Hi guys,
I have a Sony In-dash CD player CDX-1000RF.

Recently I have issues playing (recently burned) audio CDs in this CD player. It keeps giving me error E-04 (or E-4) and ejects the CD. I tried different CD media (ritek/imation/khypermedia). Every CD has the same problem. Some time, it plays couple of tracks and get the error and ejects the CD. sometimes, it ejects the CD without playing a single track.

When I searched on google for E-04, this is what I found:
Err 04: Sub-Q error. The sub-Q code cannot be detected (twice withing five seconds). try another disc.

It plays previously burned audio cds without any problem. (most recent audio cd that played well was burned around 6 months back).

I tried burning with Roxio Easy Media Creator v7, latest Nero version. I used CD burner in Dell Latitude D600 and Lite-on SOHW-1673s.

How can I avoid this error? or what can I do fix the error? Is it problem with media or software or cd player?

TIA

My solution to this problem has been to use a CD writer rather than DVD writer & a particular brand of CD - for me it's Verbatim Pastels. These are Taiyo Yuden dye - means Very Good. A DVD writer just won't do it for me.
Officially my car stereo will not play CD-R media & wouldn't until I did just this. I was experiencing precisely the symptoms you're getting.
I use Roxio EMC 7 so that's not the problem.

Thanks TimC for the advise. I have DVD-ROM/CD Burner combo in the laptop. Do you recommend not to use this combo drive as well? CDs burned from this drive also did not play.

Most straight CDRW drives will do much better than any combo drive. Best drives for copying, are Lite-on, Plextor, and Yamaha. There are more. If you search the CLONECD web site, it lists recommended burners.