Stock stereo-cd player input?

Does anyone know if you can plug an external CD player into the stock premium audio stereo in a 97 passat? It says "cd changer controls", so I am guessing there is an audio in somewhere in the back. I tried the cassette adapter, but the tape deck doesn't work.

Also, do I have to worry about the anti theft features as I pull it out?
thanks,
James

Hi, yes you can install a CD changer. This requires the proper CD changer and cable that is compatible with the radio.

If you remove power from the radio, you need to ensure you have the radio code because it will need to be re-entered before the radio comes out of "SAFE" mode.

You can also use an emulator to add an audio input. Back in the day I used the K9spud one which seems to be no longer available. I did find something similar here:
http://fritzing.org/projects/audi-concert-1-cd-changer-emulator

I am going to pull the stereo out and see what audio input plugs are back there. If I am lucky there is something I can adapt to run a portable CD player. if not I guess I can buy an aftermarket stereo from eBay.

I don’t think you’ll find any rca in/outputs. The changer cable is also specific to the changer. I may have a cable kicking around somewhere.

Why not go aftermarket with Bluetooth? I haven’t touched a cd in over a decade. Stream or listen to a library on your phone. No wires is convenient.

-Todd

man, im (we) are getting old. CD's? haha. a few months ago i was in the american history museum in the Smithsonian in D.C., kid you not, CD's and iPods were on display where the record player and tape deck used to be.
I see iPods out of FBMP for like $10 bucks. I have a few boxes of CD's but they have all been backed up to a though drive and my NAS for at least a decade now.
point is, just go modern!

to answer your question, im fairly sure you need a separate wiring harness and a CD changer that is built for your head unit.
for the price your going to pay for this and the unreliability and issues with skipping CD's, just go modern on this, cheap head unit and a quality mini amp and equalizer.
i stopped buying head untis with CD players in them years ago.

I saw someone has a "fatbox" in the f/s here. think it is a hard drive that you load your music on and hook up to the cd changer cable in the trunk. For those that want to keep the stock HU.

Jetta SS said:

I saw someone has a "fatbox" in the f/s here. think it is a hard drive that you load your music on and hook up to the cd changer cable in the trunk. For those that want to keep the stock HU.

Click to expand...

Wow, this is Way-Back Tech, but I know a thing or two about all this concept. Decades ago, I upgraded my stock radio in my Corrado to the late MkIII or early MkIV VW Radios. (I have one of each, because the lighting colors are different, MkIII and Corrado used Green, MkIV obviously used blue).

Phatbox: I have one of those sitting on my desk here that belongs to my Corrado. (attached to either of the HU's above using the appropriate VW changer cable) You access the Phatnoise using the factory CD Input and the audio prompts to help you find your selections. It works in my MkIV as well. They used old PATA laptop hard drives for media, so consider the concept before you invest heavily in one. Replacing a drive in one is FAR more complicated than replacing (or upgrading) a laptop drive.

As for attaching an aftermarket CD changer to a VW Single DIN radio, it can be done. I have a Clarion 6-disc changer I snagged in a Goodwill ~20 years ago for $15, which I can also attach to the MkIII/MkIV single DIN HU's I have. I had to get an adapter to convert the VW rectangular trunk mount CD Changer connector to a round DIN style connector used on the Clarion changer. So, YES the OP's original question is "possible". Whether you can find the parts to do it today, that's a whole different question. I can get you the aftermarket part number if someone wants to search for this tech. It's currently riding in the trunk of my MkIV.

There's also a Single DIN single disc CD player that works with the early Single DIN radios. It plugged-in in place of the changer cable that ran to the trunk. (These single DIN CD only devices were available before the double DIN radio common to MkIV came along) These units also had a jack to daisy chain the 6-disc changer cable on behind the single disc unit, and an LED that lit telling you which device was playing.

(Now for some speculation) I believe once in a junkyard, I also discovered that the New Beetles had a 6-disc changer that mounted in the arm rest which appeared to have the correct plug to mate to a MkIII/MkIV HU. I just don't recall whether I bought that device and brought it home to test? I think I did, but I can't find it right now in my mass of antique tech gear...

problem with all this 20 to 25 year old stuff is that the caps start to leak, and when they do its not good, it can be fixed, check out 8-bit guy on youtube, he done tons of these restorations on old boards.
point is, electronic parts (not just including caps) wear out over time and don't sound very good anymore. I do like the way these old systems look but most of them sound very poorly compared to how they did back int he day without a rebuild electronically.

I ended up getting the CD player to work through the tape player with the adapter. I had to take apart the adapter cassette and rewire it to the other side. For some reason the player likes it better that way. I can't really explain why, but I just prefer the retro CD player, it is of the same vintage as the car. The stereo sounds ok, but could probably use a restore. I'm sure it needs new speakers, I may do that soon. For now though I am happy with it.

Most of the premium audio units in these cars are Clarion, if the cable for the changer in the rear is round then it's a Clarion and all the B4 cars should be pre-wired for the changer. Also all Mk3 97 and up should be pre-wired for a changer too, mine was.

The Clarion head unit will only recognize a 6 disc changer though, which is too bad. I had a 18 disc changer once I wanted to install but the head unit wouldn't recognize it...too bad, tossed it out. Later I found a Clarion CD634 that I installed in the Mk3.

Panasonic also made premium head units for these but those are significantly fewer in number. If the cassette door on the radio has a small bump on it then the unit is Clarion, if it's plain front then it's Panasonic. You can also pull the head unit and see whether it's marked.

Steve

Your telling me, your idea if quality audio comes from a CD player that feeds into a tape converter in a 25yo system?
Dude. Just wow. I have not seen those things in like 15 years.
Why not just get a bluetooth player that has no face and hide it. Use your phone.

