Fussy 6-CD disc changer

[cjbear]

I have the stock Monsoon system with the 6 CD disc changer in the back...

Is it common for the 6 CD disc changer to go bad quickly?

I bought my car used last March and the audio has been fine until about October when the CD player would say "CD error" or "chk magazine". I thought it was because it was cold (the CD player didn't work well at all on those -9 days) or there was dust. Typically, it was worse when my boyfriend talked bad about the stereo...but after using a CD disc cleaner for 5-15 minutes it would be ok for a few days and then go back to its old tricks.

Is the CD cleaner a temporary quick-fix for a problem that will need some serious $$ to solve it?

[Beetlemania]

One thing you could check would be the security of the wiring. Make sure the plug at the changer is securely mounted, and if you have radio removal keys you can check where it plugs in to the back of the head unit, too. That was the problem with my Phatbox. The wires to the stereo had come loose. It was a bit of work, but once I got in there I was able to plug it in right again and it's worked great since.

If it's the laser, or something in the changer, I'd say that yes the cleaning kit will not be a permanent fix. If you've already tried that and it didn't help, I'd say it won't help, but I could be wrong.

Best of luck!

[callisto9]

i bought 2001 beetle used in 2005 and it's always had weirdness with the 6-disk CD changer. on any given 6-CD load, one of the slots (or more) won't work, or i'll get the check magazine error and it'll cycle through all of them and then finally play. sometimes i have to take it out and put it back in and that helps. but on any given day, one or two of the slots says CD error.

i just went to using a 30GB mp3 player.

[wawalker]

Mine doesn't like cold and changing weather. I have used a CD cleaner along with the cans of pressurized air sold for electronics cleaning--that made it trouble free for over a year now, except for the temperature thing. Next time it acts up I think I'll take it out and see just how thorough of a cleaning is possible w/o having to tear it apart.

[k8thegr8]

Wow, I thought mine was the only fussy one. It is very picky about what it wants to listen to. Some days none of the slots will work. Sometimes 1 or 2 of them will. Sometimes it will get really skippy with a disk that will later play perfectly well.

I bought a new receiver with a single CD player in it. That way I don't have to deal with a moody changer. Or with getting in the trunk every time I want to change the music.

[Lnzbug]

Mine does the same thing. It's mostly with cd's I've burned. Also it doesn't like Incubus I don't know why, it just has a hard time "seeing" it. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't.
I also have bought a single cd head unit.

[Beetlemania]

The CD changer in my mom's Sebring has skipping problems. I don't know if it's because it's mounted sideways or, here's the part that relates to us, it could be a balance/shock absorbing problem. A CD is essentially a small album, and it has the same issues, just less so since it's optical and usually balanced better. But the mounts in a CD player or changer can go bad, or be set up a little wrong. There might be someone at an audio shop that could help you, maybe even over the phone. There's got to be a way to fix the equipment!

[missruby]

Originally Posted by k8thegr8

Wow, I thought mine was the only fussy one. It is very picky about what it wants to listen to. Some days none of the slots will work. Sometimes 1 or 2 of them will. Sometimes it will get really skippy with a disk that will later play perfectly well.

I bought a new receiver with a single CD player in it. That way I don't have to deal with a moody changer. Or with getting in the trunk every time I want to change the music.

Yeah - what she said; my twist was that any time the display read cd error, nothing would play and the buttons wouldn't work at all - I'd pop the magazine out and try again - usually unsuccessful.

I went through 3 cd players before I finally switched to an in dash receiver. A very good decision.