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For 1990-2009 cars only
Makes 🢒 Saturn 🢒 2007 🢒 VUE - AWD 🢒 Instrument Panel 🢒 Audio System(s) 🢒 Using an MP3

MP3 CD-R or CD-RW Disc

The radio plays MP3 files that were recorded on a CD-R or CD-RW disc. The files can be recorded with the following fixed bit rates: 32 kbps, 40 kbps, 56 kbps, 64 kbps, 80 kbps, 96 kbps, 112 kbps, 128 kbps, 160 kbps, 192 kbps, 224 kbps, 256 kbps, and 320 kbps or a variable bit rate. Song title, artist name, and album are available for display by the radio when recorded using ID3 tags version 1 and 2.

Compressed Audio

The radio also plays discs that contain both uncompressed CD audio (.CDA files) and MP3 files. By default the radio reads only the uncompressed audio and ignore the MP3 files. Pressing the CAT (category) button toggles between compressed and uncompressed audio format.

MP3 Format

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

    • Make sure the MP3 files are recorded on a CD-R or CD-RW disc.
    • Avoid mixing standard audio and MP3 files on one disc.
    • The CD player is able to read and play a maximum of 50 folders, 50 playlists, and 255 files.
    • Create a folder structure that makes it easy to find songs while driving. Organize songs by albums using one folder for each album. Each folder or album should contain 18 songs or less.
    • Avoid subfolders. The system can support up to 8 subfolders deep, however, keep the total number of folders to a minimum in order to reduce the complexity and confusion in trying to locate a particular folder during playback.
    • Make sure playlists have a .m3u or .wpl extension (other file extensions might not work).
    • Minimize the length of the file, folder or playlist names. Long file, folder, or playlist names, or a combination of a large number of files and folders, or playlists can cause the player to be unable to play up to the maximum number of files, folders, playlists, or sessions. If you wish to play a large number of files, folders, playlists or sessions, minimize the length of the file, folder, or playlist name. Long names also take up more space on the display, potentially getting cut off.
    • Finalize the audio disc before you burn it. Trying to add music to an existing disc can cause the disc not to function in the player.

Change playlists by using the previous and next folder buttons, the tuner knob, or the seek buttons. You can also play an MP3 CD-R that was recorded using no file folders. If a CD-R contains more than the maximum of 50 folders, 50 playlists, and 255 files, the player lets you access and navigate up to the maximum, but all items over the maximum are not accessible.

Root Directory

The root directory of the CD-R is treated as a folder. If the root directory has compressed audio files, the directory displays as F1 ROOT. All files contained directly under the root directory are accessed prior to any root directory folders. However, playlists (Px) are always accessed before root folders or files.

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

When the CD-R contains only playlists and compressed audio files, but no folders, all files are located under the root folder. The folder down and the folder up buttons searches playlists (Px) first and then go to the root folder. When the radio displays the name of the folder the radio displays ROOT.

Order of Play

Tracks recorded to the CD-R are played in the following order:

    • Play begins from the first track in the first playlist and continues sequentially through all tracks in each playlist. When the last track of the last playlist has played, play continues from the first track of the first playlist.
    • Play begins from the first track in the first folder and continues sequentially through all tracks in each folder. When the last track of the last folder has been played, play continues from the first track of the first folder.

When play enters a new folder, the display does not automatically show the new folder name unless you have chosen the folder mode as the default display. The new track name displays.

File System and Naming

The song name that is displayed is the song name that is contained in the ID3 tag. If the song name is not present in the ID3 tag, then the radio displays the file name without the extension (such as .mp3) as the track name.

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

Preprogrammed Playlists

Preprogrammed playlists that were created using WinAmp™, MusicMatch™, or Real Jukebox™ software can be accessed, however, they cannot be edited using the radio. These playlists are treated as special folders containing compressed audio song files.

Playing an MP3

Insert a CD-R partway into the slot (Single CD Player), or press the load button and wait for the message to insert disc (Six-Disc CD Player), label side up. The player pulls it in, and the CD-R should begin playing.

If you turn off the ignition or radio with a CD-R in the player it stays in the player. When you turn on the ignition or radio, the CD-R starts to play where it stopped, if it was the last selected audio source.

As each new track starts to play, the track number and song title displays.

