Anyone happen to know what it would cost to get a new handle for a Mk2a? I dont really know what the warranty covers on that or who I should contact.

No idea the cost but email carsupport@sonicblue.com and they should know.

One question though, how did you break the handle???

- Trevor

I got a new handle when mine broke. Email support, my hunch is that if they have spares, you will have no problem getting a replacement. Installing it was a li'l tricky but it came with good instructions.

Technically, I didnt break it. My car was broken into and the "kids" obviously didnt know what a pull-out stereo looked like. They insued to use a pry bar to remove it which then bent the sleave preventing the empeg from coming out. It is my assumption that they then discovered it had a handle that they could use to "pull" on and broke. Thank God for the ignorance of youth.

Ouch. At least you managed to keep the empeg with minimal damage!

- Trevor

Were you at the west coast meet? Someone there had the same experience. It would be really odd if that happened to two people.

Yes, I was at the meet in SF. I have been moving and havent gotten around to fixing my problem. I got ahold of support at sonicblue I just need to supply them with my serial number and they will send one out to me. In case you were curious damage to the car was over $1100. And they didnt even walk away with anything. Geesh!

These prybar attempts didn't happen AT the meet, did they?

Hehe, some crazed empeg owner decided that he REALLY wanted one more empeg (and couldnt remember to use the handle). No, I was in Sacramento. I wasnt even there half a day. Luckily I needed to leave early morning and I walked out on them trying to gaff my stuff. They left me a fake key to the car (that they forced into the lock to open it) and the door open.

Hehe, some crazed empeg owner decided that he REALLY wanted one more empeg.

Nah, that's not what I was thinking. I was thinking more like some thief had gotten wind of the meet and decided to show up just to steal a bunch of equipment while we were eating or something.

I guess the problem is that pullout stereos aren't made any more, so the thieves automatically start using crowbars from the get-go because they're not familiar with the player.

Luckily I needed to leave early morning and I walked out on them trying to gaff my stuff.

Did they get away? Did you get any information on them, like a license number as they sped off or anything?

There was a thread elsewhere on this BBS about someone catching a thief in the act of trying to steal the wheels off of his car in a shopping mall parking lot. Since I've been ripped off two times already, I got a lot of satisfaction from reading about what happened to the thief. Anyone have that link?

No, they were not caught. Police dont really care to put much effort into miniscule little crimes like this. In fact, I was never called by the police. I had to fill out an incident report online. The people next door saw the kids running off and then about 20 minutes later while I was outside inspecting my car a couple of "kids" were riding their bicycles by with backpacks. They didnt look like the type that would go riding bicycles at 515am through residential neighborhoods. I am just thankful that their intelligence was displayed by an inability to make off with a pull out stereo. I am definitely sure they wouldnt have known what to do with it and just thrown it away.