I'm living in the past. I have no phone (except landline), all my music is on cds. Strange I know, but it works for me.

jdulle said:

I'm living in the past. I have no phone (except landline), all my music is on cds. Strange I know, but it works for me.

Click to expand...

Don't worry, you're not the only one. I have a mobile phone that I rely on heavily and I do use mp3 player (when cycling) but for the cars I have factory radios and will be keeping them.

There's nothing wrong with a factory radio, or even a CD. CD quality is much better than MP3. Anyone who denounces a factory radio I would point to how expensive OE radios are for older MB cars. You would be surprised at how expensive it is to replace a missing Becker Europa radio, or worse, a Becker Mexico or Grand Prix from the 60's / 70's.

Steve

Steve Addy said:

Don't worry, you're not the only one. I have a mobile phone that I rely on heavily and I do use mp3 player (when cycling) but for the cars I have factory radios and will be keeping them.
There's nothing wrong with a factory radio, or even a CD. CD quality is much better than MP3. Anyone who denounces a factory radio I would point to how expensive OE radios are for older MB cars. You would be surprised at how expensive it is to replace a missing Becker Europa radio, or worse, a Becker Mexico or Grand Prix from the 60's / 70's.
Steve

Click to expand...

oh lord. CD>mp3? the same thing, THE SAME THING. learn how LP, CD's and digital content are made. unless you have very specific set up from recording, the quality is exactly the same across the board, there is a difference in hardware though and there is a difference in caset tapes too, but for point of this, the hardware is the issue. a nearly 30 year old radio will sound like crap compared to when it first was made. does it still make sound, yes, on speakers that are the same age and wear, yes. its hard enough that for car audio to sound good, you need to have a very complicated set up of microphones and computer software to tune the system so that the sound waves dont propagate and cancel things out.

im talking, 1995 walkman with generic affordable headphones to even the $30 stuff you can get at Walmart on an y digital content player, the difference is apples to oranges. and thats how car audio is now and has been for decades.


look, point is, dont call cheep car audio stuff "Quality" or "good" its not, its better than nothing over the drone of the car and road noise, sure. please go to a car audio competition. or listen to any music in .flac format with a high quality set of ear cans.
ever been to a concert at a proper concert haul or cathedral? I have, and i have been to audio competitions, the efect is about as good as it gets.

ok, done ranting.
i do envy your life of simplicity. i know a few old timers, one of which i got my old school motorcycle from and it was awesome seeing his simplicity. heck he had one phone, thats it, in his garage. not even in his house, he didnt mess with cars unless it has gears, chains, and carbs. NO electronics, and hes not even Amish lol

Steve Addy said:

You would be surprised at how expensive it is to replace a missing Becker Europa radio, or worse, a Becker Mexico or Grand Prix from the 60's / 70's.

Click to expand...

Finding old MB radios sounds like trying to find the elusive factory VW Gamma CD HU for my Corrado. (I have one on a shelf)

Steve hit it on the head. I believe the Clarion CD634 is what I have in my MkIV, which also works on the MkIII and early MkIV single DIN Clarion HU. Blitzsafe made an adapter to convert the rectangular VW trunk changer connector to the round Clarion changer connector.

Some older people aren't tech savvy at all. I upgraded my MIL's HU recently to a touch screen 2din (stock HU died). Showed her how it works with her phone calls and can play music from her phone, and she didn't follow at all - she just kept asking me "so where do I put a CD in?".

I really thought she'd appreciate all the new features in a modern HU, but I was mistaken.

Get a voice command. Then again, modern stuff once synchronized will do all that automatically.

Yes I am pretty happy with the old HU. I do think the speakers could be replaced for better sound, they are most likely the originals. I don't really have any desire for bluetooth, etc, anything with a touchscreen.

The OEM 1997 head unit works with a trunk mounted OEM CD player / changer that takes a cartridge with 6 CDs.



Installing the cable between the head unit and the trunk unit is a PITA. The OEM installation is to run the cable from the back of the head unit behind the dash, down the left side of the dash and under the door sill on the left side all the way to the trunk.



I have the OEM setup in my B4 -- and yes, I still occasionally listen to my old CDs [what did you expect from an old guy]


The OEM bracket for installing the CD player in the B4V is unique AFAIK and it fit in the small cubby with latch door in the trunk behind the rear tail light.

For anyone stumbling upon this thread in the future.

I located my VW factory Single DIN 6-Disc changer that I picked up in the junkyard (1J0-035-110). (New Beetle Convertible = armrest console) Despite being a Sony device, it has the standard rectangular VW trunk mount CD Changer connector common to the Mk3/MkIV vehicles. I plugged it into my MkIV changer connector in the trunk of my Jetta Wagon, and it was powered up and recognized by the factory headunit. (it appears to speak the same language with the HU as other Mk3/Mk4 changers) It requires no "cartridge" to hold the discs, and will mount in a Single DIN space.

For comparison, I also own a VW factory Single DIN single-disc CD unit (1J0-035-119A) which was commonly mounted above or below the single DIN Mk3/MkIV HU in the dash. The Single disc CD unit has a ~12" cable with the small blue rectangular connector to plug into the back of the single DIN factory HU. This is the same connector found on the dash end of the VW CD Changer cable typically plugged into the factory single DIN headunit. (the single disc CD was offered in the early MkIV cars) This single DIN single-disc CD unit also has a male 8 pin receptacle on the rear for the additional use of the trunk mounted changer extended beyond the single disc player (Daisy chain arrangement), and a select button on the front to choose which CD device is providing audio playback.