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

If playing a CD-R, the sound quality can 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. There can be an increase in skipping, difficulty in finding tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and ejecting. If these problems occur, check the bottom surface of the CD. If the surface of the CD is damaged, such as cracked, broken, or scratched, the CD will not play properly. If the surface of the CD is soiled, see Care of Your CDs and DVDs for more information.

If there is no apparent damage, try a known good CD.

Notice: If a label is added to a CD, or more than one CD is inserted into the slot at a time, or an attempt is made to play scratched or damaged CDs, the CD player could be damaged. While using the CD player, use only CDs in good condition without any label, load one CD at a time, and keep the CD player and the loading slot free of foreign materials, liquids, and debris.

Do not add any label to a CD, it could get caught in the CD player. If a CD is recorded on a personal computer and a description label is needed, try labeling the top of the recorded CD with a marking pen.

If an error displays, see "CD Messages" later in this section.

EJECT: Press the CD eject button to eject CD-R(s). To eject the CD-R that is currently playing, press and release this button. A beep sounds and Ejecting Disc displays. Once the disc is ejected, Remove Disc displays. The CD-R can be removed. If the CD-R is not removed, after several seconds, the CD-R automatically pulls back into the player and begins playing. For the Six-Disc CD player, press and hold the eject button for two seconds to eject all discs.

(Tune): Turn this knob to select MP3 files on the CD-R currently playing.

SEEK : Press the left SEEK arrow to go to the start of the current MP3 file, if more than ten seconds have played. Press the right SEEK arrow to go to the next MP3 file. If either SEEK arrow is held or pressed multiple times, the player continues moving backward or forward through MP3 files on the CD.

(Previous Folder): Press the pushbutton positioned under the Folder label to go to the first track in the previous folder.

(Next Folder): Press the pushbutton positioned under the Folder label to go to the first track in the next folder.

REV (Reverse): Press and hold this button to reverse playback quickly within an MP3 file. Sound is heard at a reduced volume. Release this button to resume playing the file. The elapsed time of the file displays.

FWD (Fast Forward): Press and hold this button to advance playback quickly within an MP3 file. Sound is heard at a reduced volume. Release this button to resume playing the file. The elapsed time of the file displays.

RDM (Random): With the random setting, MP3 files on the CD-R can be listened to in random, rather than sequential order, on one CD-R or all discs in a six-disc CD player. To use random, do one of the following:

  1. To play MP3 files from the CD-R you are listening to in random order, press the pushbutton positioned under the RDM label until Random Current Disc displays. Press the same pushbutton again to turn off random play.
  2. To play songs from all CDs loaded in a six-disc CD player in random order, press the pushbutton positioned under the RDM label until Randomize All Discs displays. Press the same pushbutton again to turn off random play.
(Music Navigator): Use the music navigator feature to play MP3 files on the CD-R in order by artist or album. Press the pushbutton located below the music navigator label. The player scans the disc to sort the files by artist and album ID3 tag information. It can take several minutes to scan the disc depending on the number of MP3 files recorded to the CD-R. The radio can begin playing while it is scanning the disc in the background. When the scan is finished, the CD-R begins playing again. Once the disc has been scanned, the player defaults to playing MP3 files in order by artist. The current artist playing is shown on the second line of the display between the arrows. Once all songs by that artist are played, the player moves to the next artist in alphabetical order on the CD-R and begin playing MP3 files by that artist. To listen to MP3 files by another artist, press the pushbutton located below either arrow button. The CD goes to the next or previous artist in alphabetical order. Continue pressing either button until the desired artist is displayed. To change from playback by artist to playback by album, press the pushbutton located below the Sort By label. From the sort screen, push one of the buttons below the album button. Press the pushbutton below the back label to return to the main music navigator screen. Now the album name is displayed on the second line between the arrows and songs from the current album begins to play. Once all songs from that album are played, the player moves to the next album in alphabetical order on the CD-R and begins playing MP3 files from that album. To exit music navigator mode, press the pushbutton below the Back label to return to normal MP3 playback.

BAND: Press this button to listen to the radio while a CD is playing. The CD remains inside the radio for future listening.

CD/AUX (CD/Auxiliary): Press this button to play a CD while listening to the radio. The CD icon and a message showing disc and/or track number displays while a CD is in the player. Press this button again and the system automatically searches for an auxiliary input device such as a portable audio player. If a portable audio player is not connected, No Aux Input Device displays.