"Smitty61" <dougs@hvc.rr.com> wrote in news:1156449274.975655.222630
@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Nope.........

(Some) (have you tried a different brand?)  recordable compact disc media,
such as CD-R and CD-RW, may not comply with the standard CD format used in
automotive CD players. When these CD's are used, you may encounter error
messages, skipping, or delaminating of the labels, which can cause an eject
failure. It is important to question whether these kinds of CD media are
being used. When you encounter these symptoms, check the system with a known
playable CD. The media may not be compatible with some automotive CD
players. Replacing or exchanging the CD player will not address these
issues. You do not have a lemon radio.

Glenn Beasley

Chrysler Tech

Actually, no, they aren't.

Mass-Produced CDs (the ones you refer to as "store bought") are pressed
mylar sheets coated in a thick layer of lacquer.  They're not burned,
but are actually manufactured using a master plate that "presses" the
pits and landings into the mylar.  They're very easy for even the oldest
CD players to read, and in theory they are supposed to last a good while.

CD-Rs, (the ones you call "homemade") are actually made up of a
photosensitive dye substrate, suspended atop a plastic disc and then
covered with paint or lacquer film.  A laser in your CD-R drive then
"burns" holes into the photosensitive dye, chemically changing it so
that it has a different optical characteristic from "unburned" dye.
typically, these don't have as long a lifespan as pressed CDs, and are a
bit more error-prone.

In theory, most CD players are supposed to read both types just fine.
But, chemically and optically, the discs ARE different, and react
differently.

The reality is that MOST modern CD players don't care very much about
what kind of CD you put in them.  But there are a few that are equipped
with laser pickups which don't read CD-Rs very well.  Unfortunately, it
looks like the CD changers for your Caravan have this type of laser pickup.

That's actually a bit odd, because I have no problem with CD-Rs in my
2005 Neon's CD player.  I guess they must use different components for
each device.

You could just get an aftermarket stereo with a CD changer...