Hey all, if you ever need to take apart your Bost head unit, check out this doc I wrote up.

Your display doesn't work? or Your CD player reads "CD Err"? Mine too.

Long story short, I determined that a single board was causing the display to not function in one unit, and the CD player not to function in another. (swapping the boards swapped the problems)

If I can find someplace selling these boards (like a radio repair shop), then this would be a cheap fix to a lot of people's problems with the Bose unit.

http://madchef.5u.com/maxima/bose/bose.html
*EDIT*
This site is long dead, try:
https://web.archive.org/web/20160114...bose/bose.html

I took part everything so you could also use this doc if you want to take apart the face plate...maybe change the color or something =)

ps I posted this in the electronics forum, but nobody ever seems to read stuff there =)

 

currently looking for someplace else to host this....friggen geocities ran out of bandwith already

...

ok new url
http://madchef.5u.com/maxima/bose/bose.html

 

send it over, luke@vqpower.com

 

Thanks, I'll send it over tomorrow. Let me know if the new site works ok (for now) =)

 

Ok update: I found a radio repair guy selling the replacement board.

Once I get it installed, I will let you know if it works.

 

Hi,
Please let us know if replacing the board worked for you or not.
And also, would like to know the price and the part number if possible.

 

Please keep us posted. My Bose gave me the ERR message. I'd love to fix it and put it back in because it looks so much better and sounds better overall. I know you can get everything fixed for $140 by a place in NJ, but if I can fix it myself for less then I'm game.


Dave

 

Ditto - I've got the ERR message & no CD function. Please let us in on the details once you have 'em!

 

hope its the same for 97+, i thinks is just differ flaceplte

 

I just wanted to point out, because this helped me a great deal, that some of the instructions through this link: http://madchef.5u.com/maxima/bose/step3.html
are incorrect for certain head units.

I have a '97 BOSE (Clarion LOL) head unit that was damn nearly inoperable except the CD player itself (actually playing the disc). I bought a head unit that worked flawlessly from a friend except for the CD player to use to make one good head unit. My BOSE (..lol..) head unit was labeled '96, and the one I bought from my friend (who also has a '97 Maxima SE like mine) was labeled '97. Both of these units were identical in every way, and almost completely different to disassemble from the one used in that write-up.

So, to help anyone who has a head unit that looks different from the write-up, and you need to swap out the CD player, here's what you do.

Remove the head unit from the cage, obviously.
- To remove the face plate, (this model did NOT have screws in the sides as stated by the write-up), simply insert a flat blade screwdriver into the recessed tabs around the face plate's edge and apply pressure while gently pulling the face plate away from the head unit. There are six in all.. two on top, bottom, and sides. Set the face plate aside.
- Remove the one screw from the top of the unit
- The top cover, which is where you just removed that screw from, has tabs the fold down around the sides of the head unit. Use a flat blade screwdriver and bend these slightly to pull the top cover off.

You can now see the top of the CD player itself. This is where the write-up also differs greatly. On the model of head unit I've got, you need only remove four more screws that you can plainly see (clear as day, seriously) looking at the top of the unit with the top cover gone. Unscrew these four and gently pull up on the CD player. You will notice that at the front of the head unit, there is a flex harness. To remove this, you will need to gently push the clip it sits in forward to release the strap.

Installation is the reverse of removal, and you're done.

I forgot how nice it is to have control over the volume, stations, speakers, etc... and not have to Fonzie the head unit to get all of the speakers to work at one time...or sit there trying to nurse the volume **** to adjust the level only to have it go clear in the other direction...and then not be able to stop it.

 

This is an ancient thread, but I wanted to bump to note that the link mentioned a few times, http://madchef.5u.com/maxima/bose/bose.html is gone.
Here is a copy of it from the internet archive:

https://web.archive.org/web/20160114...bose/bose.html

 

Thanks, updated the thread (forgot all about this!)

ps Was in calgary recently, so much good food!

 

Awesome, even though I should just replace the Bose, I want to at least give a try at fixing it, sounds like a good cold winter weekend day project. Unfortunately most of the links to what to resolder, with pictures, are gone, and most aren't on the internet archive like yours.

Were you here during a deep freeze (~-20F) or spring like weather (~+50F) sometimes those are 48 hours apart from each other

Where did you eat?

 

No kidding went from -26 to -3 from morning to afternoon..