Mine does. It's happenned to me the last couple of days. It's been high 20's here in TO. The car was boiling inside. I turn the CD on as soon as I start the car to go home form work. After about 2 mins it stops and will not play. The radio still works, but today the reception was very bad on all the channels. I don't drive a long distance to work so I can't really say if it will get better as the car cools down. The CD didn't work and the reception sucked during my whole drive home.

Has anyone had any issues with this?

MB-BOB, you live in texas right? How's your CD holding up?

BTW, my car is parked outside in the sun all day while at work.

I'm surprised the radio is so heat sensitive.

TIA,

David.

 

It has been around 103degF here in Tucson the last few days. Also some days last summer in Phoenix was 110degF. So far, have had no problems with CD cutting in and out yet. Radio reception has not changed.

 

It's been in the 90s here a few times, and I have yet to have a problem with my CD Player. Yesterday I was traveling around the Dallas area, I would leave the car in the sun for a few hours at a time, and it would be pretty hot when inside. If I were you, I would take it in to the stealer to complain.

 

I live in MD and it's not that hot outside, but I have similar problems. The CD and Radio seem to stop playing for about 30 seconds once in a while, but then they come back on. I have had this problem for a few weeks now and noticed that this happens mostly when it's hot outside. One day I had the sound play for about 3 seconds then cut of for 1/2 second... it kept doing this until I stopped and restarted the car.

This problem is fairly annoying and I have an appointment with my dealer's shop on Monday. I will post again to let you know if they found anything, and if it was related to the heat.... my guess is a a loose wire but we'll see.

dede

 

I had similar problems and the cause was a pinched fiber optic cable. The dealer fixed it under warranttee.

 

David, We had a few days over 100f here last Summer. My car is parked outside in the sun during the day, too. I didn't have any problems with the CD player, and I used it daily during that time. But I do have some 35% tinting that cuts down on some of the heat, and I leave the sunroof tilted up with the sunshade closed. But, hot is still hot, wherever.

I recall the manual has some notes concerning extreme temp (and humidity) effects on the CD player. But I don't have it with me, today.

Maybe the Buellwinkle is onto something... Dede, your problem doesn't sound normal, either.

 

I've had this ongoing problem with the CD changer. After playing long and loud, I would start getting static noises like the tweeters wires were loose. I thought at first it was something to do with my mobile phone being placed under the head unit.

I've taken it to the dealer but they have refused to address it because it has been an intermittent problem. I was told not to play custom burned cd's in the changer because that may be the cause Yeah right! I've even driven back to the dealer and had one of the service advisors listen to this static when it occurred but he said that if it was not constant problem and could not be replicated again when it came in for service, there was nothing that could be done.


Just this week, the radio would go out for a sec and come back on repeatedly. Now I know it is not isolated to just the CD changer or a crimped optical cable. I wonder if it is an heat issue because it was very hot outside when this occurred or when its been playing for a long time. Or would it have something to do with the speed sensitive volume feature going wonky? Hope someone finds an easy fix 'cause its been very annoying.

 

That's exactly what mine did, the radio would come on and off repeatedly by itself and the CD played static once in a while. It was a crimped fiber optic cable and not the radio. I think they told me it threw a code and that's how they knew. It was fixed under warrantee. If they won't fix it and you are totally frustrated, get a new fiber optic cable for $20 and put it in yourself.

 

i am so glad other people have this problem, well not really but i feel better, i have the same problem as what all of u have.

after usually playing the music kind of loud to loud for about 10 min. it goes completly staticy during the song and when u try to change the song. and it sounds like its some sort of electrical sound. sometimes if it gets real bad the cd player just shuts and the radio goes on. it can not be fixed unless i turn the car off then on again and that will usually fix it. its very annoying it happens to me almost everyday. the problem is that since i put the subwoofer in my car my audio warrenty is now voided. if anyone comes up with a good idea please tell me. its it need to really be brought to the dealer i can always have someone disconnect the sub any wiring. but that a big job and i need to pay to have it dissconnected then connected again so i will just live with it unless i can fix it my self.
and its not the heat i live in Fl. and the sun is baking on my vlack car all day and i have dark 18% tint to. and besides that i remember when it happned in the cooler weather 2.

