I have recently purchased a 1992 Bonneville SE. It is fully loaded and has a factory CD player. When I insert a CD into the player it makes a ticking noise and I am unable to get it out at times then when I restart the car it pops the CD back out at me?. Also my radio works only half the time? Can someone help me please

I don't know of anything you can do to fix a radio. Not sure that anyone here has taken one apart or would know enough to help you. Your only option might be to replace it.

That noise and issue is from the transport mechanism. They wear out over time. A friend at a local stereo shop told me it'* about $80 their cost to send them out to be fixed. Many here would take that 80-100 and put it toward a new radio.

wow that is pretty rare for a 92 SE to have the CD option

have you tried using a CD cleaning disc

Pat...it'* not a cleaning issue. Cleaning would be if the disc didn't want to play. I was also warned by my friend about those cleaning discs. Apparently they have goop on them that splatters all over inside the radio when it starts spinning. Shouldn't harm anything..but it doesn't help the other components

cleaning discs are just discs with a brush on them...

some applications call for you to put cleaner on them.. the goop... but i have seen kits that dont have that

tia do you have an error code on the headunit by any chance?

I don't have any error codes yet. I don't think its a cleaning problem though because the radio itself is kinda wacky. I think I may just pop for a new one at this rate. I was suprised to see a CD in this old of a car myself but it is factory. Thanks for all suggestions

Just a heads up: I had the same problem on the 94 SE, and the 95 SSEi CD player is heading in the same direction. For the 94, I wound up getting a new HU. For the 95, I really am not that concerned about it as I'm focusing more on the performance side here.

Bottom line is that at least in my case, no amount of cleaning helped.. the mechanism inside and the laser assembly was just old and worn.

The laser does not appear to be the issue here.

Tia is mentioning that taking a disc in and out is the issue. Not a playing problem. The 95 that Mortehl has was diagnosed in warm weather as a transport mecnanism issue by a professional. Which explains why no amount of cleaning will help. There is gearing that is used to move the disc from the insertion area to the cd laser area. The gearing has worns or stripped out.

Tia...my vote is for the new radio. In Mortehls 95 and my 97 a new radio only (not speakers) sounded fantastic... ebay was my friend on that one.