Okay I have the 6 disc changer in the trunk, but i now have the dreaded magazine empty message whenever i try to use it. Ive reset the system, tried different cd, and showed it to a few shops. They claim it can be repaired for 300 to 400.

I must of went to 6 shops. Some say that it is easy to change the headunit on this car, some say it is very difficult due to the fiber optic system and the fact that bose is running 8 ohm speakers. I dont know who is telling the truth?? All i basically have now is FM radio, and very bad AM due to metallic tint. The ones who said it would be difficult explained that it would be a massive rewiring job in order to bypass the bose amplifier. Other shops have claimed its a simple 1 hr install by using adapters to correct for the differences in ohms.

At this point I really give up. Id like to change my headunit and put in a nice pioneer unit, but i really dont want the car to have to be rewired. With my luck it will be all bothced up, and my car will be forever plagued with electirical problems as a result.

 

speakers are 2 ohm.
Did you unplug the cd changer and power down the car and then hook it up again?
You could hard wire a new amp and quality speakers and strip the metallic tint and go ceramic.
Look in the audio section
pm raymond g-
he just put a sub in the trunk
ohlord

 

had the same prob with my cd changer. i unscrewed the changer, so i could get at the fiber optic connection. then i unplugged it and then unhooked the battery. rehooked the battery and then plugged the optic cable back in and then used electrical tape and taped the hell out of the optic plug so that it could not jiggle around and kept the connection. it worked for about 6 months and then it came loose and i had to do it again. hope this helps

 

Hi there,

going throug the same ordeal right now.
indeed (as the allmighty Ohlord stated) Bose is 2 Ohm -not 8 as you wrote- vs standard/common 4 Ohm HU output & Speakers.

the one hour quick fix proposed i can do in 5mins. it involves getting an Active system adapter for Bose that will connect between yr radio speaker outputs and the adapter going into the Bose.
on ebay can cost 1/4th of what they might charge you (for a top brand), i'd say 30$ or so vs 120 or more.
however, this does not guarantee you are set afterwards, as i still have distortion/noise in the low volume ranges, and consulted car audio "pros" could not fix.

my solution is therefore a bit more drastic: throwing out the Bose alltogether, cassette HU, cd changer, bose amp, bose sub (plastic little piece of nothing), and bose speakers. replace it by new HU (reading mp3, dvd, the whole shabang), 6 channel amp with "real" subwoofer, and new speakers in the doors...with real tweeters and everything (as you wont find any in the top dash corners, and i don't even wanna know what is in that mirror housing).
with all the info you find online here on the threads even non-electricians or mechanics can do this easily. sure it takes a couple of hours, and some "scary" taking-your-interior-apart work...but... soooo rewarding afterwards

so, again: if the active bose adapter works for you then you are in luck: quick and cheap solution. if you demand more from the system, or would just like to use more common parts (what do you think you will go through/pay when one of the bose speakers gets issues?) that are easy to upgrade or interchange, go for the more drastic overhaul.

ready to help you further on disassembly & install etc (i should be done when i find some more hours in a coming weekend).
good luck & keep us informed