This should be an easy one for y'all who know stuff about car audio (because I'm fairly clueless)...

My factory Bose CD player in my '95 Max is failing. The radio works fine, but the CD will frequently not find the track it is supposed to play (it just makes that noise a CD player makes when the laser is "looking" for the place it is supposed to go).

I am perfectly happy with the sound of my factory system. I have heard that you cannot mix Bose with non-Bose equipment. Why not? What happens? If you could, I would consider getting a factory non-Bose radio (they're cheaper) or installing my (several years old) Pioneer CD player.

I would prefer to stick with a factory look. Is it critical I buy a Bose unit if I don't want to replace everything? The reason I ask instead of just doing it is because money is really tight right now. A difference of, say, 50 bucks is huge!

Thanks for your help.