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HOW TO - Fix CD/Mech Error - Remove CDs Stuck in Changer

45K views 28 replies 21 participants last post by  Melio 
#1 · (Edited)
A few folks have posted recenlty about CDs being stuck in their factory Blaupunkt head unit. Here's how to resolve that. Sorry, I don't have pics of the error displayed on the head unit's LCD, but you'll know if you have this problem.



I bought some GTO-specific, double-DIN head unit extractoin tools off eBay for $3.48


These have special knobs on the end that grab the head unit. I tried the coat hanger trick first, but it didn't work, so that's why I bought these tools.


Insert the tools into the holes like this. You have to push them in ALL THE WAY (notice the far one is still sticking out some)


Ahhhh . . . that's better. Both tools are pushed in ALL THE WAY and are now grabbing the head unit


Don't just pull straight out. You have to put tension on the tools to they really grab the head unit. Press each of them OUTWARDS (away from each other, towards the nearest car door) and then pull straight out.


It takes a firm pull to get the head unit to budge initially, but no need to jerk. It'll come out, just give it a tug.


The female sockets that the head unit plugs into.


The male pins on the back of the head unit.


Go to your work bench (aka, messy kitchen table)


Detail shot of how the extractor tools work
 
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#2 · (Edited)
The knob on the extractor tool grabs this little chad. That's why you have to press the tool outward - it depresses this locking tongue and catches on the chad (which is what actually grabs to pull the head unit out).



Kittehs are good instructors



You want to remove this top panel


With a screw driver


Just pop it open


Same on the other side


Pry it open with your fingers. It may take a bit of careful fringer prying to get the whole thing loose, as it has tabs that grab on both sides and in the front. Just be careful, and don't break anything. It comes up fairly easily.


Voila! The meat of the project.


See how down in there, there is a disk that is stuck mid-way (it's kind of hard to see)?


Grab this plate
 
#3 · (Edited)
And pull it up (it's held in by very tiny springs on the sides - ZOMG, do not mess with these springs, or you'll have an opportunity to fish them out, lol)


With the top disk removed, you're now looking at the second disk. However, you have to take out thate black semi-circle that's holding it down.


Light finger pressue is all that's needed to take this out. Now you can take out the disk that's under it. Keep doing this until you get to the disk that is stuck.

Clever finagling of the stuck disk is how you extract it. Don't break anything while you're doing this. Most of this audio plastic component stuff is pretty flemsy.


The disk that was stuck (not mine)



Metallica, Lord of the Rings sound track, and the stuck disk were taken out.



Once the offensive disk is out, you can see how the thing works. Essentially the disk magazine travels vertically within the housing, and when that magazing is in the proper place, this swing arm with the laser pivots in/out of place to read a disk or allow the magazine to change.


These are the springs you don't want to mess with. DO NOT UNCLIP THESE SPRINGS! May the Lord have mercy on the person that wants to get cute and unhook these springs. It would be a very tedious task to reattach them, so just avoid that and don't unhook them.


Start putting the thing back together. Remember to install all of the black semi-rings you extracted to take out each layer of disk.



Line up the front tabs and hinge this back in to place.
 
#4 ·
Give it a light knock with your fist/palm on each corner. Make 2 passes to be sure you get it locked in place.


Reinstall the head unit


It should just power right back up, as long as you put it back into the car it came out of. Mine sat there and made 1000 disk change sounds once it powered up


I got tired of all those sounds, so I just turned the damn thing on.


If radio operation is normal, start the disk loading sequence


First time I've seen that in a while!


Looks promising!


Is this actually working?


S U C C E S S !!!!!!!!
 
#5 ·
Fill up the disk changer to verify operation


Try out a few disks


Be sure you can still change disks


Yay! That looks good, too!


Ok, it should now be fixed and back to normal operation. Will disks get stuck again later? Maybe, but atleast now you know how to get them out.




Good luck with it, and I hope fixing yours is as easy as this was for me. It took me 13 minutes to do all of this, and that was even with taking pictures. This is a 5-minute job, if you have the extractor tools.
 
#6 ·
Good writeup. I took mine out over a year ago and ended up finding some of the trays damaged during disassembly, so I replaced it with an aftermarket unit. The radio is fairly simple to disassemble and to anyone doing this, patience is key.
 
#8 ·
People that appreciate sound quality above what MP3s offer? Not saying the GTO has a reference audio system, but I like to take CDs around with me and play in good audio systems so I can hear the full warmth of a track, not just the upper third of the frequency band (a la MP3s). There's something nostalgic about putting in a single disk with a set number of songs. You put it in, because you want to listen to it, not because it was on a playlist of 4 bagillion songs and you randomly chose it.

Hold on. WTF is my problem? I sound like an old man, lol.
 
#10 ·
Thanks for the great writeup!
I'm just amazed that in 4 years of ownership I didn't realize this thing had a radio in it.
I'll have to try it out sometime.:idea:
 
#15 ·
Did I send back a radio with a disk in it? I normally remove them.


CD's suck get Aux input LOL

Anybody that does this just be careful that you don't losoe the spring from the plate it wraps around the bottom side of the CD palyer and you need to take the whole thing apart to put it together... total PITA not hard just time consuming.
 
#16 ·
Anybody that does this just be careful that you don't losoe the spring from the plate it wraps around the bottom side of the CD palyer and you need to take the whole thing apart to put it together... total PITA not hard just time consuming.
Ah, well said. That's the point I was trying to make about the springs, but I guess I didn't actually state it, haha. But yeah, I could see that disaster coming from a mile away after I unclipped one side because I thought it was a good idea, felt the high tension on the spring (more taught than you would think a tiny little spring would be), and then thought to myself, "What would happen if I let go of this spring so I could get this plate out of the way? Oh, I see! The whole spring will go down in this little slit on the side of the head unit's frame, where I can't see the other end of the spring. Only way to get it out would be a complete tear down of the head unit." Yeah, best to avoid that! LOL. I reclipped the spring (kinda hard to do - it's super TINY) and went on my merry way.
 
#17 ·
Thank you thank you thank you thank you.

I've always had discs get stuck now and then, but a little punch to the disc opening would get it to spit it out.

Last week it just didnt work anymore. Found this, got the head unit tool, 10 minutes later I'm back in business.
 
#24 ·
I just bought a spare unit on ebay and lo and behold it's got a few CD's stuck inside!! This how-to article is PERFECT. Thanks Paulsz28 for a most excellent writeup!

-Marc
 
#26 ·
Nope, it still changes disks like a champ.
 
#29 ·
Just wanted to post a year later to see if anyone else wants to see this post. :)
 
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