 

I don't feel that any of you should consign yourselves to living with this problem, or fixing it yourselves. Everyone has a boss... even MB servicemonkeys. If the dealer service consultant won't address your problem, see the service manager. If no result there ask for the regional manager's e-mail address, etc.

My servicemonkey recently left the dealership where I get service. I don't know for sure, but I suspect he was fired. At minimum, he was one visit shy of my getting his ***, but instead, someone beat me to it. Now that his sorry butt is gone, the new consultant assigned to me has found my sunroof memory problem on the first try. The previous idiot couldn't find it on four tries, even when I demonstrated it to him in person.

Too bad that service doesn't match the general quality of these cars. You'd swear you're in a Ford Service Dept.

 

This has happenned to me once before on another hot day. I just ended up shutting the radio off. That particular problem hasn't happenned since.


Bob, I read the owners manual. You're right, there is a section on the CD overheating. There is supposed be amessage on the headunit "CD TEMP HI", then it will revert to the radio. I never noticed the message, and I guess I didn't wait long enough because I switched it to the radio myself.


Buellwinkle, a crimped fibre optic cable wouldn't be heat dependant would it? Did your CD screw up on particualrily hot days?


TO EVERYONE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSES. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

David.

 

That's exactly what mine did. In the morning when it was cool it worked fine. After sitting in the hot California September sun (last year) all day and it was 90f+ outside and double that in the car the radio would go on and off by itself, when it worked the CD sounded staticky (is that a word?). I don't know what to tell you other than I took it in to the dealer and they said it was a crimped fiber cable that probably got that way when they replaced the defective radio the week or two before. Not MBs fault but Circuit ****ty blew a channel installing speakers with the stereo on.

Actually if you can go seach far enough on this forum you will find my original post last year. They switched software at one point and they didn't carry the old posts forward.

 

Thanks Buellwinkle.

I'll pay more attention for the message on the head unit. If I get it then I know the radio is working properly. If not, then I could have a damaged cable.

I'll keep the board posted.

 

then perhaps on hot days, something is expanding and causing it to stop working. Sounds fairly viable to me since I know how sensitive some things can be under different temp conditions. I have a door lock on the rear of another car that doesnt go down automatically in the summer. The winter it works fine but the summer it doesnt want to lock so I must remember to manually lock every time I exit the car. I may just change the mechanism this summer or open it up and clean off the dust (which is Im sure what the problem is). The metal expands in the heat and the dirt keeps if from working properly.

 

This bulletin has been created and maintained in accordance with MBUSA-SLP 5.1, Document and Data Control, and
MBUSA-SLP 16.1, Control of Quality Records.
DTB
October 11, 2001
Order No.: P-B-82.64/175
Supersedes:
Group: 82
SUBJECT: Model Year 2001 W203 and Model Year 2002 CL/S/W203
CD Changer Static or Interference During CD Changer Playback
If you encounter instances of noises or static during CD Changer operation on the subject models, please
install an additional length of fiber optic cable of length 200mm (8 inches) between the radio and the CD
Changer.
To install the fiber optic cable:
1. Turn off ignition and radio.
2. Remove the CD Changer. (Refer to P-SI-82.64/138 A for removal or installation of the CD Changer)
3. Unplug the D2B Connector at the CD Changer.
4. Open the fiber optic cable coupling for the CD changer and remove cable with clear (white) end.
5. Insert the clear (white) end of fiber optic cable into coupling (A 000 545 33 84) and clip it in.
6. Insert additional fiber optic cable red end into coupling (A 000 545 33 84) and clip it in.
7. Insert the clear (white) end of the additional fiber optic cable into the coupling for the CD changer and clip it
in.
Original Configuration
Fiber optic
coupler
New Configuration
200 mm length of fiber.
P/N A 000 540 38 08

