How to Remove a Stuck CD

Here are some techniques to try when your CD gets stuck in your car CD player.  And yes, some idiot did try to stick a CD in a cupholder in the image (just for illustration purposes only, lol).

Precautions:

These tricks are focused mainly on single disc CD players but they may work on your multi-disk changer. Usual disclaimers - attempting repairs can ruin your player. If your car is under warranty, take it to the dealer. If you have any qualms about trying any of these techniques, let a dealer or audio shop tackle the project instead.

Tips and Tricks:

◊ Figure out what fuse controls the CD player and pull the fuse out for a minute (or more), then replace it (theory being that the fuse acts as a reset button). If you cannot find the fuse, you can disconnect the negative battery cable, but you'll lose your radio presets and other settings. This trick seems to have the greatest chance of success overall.

◊ Turn your ignition on to the accessory position. Hold the eject button down for 2 or 3 minutes. Depending on your make/model, the eject button may flash. When the button stops flashing (or when a few minutes has passed), release the button and immediately press it again (theory being that the two minutes of "work" followed by a quick break will fool the player into releasing the disc when you press the eject button again).

◊ Try using some tweezers, needle nose pliers or hemostats (every tool kit needs a hemostat or two!) to pull the CD out while pressing the eject button with power going to the player (theory being that the disc is so slick the player can't eject it without help). Some people report success just by pulling the disc out with the tweezers without power to the player and without pressing the eject button.

◊ If your player has a small hole in the front of it, like most personal computer CD players do, straighten a paperclip and push the clip straight into the hole to manually release the catch. Some players have a groove under the CD door instead of a hole. Look for a hole about the size of the paperclip and don't mistake an emergency release hole for an earphone jack.

◊ Some players, especially aftermarket ones, use a CD cartridge or magazine. Tapping on the cartridge while pressing the eject button sometimes ejects stuck discs.  CarSpace member Alwaysfords2 has been able to remove stuck CD magazines by using a piece of shim stock or a hack saw blade and going alongside one of the long sides of the magazine to hit the release. You can rock the magazine a little bit in the slot to see the mechanism and it should be easy to release - sort of like using the little pin hole on a CD drive, the magazine pops up as soon as it is freed.

◊ Remove the faceplace from your player (be gentle; something like a butter knife often works without damaging the bezel or breaking tabs). Then look for a tiny, usually recessed little button that you can press. You may need that unbent paperclip to reach the button.

◊ Find a coaster in your junk drawer - by coaster, I mean an old CD that doesn't work. Or use a blank one if that's all you have. Insert the coaster about an inch into the slot (yes, on top of the stuck CD). Then turn the ignition on and hold the eject button and wiggle the CD around. Don't be hamfisted - you're just trying to give the player some traction to help it eject the stuck one. If this fails, then try slipping the edge of the coaster (or something even thinner) under the stuck CD and pry it up while pressing the eject button. Again, be gentle - you don't want to ruin the player when a pro may be able to remove the unit and free the disc for $20 or so.

◊ Find a Popsicle stick or something thin but rigid and tear off a few inches of Scotch Tape from that roll you keep in your junk drawer (next to all those ruined CDs you intend to make Christmas ornaments out of some day). Put the tape on the top of the stuck CD using the thin stick to help attach the tape firmly to the disk. Like the hint above, the idea is to lift the CD enough to enable the player to eject it.

◊ At least one CarSpace member had success releasing a stuck CD by, ahem, banging on top of the dashboard!

◊ Foreign objects stuck into the player, or CDs that miss the slot entirely yet wind up inside the unit usually require pulling the CD player to remove the disc.

◊ If all else fails and the repair is expensive, you may want to upgrade to an aftermarket unit.

Multiple (6-disk, etc.) systems:

◊ On some brands, pressing the load and eject button at the same time will cycle the changer and eject a stuck disk. If your changer uses magazines to hold the CDs, be sure to try the shim trick above.

Prevention:

◊ Don't use homemade labels on any disks, home burnt or otherwise. They may be too thick for your player or the label may peel off inside the player, especially when the player or car interior gets hot and softens the adhesive. Use a pen made for marking on CDs instead.

◊ Be careful with any CDs borrowed from your library too - they may have a bar code taped to the surface and be too thick for your player.

◊ Don't use "scratch protectors" on your CDs.

◊ Try to teach your kids not to cram nickels in the CD slot. :-)

◊ If you have a technique that works, please leave a comment!

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