custom Boxes. Just check their ad online and see what kind of deals they are doing, it changes every week and sometimes you can get a great deal on something. A good place to get speakers is here:
http://www.crutchfield.com/
they usually have the very good prices.

 

['66 coupe]

Best buys is a good place to look,

And a GREAT place to work. I never intended to put a system in my car, but my employee discount at Best Buy was way too good, so I just had to.

Here's my setup:
Pioneer DEH-4600P head unit: plays MP3's and WMP's - $120(it doesn't have the little animation screen, but I don't give a crap)
2 Rockford 10" punch subs - $53 each
Rockford 2 channel amp - $135
Pioner 3-way 6x8s in all 4 corners - $43 a pair
Q-Logic ported box for both 10's - $53 (This is last years model, but it's a PERFECT fit for Mustangs.)

4-year service on EVERYTHING - about $12(normally looking at a little over $100)
Definately get a service plan for speakers. Cause when they blow, all you do is bring them in, and we swap them in store. And if you have a previous year's model, you get the new model.

I also got a $500 Matrix alarm w/ pager and remote start for $140. Definately consider an alarm if you're putting $$$ into a system.

 

['66 coupe]

BTW, save money on install and do it yourself. You'll be surprised just how easy it is, and you might learn some stuff. Besides, drilling the hole in the firewall is fun for the whole family.

 

[yellow5.0cobra]

So tell them what if it was a MACH 1000 system with the 2 subs in the rear... wouldnt that cause resonance also?

F-n morons... thats why I dont even bother buying a NEW FORD vehicle.

Maybe, JUST MAYBE one day they can get their sh it str8.

 

[SpectorV]

thats stupid i got my flowmasters put on when teh car has 60 miles on it mine is fine... they are just not wanting to fix it...... i would make the guy who told you that line of BS cry by yelling at him maybe they would fix it or talk to the owner of the dealership where you got the car tell him about this and how you wont be bringing back your buz if htey dont fix it like they SHOULD.

 

[Mean03V6]

[QUOTE='66 coupe]BTW, save money on install and do it yourself. You'll be surprised just how easy it is, and you might learn some stuff. Besides, drilling the hole in the firewall is fun for the whole family. [/QUOTE]


U know, I'd like to think I know alot about stuff but I'll openly admit, when it comes to systems, I'm an idiot. Well, I checked out Best Buy but they wanted to sell me some off brand subs by a company named Dual. They claimed they were good amps, but for $149 for two 12s WITH a box WITH blue neon lighting and only $60 for an amp, how good could that possibly be?? So, I'm going with mobile one. It's funny you list your system components b/c I also decided to go with the Rockford-Fosgate Punch2 tens. They're the stage 2 subs, so supposedly there's improved sound there. And I really loved the total they gave me. For the two tens, a box, and a Kenwood amp to push them (actually, the amp is 800 watt ), the total only comes to $500 and that's with everything installed. Now yes, that leaves me with the problem of getting a head unit still. The factory unit is still acting up so it's going to have to be replaced. Since I'll be going with a Kenwood amp and eventually two Kenwood 6 X 9's for the doors (which I was pleased to hear would only run me $100 for the pair ...I"ve no clue what to do about the rear factory speakers.), I figured I"d go with a Kenwood head unit for about $150....one of the nicer ones, but w/o all the bells and whistles like graphics etc. The kicker of the whole thing is I don't have that kind of money right now so I'm going to have to buy the system piece by piece. So, while I was there, I went ahead and bought the first sub. As much as i hate to say this, and I really really do, its gonna be a few weeks before I have all the components I need to have it all installed. But anyway, that's the new game plan. For now, I'm still hassling with the current disaster and still breathing down Ford's neck to lend me a hand with it....I think this Monday I may "accidentally" be swapping out my head unit with a fellow Stanger I know and he may "accidentally" be bringing my hunk o junk in for service. Hopefully he'll have better luck with it than I did. At any rate, how do you like the subs that you have? I know there's lots more powerful stuff out there, but I'm just looking for a little extra bump, not a window-breaking experience. Thanks guys for all the input and suggestions.

 

[blasterx]

Man that CD play was a POS before I put any mods on my car! When it was brand new it would eject discs for no reason, or just decide no to eject them atall!
I didnt even bother taking it in to ford because I had read about so many other having the issue. I didnt want the stock audio system anyway so i replaced the head unit and disconnected the CD player. Its still sitting in there just because I havnt thought of anything to put in its place.

 

['66 coupe]

At any rate, how do you like the subs that you have? I know there's lots more powerful stuff out there, but I'm just looking for a little extra bump, not a window-breaking experience.

The subs are great. The subs hit really hard. IMO, any one that wouldn't be happy with these subs would have to be friggin nuts. But like I said, a system was never my top priority, and I with the music I listen to, craploads of bass don't really help the quality of sound. But I could easily shake the walls to my parents' house when we installed the system in their garage.
Another thing is that my ports for the box open relatively close to the bottom of the 6x8's in the back dash. I'd think that anything too powerful would distort the sound in the 6x8's.

 

[Mean03V6]

[QUOTE='66 coupe]The subs are great. The subs hit really hard. IMO, any one that wouldn't be happy with these subs would have to be friggin nuts. But like I said, a system was never my top priority, and I with the music I listen to, craploads of bass don't really help the quality of sound. But I could easily shake the walls to my parents' house when we installed the system in their garage.
Another thing is that my ports for the box open relatively close to the bottom of the 6x8's in the back dash. I'd think that anything too powerful would distort the sound in the 6x8's. [/QUOTE]

I hear ya. I don't need a whole lot of kick as far as bass goes, and I definitly want clarity over quantity. I have also heard stories of people distorting the sound from their smaller speakers b/c they had too much knock in the trunk so I'm sure you're right about that. I'll probably be holding off on the 6X9(8?)s for now and focusing on just getting the head unit, amp, woofers, and box. It's alot of money to me, but I'm sure once I get it all in there I'll be happy. This Friday I'll be picking up the other sub I need, so I'll have both 10's at that point. Getting a system is something that I never thought I'd be doing, much less a top priority....but....when something breaks, I try to fix it so it's better than it was before. And my stock player is definitly broken....