CD can't be recognized & tape deck cli...

May 11, 2008

- I posted this and solved the problem. This is a Aiwa CX-NV8000U 3-Disk CD, 2-Tape Deck, AM/FM radio surround sound, Karaoke Audio Shelf system. If you read the Aiwa problems the CD and Tape issue are not uncommon, especially the CD not being recognized. I SOLVED the issue thanks to one solution on FixYa and one I came up with my self.

PROBLEM #1 (SOLUTION) CD issue - It was suggest that you can adjust the POT (a small round rotary potentiometer, like a volume control). The POT is small and behind the optical sensor on a circuit board. It will take a long skinny screw driver to get to it. First remove the metal cover. The POT is black top (the part that rotates) and the base was gray, where three legs come out and solder to the board. You will also see a 'yellow' paint stripe showing it was set at the factory for quality control (ha-ha QC?). Sticking the screw driver past one of the slots in the rear grille, being careful not to hit anything, I was able to get to the slot on the top of the POT and turn it. I turned it clock-wise (as you're looking at the rear of the unit) just a tad, may be 1/30th of a turn. I could see I broke the yellow paint mark. I tried a CD and same problem. I went back counter clock-wise to the original setting & further clock-wise a tad further (one 20th or 30th of a turn). Success. It is working well. CAUTION! You will have to have it powered up with the metal cover off to test the CD between pot adjustments. My idea was to turn one way a small back, than back the other, widening above and below the original setting. In my case it only took two tries. Don't go crazy, its very sensitive and took very little to gain the needed tweak to get it to work again.

NOTE: I had suspected a failed Laser as possible. I found PARTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THIS MODEL. The part was about $40 but fortunately the POT adjust worked. Not sure if I'd spend $40 in parts to fix it, but despite all the Aiwa issues its way better quality and features than some of the overpriced garbage out there now. I listened to a bunch in the under $200 range and they sounded terrible. I just spent $25 on a iPod A/V dock with remote to upgrade my mini Aiwa system.

Problem #2 (SOLUTION) Tape Deck clicking, door will not open, tape deck does not work - There are several long skinny belts. It was suggested they be replaced. Again PARTS ARE AVAILABLE and belts are about $3-$4 each. There are three of them. ALL ARE AVAIABLE. I JUST CLEANED IT. I rotated the wheel by hand with a cotton swab lightly moist with alcohol (not sopping wet, just moist, squeeze out the extra) I cleaned the belts and groves in wheels/pulleys. By the way rotating the large wheel will lower head and free the door. Cleaning the wheels and belts fixed it. For some reason the Aiwa is a magnet for dust.

Success! I have had the unit 10 yrs? The CD went out 5 yrs ago and just used the radio, tape and AUX for iPod or TV audio. Wish I would have fixed the CD early. The tape issue just happened last week. Thanks FixYa for the tips. They did work!

DON'T believe negative comments about it's not worth the effort to fix. In my case it cost me NOTHING! Once I figured out what was wrong it took about 20 min to fix it and about an hour of research. Thanks again FixYa!