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        General >> Give/Need advice to/from others >> 7000 Radio Display
        
(Message started by: macroy on Mar 7^th, 2007, 4:33pm)

Title: 7000 Radio Display
Post by macroy on Mar 7^th, 2007, 4:33pm

As it is now around three months since my display just vanished overnight I think it is about time that I got myself another radio.The problem is that I have read of so many other members who have had the same or similar problems with these 7000 units.I don,t know if I would trust buying one off ebay as there are a few on at the moment.The honest ebayers are advertising theirs as sold with display fault,so obviously no good to me.So I think I will just have to look elsewhere or do without the display.But I have seen this on ebay and was wondering if anyone has bought the information and is it worth it.?Roy.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FORD-RADIO-7000-RDS-HOW-TO-REPAIR-FAULTY-LCD-DISPLAY_W0QQitemZ200085154621QQihZ010QQcategoryZ75320QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Title: Re: 7000 Radio Display
Post by dogma on Mar 7^th, 2007, 7:42pm

Hi mate, one idea is that you could remove the complete unit and put it somewhere warm for a day or two, this has worked for many but it didnt for mine. I have also bought the same item from ebay and if you want,and rather than spend your money, i will try what it says to do, and if it works i can tell you how to do it. The 7000 is a great stereo but very expencive to replace, around 450 if my memory is correct, not only that you may have problems finding a replacement that will work with the control stick or the multi changer if you have them, let me know tho.
jim ;)

Title: Re: 7000 Radio Display
Post by Spannerdemon on Mar 7^th, 2007, 7:43pm

Don't waste your money on 'information' like this which is almost always available completely free if you just search a bit. Like here!! :D

As far as your display goes, it's probably just cold weather that's caused the loss of the display.
Take the removable security panel off (between buttons 2 and 5, and put it somewhere warm overnight. Airing cupboard maybe.
Problem will probably be gone. If not, the next stage would be to remove the radio (making sure you have the code), and check all the connections. there are quite a lot, and it may just be a dry joint on one of the plugs. If you haven't got the code, then let us have the serial number of the radio, and we can give you the code.

I bought my 7000 RDS off Ebay more than a year ago, and haven't had any problem with it at all.
Check the sellers feedback would be my advice. I personally won't buy from sellers who have any kind of dodgy feedback. Usually they have got it for being less than honest with buyers. ;)

Title: Re: 7000 Radio Display
Post by TiberiuS on Mar 7^th, 2007, 7:45pm

Could be they tell you to bulk out the carbon ribbon cable like on the LCD displays in the Jag. But, a bit of a con if they just tell you to do that, after all they probably got the info free on a forum like this one ::)

Tried this trick with mine but the tracks pulled off of the ribbon as I pulled it from the PCB. But, with some conductive paint and a bit of patience I think I now have one of the few Jags with working time and climate control LCDs...

Might be the same on the Scorpio, if you can get the LCD out, see whether you can pull the cable without destroying anything. If you can, I believe Farnell stock the type of ribbon :)

Regards, Bruce.

Title: Re: 7000 Radio Display
Post by petehull on Mar 17^th, 2007, 12:22pm

I have just been able to get my radio working again ;D I just removed the four screws holding the front facia, 2 at either side, lifted off the facia to reveal the ribbon cable connectors. I carefully pulled the two connectors out and cleaned them with switch cleaner before reinserting them in the holders. Put it all back together again and HEY PRESTO! I now have a fully functioning ice system again, (actually it's the one out of my other Scorp that I have just Stripped) so it will be fitted in my wife's Focus.
Being a bit of a dabler in electronics I have been toying with the idea of putting a 2 way switch in the tape deck side enableing me to switch between tape and an extra input for an MP3 player, don't know if it'll work but may give it a go... ???
Anyone els done anything similar?

Pete

Title: Re: 7000 Radio Display
Post by v4-max on Mar 17^th, 2007, 12:32pm

ever thought of offering a service to repair other members radios pete?

Title: Re: 7000 Radio Display
Post by TiberiuS on Mar 17^th, 2007, 8:54pm

Pete, hope you may have sorted it mate but be careful with ribbon connectors, once the oil and solvent evaporates it might fade again :(. But, it sounds hopeful that you might have found the fault so even if it does fade again you might be able to get a new connector for it.

These LCD displays have such a high internal resistance and are so sensitive to capacitance, this I believe is the reason they're so troublesome. I've said before that the proper fluorescent ones are better (sealed like an old radio tube) but sup far more current...

Putting extra inputs into the average piece of Hi-fi equipment shouldn't be a problem but you might run into problems if the audio signals are switched through ICs (as most mass produced electronics gear is nowadays). If you're lucky enough to find the signal tracks on the pcb then slicing them and soldering runs off to the switch and MP3 socket with screened cable shouldn't be too difficult.

You'll need to put the switch after the tape signal is boosted to normal levels and equalized, else you'll just get that terrible howl like if you put a mic too near a pair of speakers where the gain in the tape circuit is too high for the MP3 input.

Good luck ;)

Regards, Bruce.

Title: Re: 7000 Radio Display
Post by petehull on Mar 17^th, 2007, 9:56pm

Hi Tib

I will check the radio again before fitting it in my wifes car, gunner put the multichanger in the boot as well as her's didn't come with one.

I have one of those stupid cassette thingy's you use for connecting to external equipment which is based round an ordinary stereo tapehead which lines up with the head in the radio, I figured that if I cut the leads from the head in the radio and connected them to a switched headphone socket I could feed the output from the mp3 player straight into the tape player.... Maybe, maybe not? probably worth a try :-/....

Pete

Title: Re: 7000 Radio Display
Post by TiberiuS on Mar 17^th, 2007, 10:27pm

Pete, I know where you're coming from, I've got one of those tape head adaptors here somewhere too. But, if you're talking about splicing directly in to the tape head circuit, you'll hit problems because the signal from the cassette head is only a couple of millivolts and the output from an MP3 player is around half a volt (500mv)...you'll just get an awful buzzing howling sound I think. It's different from just butting two tape heads together as in the adaptors. At the least you'd need some kind of electrical circuit to bring the output down to what the cassette circuit could stand.

IMO, and I'm not certain on this, is if you wired what you're talking about into the screened cables carrying the CD audio input from the autochanger, this should work a lot better. I've no idea how the audio is run from the changer but it's worth a look.

Regards, Bruce :).

Title: Re: 7000 Radio Display
Post by v4-max on Mar 17^th, 2007, 11:21pm

??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? jeez way over my head, have to go and lie down in a darkened room to get rid of a headache. ;D

Title: Re: 7000 Radio Display
Post by petehull on Mar 17^th, 2007, 11:58pm

Yeh, thought about the changer cable, it may be a better way round it, I think an adapter cable can be bought from somewhere like Halfords but they want stupid amounts of money for what is a few bits of wire and a couple of connectors, think I'll have a mess around and do a little experimenting.... ???

Pete