After a long trip, I noticed I could not play CDs. I loaded the changer to the max- 6 CDs. When I pressed the CD button, I get a slight whirring sound, then the display says "ERR-E1" then goes blank. I later managed to eject all discs but am now reluctant to load any fearing it would jam. Is the stereo Kaput?

 

Dude, that happened to me too. I went on a road trip to Hearst Castle and on the way back, I got the ERR-1 code and couldn't eject the CD it was playing at first. When I tried it later after shutting down my car, I got it out. Over the course of the week, all my CDs in the changer started jamming and causing the ERR-1 code. I was going to have the dealer take a look at it when I got in for my 21,000 mile service in two weeks but if anyone can offer advice prior I (and vicman7 I'm sure) would appreciate it.

 

Are you using a cr-r with a label on it? That was my problem with mine. If you can get the load door to open see if you can yank the cd out with tweezers(cover with tape to keep your cd from being scratched. I did that and it worked fine. Orignally I had 4 cd-r's with 4 labels on them. The labels started to bubble and then got the cd-r's stuck in the changer. Now it works fine again,

 

it did that to me too and i was reading somewhere that its because our cd changers doesnt like burned cds(something about its not the same size and weight). so i'll NEVER put a burn cd in mine.

 

I've got a 99' with a CD changer and always use CD-R's and it never gives me problems. Get that sucker checked out!

 

It's not only BURNT CDs. If you have a CD-R without a label on it (like the original coating that says HP or Fuji or whatever brand of CD you are using) then that should be fine and it should play without no problem. The CDs from the bootleggers on the street that have that huge and thick white label on it cause problems because it's like the CD is too thick to fit in the changer. Stay away from those, they screwed up my CD player and I had to get it replaced. Unfortunately, you seem to be headed to that road as well...

 

Come to think of it... the CD that originally caused the ERR-1 code was indeed a CD-R that I got as one of those keepsakes from a wedding banquet. The label was still on it but I find it too much of a coincidence that I never had a problem before with my other OEM audio CDs... I'll check inside the changer later in case something did get stuck in there.

 

It was 2 Sony CD-Rs and the rest are original CDs. This is the first time this happened in a year I've had the car. When this error crap was going on, I could not access ANY CDs.
Now don't tell me this head unit has a shelf life too like the tranny!