What are the reasons why the car SD card cannot be read?
2 Answers
The reasons why the car cannot read the SD card may be due to incorrect SD card format, multimedia format issues, or damage to the card reader. Incorrect SD card format: Generally, car audio systems can only recognize the FAT system. If the SD card is in NTFS format, it needs to be formatted. Incorrect multimedia file format: Check whether the media file format is supported by the player or card reader. Common media formats supported by cars include MP3 and WMA. Damage to the card reader or peripheral components: Oxidation of the metal contacts inside the card reader can lead to poor contact with the memory card; damage to the card reader itself can prevent it from reading the memory card; damage to components in the card reader's peripheral circuit can interrupt power supply or signal transmission.
I've encountered this situation as well, and there are typically four main reasons. The SD card itself might be damaged, especially older cards that have been used for several years. Frequent insertion and removal can cause wear on the metal contacts or aging of the chip. The card reader slot in the car is prone to dust accumulation, particularly in the area under the steering wheel—too much dust can prevent the card from being read. Another issue could be the file system; for example, some older car systems don't support the exFAT format used by computers and require FAT32 instead. Lastly, the files stored on the card might be in an incompatible format, such as the car system only recognizing MP3 files while FLAC lossless audio files are stored on it. It's recommended to try a new card first. If that doesn't work, clean the card slot with an alcohol swab, and remember to power off the system before doing so.
