How to remove a 3-CD cassette from a SC-901 Head unit

[scot850]

I keep meaning to add this to a procedure that has previously been written up and linked near the end of this thread on how to clean the CD laser on a Volvo SC-901 head unit.

viewtopic.php?p=357939&hilit=SC+901#p357939

One of the issues I have found is that often when I pull this units when I find them at a junkyard is that the 3-CD cassette is still stuck in them which prevents access to the laser to clean it.

Catch 22 is if you don't have the code you can't eject the cassette. I have finally figured this out but keep forgetting how to do this each time it happens to me.

SC-901 head unit

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To remove the 3-CD cassette with no power to the unit you need to do the following:

1) Remove the 2 small cross-head screws at the top rear of the head unit that hold the cover lid on. You may have to use a flat blade screwdriver to help gently prise it off. Be careful as the front of the lid is held in place by the plastic front cover. You need to lift the lid at the rear to about a 45 degree angle or slightly more to allow the 3 tabs at the front of the lid to clear the tabs holding them in place.

2) With the lid off, use a flat blade screw driver to gently move the black plastic cog wheel counter clockwise (toward the front of the unit) or as in the picture below, you are pushing the cog toward the top of the picture.
You need to keep doing this until you have the drawer with the CD cassette about an inch (25mm) or so out from the front. With steady pressure you can then pull the drawer forward until it stops:

Black plastic cog wheel

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Drawer moving out

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3) Once the drawer is fully out, you still cannot remove the CD cassette. Under the drawer there is a spring latch you have to move and you will hear a click and the cassette will pop free. Voila!

Latch release for the CD cassette

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Additional cleaning information for the CD-drawer unit.

What I don't recall in the original lens cleaning process is to clean the rubber grab rollers that pull the CD's in and out from the CD cassette.

With the CD cassette out and the drawer fully forward you can now see these rubber rollers. I tied 2 cotton buds together with tape to make a longer cotton bud. This allowed me to be able to reach in far enough to get to the rollers and wipe them with IPA on the buds.

You may be surprised how much grim comes off them!

These head units get a bad rap mostly due to poor maintenance and lack of cleaning. With the unit removed it only takes about 10 minutes to clean the lens and the rollers. Not doing this and the CS's may not be ejected fully or get stuck when being drawn in.

CD rollers

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Close up of the rollers and dirt prior to cleaning!

Close up of rollers

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Hope this is of help!

Neil.