Repair Craig W460 Radio Cassette player for DeLorean DMC-12 and adding Bluetooth AUX input!

Ut-oh, your 40-year-old OEM DeLorean car stereo is broken!

1981-1983 DeLorean DMC automobiles came equipped with 2 versions of the Craig W460, or the ASI "DMC" branded radio.  Most of the 1982-1983 cars came with the ASI, and 1981 cars came with the Craig.  Generally accepted VIN changeover started at 10304/5.

Craig W460 DMC part number: 100441

ASI DMC part number: 110687

ASI radio used in later DMC-12

ASI can be identified easily because it has the DMC logo on the cassette door, while the Craig units have a LED display on the tape door (which is likely broken). 

Later model Craig with built in clock

There are 2 versions of the Craig W460.  Early model cars had a clock mounted to the transmission shifter plate so there was no clock in the radio.  I don't know the details as to why, but there are also W460 radios that have a clock. The later clock version can be identified by 2 small buttons to set the time located above the cassette door on the right side. 

Early model Craig W460 with no clock

After DMC closed, New Old Stock (NOS) W460 radios with the clock were sold by the companies/individuals that owned and distributed the remaining stock of factory parts as well as dealerships that sold their remaining parts. There are many of these "clock" radios in the wild, but it is not clear to which VIN cars they belong, if any.  Many owners want to keep (or make) their DMC-12 original seek the radios without the clock.  As of this writing I am not aware of any NOS radios of any kind available, although some of the DeLorean vendors sell other random parts like plastic knobs, face plates, etc.  When they were available, a warranty was not offered on the NOS units because they mostly fail, which is why you are likely reading this!

UPDATE 28-APR-23:  Recently noticed another difference between the early and late Craig W460 cassette assemblies.  This is S302 on the schematic. Best I can tell, this switch would increase the motor speed when FF or RW is pressed. I'll update after I have done further testing. 

Later W460 cassette assembly.
Note the switch and lever are missing. 

Early W460 cassette assembly.

The most common failure point on the W460 is the LED display on the tape door.  There is a fragile ribbon cable that breaks.  A common repair tactic is to replace the ribbon with individual wires, but this typically results in the door not moving properly, or at all.  It is also likely to fail again based on the quality of wire used and frequency of cassette usage.  An owner in the UK had a batch of replacement ribbon cables made that work very well to repair this, but they are expensive.

Example of ribbon cable, and a poor attempt to repair with wires.

Next up is the cassette player.  40-year-old rubber belt will surely be broken or damaged. They are easy to source and replace.  However, even with a new belt it is possible the tape will still play at the wrong speed, making your Columbia record and tape club membership useless. 

Like most "old electronics", the audio likely cracks/pops when moving the various control knobs.  A good cleaning with the proper de-oxidation chemicals will clear it up! 

The final problem, and one most people may not even notice, is that FM stations do not play in Stereo (the ST light will never come on). In some extreme cases, the radio will be unusable. 

All of these problems can be repaired, but it is not easy- even for experienced and skilled technicians.  The density of parts inside these units makes work very difficult. Many wires jump between boards, and it is easy to damage something.  To properly repair all of the common problems can take an experienced tech many hours to complete. 

While all of this work is being done, many owners add an auxiliary (AUX) input so more modern audio sources can be played through the Craig W460 without transmitters or cassette adapters. Some offer direct Bluetooth modifications, but what happens when the next standard comes along?  I much prefer adding a 3.5mm audio jack to attach pretty much anything (including a Bluetooth adapter).

Video of a repaired and modified Craig W460 with an additional self-switching AUX input.

Video of a repaired and modified Craig W460 with relays added to switch to AUX input. 

Please use the Contact Me form if you would like your Craig W460 repaired, modified, or both!