Okay, there have been other threads about malfunctioning OEM changers, but I decided to repost this here because I found a quick and easy way to guarantee to get your CDs out if your player refuses to cough them up.

We've pretty much established that the reason CDs sometimes don't get spit back out is because the motor that controls the eject rollers is lame and/or the rollers themselves slip against the disc surface. So the disc starts to spit out and gets stuck in the player and you get the "Errr" code.

Someone suggested on here to take another CD and press it edge to edge with the stuck one in the player and gently push back against the stuck disc. This will force the motor to try again and spit the disc out. Although this method does work, sometimes it can take a bunch of attempts before the changer gives up the goods.

Here's a sure-fire solution: Get yourself a strong, flat, thin object about 2-3 inches long and 1/2" wide or thereabouts. I used the blade of my pocketknife because it's the perfect size and thickness, but you need to be careful if you use metal not to scratch the disc. Once the disc starts to eject, if it gets stuck, stick your object of choice into the slot and over the top of the CD and gently press down on the disc top. You only have to go in far enough to push the CD down. This forces the disc to make better contact with the rollers and the CD spits out--every time. I even tried this with labelled CD-Rs and it worked. I still wouldn't recommend using labels but it demonstrates where the problem of the player is.

Also, because you are touching the top side of the CD with your object of choice, there is minimal risk of damage to the CD as the CD is read by the laser from the bottom. Even if you did scratch it a little, I doubt it would affect it at all. And it's pretty hard to scratch the disc at the angle you're working from....

Hope this helps.

 

Dude,

Whoa. That sounds like a really good idea. Thanks.

Now I have an excuse to go buy a knife!

 

I know that sounds great *and* that is some great detective work... However, it is the top of "most" CDs that you need to watch!

Excerpt: (Googled -- one of many)

http://www.mscience.com/faq21.html

"The label side is especially susceptible to damage. Only a microscopically thin layer protects the metal layer and sensitive data pits that lie just beneath the label surface. Any scratch will destroy data. Writing with a ballpoint pen or other hard object can ruin the disc. Use of any solvent based writing instrument will initiate irreversible degradation that will not be evident until days or weeks have passed. Adhesives from user-applied labels may chemically attack the protective layer and metallization"

 

Good work-around, but remember that the foil that actually contains the data for the disc is actually on the TOP of the cd. If you scratch the foil you will definitely damage the disc.

 

True about the scratching, but you are putting minimal pressure on it and close to the outer edge. Scratch risk is at a minimum. And if you're really worried, find a plastic substitute for the tool that won't scratch it. Plus CDs are a lot more durable than you might think.

 

True, true... I was more concerned about someone thinking it was open season on the tops of the CDs (CD-R and CR-ROM). I had the misfortune of someone "helping" out by writing with a ballpoint on the top of a CD, only to find it unreadable. I was glad I didn't have any problems with the archived data, so I could make another one...

 

I haev the opposite problem. Every once in awhile, the changer will refuse to take a CD. I have to wait for the door to close and press Load again and try again. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It's almost as if the roller is rolling the wrong way.

I'm hopefully bringing it in for my 7500 mi service next week and I'm going to have them look into it.

Paul

 

Paul,

I've had this happen to me too, but I figured out it happens when you don't put the CD in *exactly* perpendicular to the face of the unit. If there's even a little bit of an angle the disc acts like its trying to go under the rollers and it won't take it. The door will close and you gotta try again. For me anyway, feeding the discs in by holding them between my thumb and index finger and grasping in the middle (as opposed to holding them on the edge) seems to help get it lined up right. Since doing it that way I haven't had a problem.

P.S. We gotta get the rides together sometime

 

Wow - now I know why my dealership gave me a pen knife with an Acura logo on it!!!!!!!!

 

Nice to see you guys sticking 99 cent knives into your $35,000 cars...

 

I'll have you know that my knife of choice is a $75 Swiss Army knife.....