GM Service Manual Online
For 1990-2009 cars only

MP3/WMA CD-R Disc

MP3 Format

If you burn your own MP3/WMA disc on a personal computer:

    • Make sure the MP3/WMA files are recorded on a CD-R disc.
    • Do not mix standard audio and MP3/WMA files on one disc.
    • Make sure each MP3/WMA file has a.m3u or.wma extension, other file extensions might not work.
    • Files can be recorded with a variety of fixed or variable bit rates. Song title, artist name, and album are available for display by the radio when recorded using ID3 tags version 1 and 2.
    • Make sure to finalize the disc when burning an MP3/WMA disc, using multiple sessions. It is usually better to burn the disc all at once.

The player is able to read and play a maximum of 50 folders, five sessions, and 999 files. Long file names and folder names can use more disc memory space than necessary. To conserve space on the disc, minimize the length of the file and folder names. An MP3/WMA CD that was recorded using no file folders can also be played. The system can support up to eight folders in depth, though, keep the depth of the folders to a minimum in order to keep down the complexity and confusion in trying to locate a particular folder during playback. If a CD contains more than the maximum of 50 folders, five sessions, and 999 files, the player lets you access and navigate up to the maximum, but all items over the maximum are ignored.

Root Directory

The root directory is treated as a folder. If the root directory has compressed audio files, the directory is displayed as ROOT. All files contained directly under the root directory are accessed prior to any other directory.

Empty Directory or Folder

If a root directory or a folder exists somewhere in the file structure that contains only folders/subfolders and no compressed files directly beneath them, the player advances to the next folder in the file structure that contains compressed audio files. The empty folder does not display.

No Folder

When a CD contains only compressed files, the files are located under the root folder. The next and previous folder function does not function on a CD that was recorded without folders or playlists. When displaying the name of the folder the radio displays ROOT.

When a CD contains only compressed audio files, but no folders, all files are located under the root folder. When the radio displays the name of the folder, the radio displays ROOT.

Order of Play

The player play will begin from the first track under the root directory. When all tracks from the root directory have been played, play will continue from files according to their numerical listing. After playing the last track from the last folder, the player will begin playing again at the first track of the first folder or root directory.

File System and Naming

The song name in the ID3 tag is displayed. If the song name is not present in the ID3 tag, then the radio displays the file name without the extension (such as MP3/WMA) instead.

Track names longer than 32 characters or four pages are shortened. Parts of words on the last page of text and the extension of the filename does not display.

Playing an MP3/WMA

With the ignition in the ON/RUN position, insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player pulls the disc in. LOADING, and then MP3 or WMA appears on the display. The CD should begin playing. As each new track starts to play, the track number, and the song name will appear on the display. If the ignition or radio is turned off with a CD in the player, it will stay in the player. When a CD is in the player and the ignition is turned on, the radio must be turned on before the CD will start playback. When the ignition and radio are turned on, the CD will start playing where it stopped, if it was the last selected audio source.

The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm) single CDs with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner.

Sound quality may be reduced due to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality of the music that has been recorded, and the way the CD-R has been handled.

DIR (Directory): Press to repeat the tracks in the current directory. DIR displays. Press DIR again to repeat the tracks in all of the directories. ALL displays. Press DIR again to turn off repeat play.

SEEK (Next/Previous Folder) (in MP3/WMA Mode): Press to change the folder. If CD-R does not have any folders, "ROOT" flashes on the display for a short time.

TUNE (Next Track): Press the up TUNE arrow to go to the next track. The track number displays. The player continues moving forward through the CD each time TUNE is pressed.

TUNE (Previous Track): Press the down TUNE arrow to go to the start of the current track. The track number displays. The player continues moving backward through the CD each time TUNE is pressed.

INFO/DISP (Information/Display): Press to display additional text information related to the current MP3/WMA song. A choice of additional information such as: Song Title, Album Title, and Artist. Bit rate might also display. When information is not available, No Info displays. Press this button for longer than two seconds to change display mode.

SCROLL (MP3/WMA Mode Only): Press the SOUND button for longer than two seconds. The song title or other available information of a song scrolls on/off. The offset is scroll on. The scroll mode can be changed only when the SOUND button is pressed for longer than two seconds.