 

After playing cd's for several hours when the temp. outside is hot, I had the same problem as C240x. I tried everything from shutting down the radio, to just playing the the radio on FM. However, nothing seemed to work. The static is when I change cd's, fast forward or reverse. It is a real pain in the ears. The only way I can get rid of the static is to shut down the car for a few minutes. This has only happened twice. I am trying to find a way to duplicate the problem, but so far I have been unable to. The one thing I have noticed is that both times it has happened the weather has been on the hot side. I do not know why MBZ could not put a vent in the glove box. They put one in the center storage area, why not put it where the cd changer is. Sometimes I wonder about these so called engineers. Do they not think about the simple stuff.

 

Thanks for posting the service bulletin jelecroy.

Jcapp, I was thinking the same thing. MB puts vents in every possible place EXCEPT where there is an actual piece of electrical equipment. Smart guys eh?

 

OK, it happenned again today. And it was only 22 degrees in Toronto today. The CD got really static-y after about 10 minutes of driving, then a minute later it started cutting in and out. I never got any messages from the HU saying CD temp HI. I then switched to the radio and it was also cutting in and out, but there was no static on FM mode. It looks like the radio is f**ked somehow.

Buellwinkle, was FM mode in your car cutting in and out as well, or was your problem just with the CD? This question can go out to anyone else who is experiencing the same issue.

Thanks everyone!

 

Mine will only cut out when playing a CD.

 

At first it was the CD, but recently with the hotter temps, I noticed the radio cutting out. No message in my HU that indicates high temp on the CD. Hopefully I will get this resolved with Service A which is coming up shortly. I really hope it has something to do with JUST the optical cable.

 

I agree. I hope it's something minor. I dread the thought of them having to rip apart the car to find the problem.

 

I had the same CD static problem on a hot day here in San Jose a few weeks ago. In my changer I had 2 Imation-brand custom CD's, 1 Memorex and 3 factory-recorded ones. The 2 Imation CD's played back with lots of static, but the Memorex and the factory CD's were fine. I even tried taking the discs out of the changer and putting them in different slots. Same bad performance of Imation CD's. Once the interior cooled down, everything worked fine. I swear 2002 is guinea pig year for some things, and we're really doing initial diagnosis some of the time. I hope someone from MBUSA is reading all of these posts!

 

Yesterday it was 100 degrees outside in NYC and after listening to a very loud CD for a few minutes I started to get ear piercing static through the speakers. I switched the stereo to FM and it started cutting out every few seconds. I parked the car for an hour or so and restarted it. Everything is ok now.

I believe it was the extremely hot car combined with the stereo amp heating up that was the cause. I am glad to see I am not alone.

I personally don’t buy the crimped fiber cable thing. It was too coincidental that it happened on that hot day then fixed itself. I am sure MB will not be able to reproduce this problem and that worries me.

 

I am bringing my car in next week for this problem. It only happens when it is hot inside the car, but it is a real pain. At first, it was just the cd changer, but over the last few hot days, the radios was going in and out. I therefore made an appointment with the dealer. It seemed they were familiar with this problem. I will let you all know of the out come. I guess in Germany, they do not have to many hot days to catch a problem such as this.

 

there is , in fact, a warning on the cd magazine that reads something along the lines of "DO NOT LEAVE IN EXTREME HEAT".. and i think 100+F consitutes as "extreme heat".

-I used to have this problem too but every since i got indoor parking it hasnt happened..

-You guys should seriously consider investing in some indoor parking or at least some windshield reflector shades for when your car is parked outside..

If its just the cd magazine try taking it out and leaving it in your garage or something next time you get out of your car...

-just some friendly suggestions-