Leaving CDs in player unit when car is not in use

[DBM58]

In the old days it was recommended to remove tapes from the car cassette player whilst the car was not in use. I thought that it was to protect the tape from heat damage. On the other hand, it may have been an urban myth that I was foolish enough to believe. However, can anyon comment on whether this is an advisable or needless practice when it comes to CDs and MP3 discs.

Thanks

[zorruno]

I'd suggest never to use an original CD in a car - make a backup, and use that. Then if it gets damaged, or stolen - no problem. (no comments about the non existance of fair use copying laws in NZ...)

It wasn't an urban legend about tapes - a car can get very high internal temps in the summer, and the old plastic tape can be destroyed very easily. More importantly, the roller systems often didn't unroll around the head with ignition off, so the tape would be stretched around a roller in the same place, all the time the car was stopped. I've had a couple of tapes break in the past when the car started up again (that would have been a few years ago...!)

CDs are a bit more hard wearing heat-wise, modern car stereos with built in amps of 40-50W peak can get pretty hot... CDs tend to cope. Don't leave them in the sun though....

I never bother removing any CD from the stereo when stopped.

[Shermio]

It is completely fine to leave CDs in the system, they tend to warp until very high heat (I know cause I went the el cheapo to frabricate some lens out out old CDs for my lights, if you place them in a toaster oven set on medium, the mirror coating comes off and it's transparent and can be cut and curved into rounded shapes)

However, the sun is a different matter, it 'drys' and hardens the CD and makes them brittle and will literally crumble if you put these into your system... (They will change colour too to a yellow/orange colour)

Therefore, if you do keep CDs in your car keep them in a CD case (Not transparent) or in the system