Stuck CD changer, w203 Comand -new owner

[Gonzoribbons]

I'm hoping someone will be able to help. Just joined the realms of Benz pilots for the first time. Had the car about 3 weeks, loving it. However, tried the cd changer on mixed cd as opposed to mixed track, and it started hunting for the next cd. There are 6cds in the magazine.

After a short time, the hunting stopped, and no further activity from the changer. Tried to eject, no activity. Looks like one of the discs (a bought one not recorded) is half into the drive. Next time I got onto the car, the cd changer does not even show as an option. It's like it's been removed.

The car is a late 2006 220cdi Avantgarde estate. W203 (S203)The sound system is a Comand colour sat nav with 6cd changer in the glovebox.

I am reasonably competent with a soldering iron, so might be able to fix myself but my question is two-fold:

Do anyone know where I can locate the fuse for the unit, might be this that prevents it being detected by the Comand head unit?

How do I remove the unit from the glovebox to see if I can fix it? Seems to have a metal side plate side nearest passenger door, with two screws. Will this loosen it, or will I need to locate any hidden fixings.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Benza750]

Just to the left of the cd changer there is a small torch screw going upwards into glove box.
Remove screw & cd changer will pull outwards, try disconnecting & re connecting so it resets first

 

[Gonzoribbons]

Thanks for the super fast response Benza, much appreciated. Just had a quick look, no idea why i didn't see that yesterday. I'll give it a go in the light. Any clue about the fuses for this unit, are they in-line types, or off the same feed as the COMAND head unit in the fuse box?

Seen pictures of fuse box under drivers feet, is this the case on this model ? There are fuses in the boot behind the panels, are there any more I can check out?

Again, thanks for the help

 

[Benza750]

There should be a fuse chart in the end of the dash on the drivers side.
It is supplied by the command unit.
There is fuses in the end if the dash, in the engine bay & the boot.
Don't know of any fuses under feet in the 203.
Try disconnecting the changer, there is two plugs. Supply & fibre optic cables have the ignition off when you try it

 

[richard]

Actually, with the post M2005 facelift the CDC has it's own fuse (rather than being fed by the COMAND / Audio-10) which is in the fusebox at the end of the dashboard.

I have some recall that the fuse-holder is the pink one with a 7.5A fuse, but as Benza750 says the fuse-chart should be in there.

The CD changers really really don't like anything that may be thicker than a standard "original" CD, so be really careful with recorded disks etc etc

Richard

 

[Gonzoribbons]

Followed Benzas instructions in the light, removed the two plugs at the rear, and lo and behold, the unit struck into life, and the COMAND unit recognised the changer.

So, no fuses blown, complicated comms between units still appear to work.

Magazine still stuck.

Looked around web, found this very useful piece of info about getting to the innards of the CD changer. Please note, on my particilar unit, I needed to remove an additional 3 screws on the back, and a metal cover over a rear circuit board to allow the top to hinge off. Be really careful not to damage or mis-lodge the ribbon cable to this PCB (printed circuit board) Follow the instuctions on here: https://blogs.oracle.com/miko/entry/cd_changer_repair

My problem was slightly different, as the transport mechanism that lifts the player head had tried to move on with the disc still half in, and jammed the CD in a half-way position.

This just meant moving some of the other cogs carefully by hand to take the pressure off the magazine drawer, then carefully push the CD drawer back in the magazine with a jewellers screwdriver.

The whole stuck magazine then easily popped out of the player.

Re-assembled the unit, and placed it back in the car.

The only issue I had was it thought the magazine was still in the unit, sayng it was empty, placing the magazine in, it said no magazine. Obviously a sensor issue. Took the magazine out (player thinks it is in) then unplug.

I placed the magazine back in while unplugged(with only 2 prerecorded CDs), then plug it back in.

It went through the magazine scan and now seems to be working fine.

I'll keep you posted if there are any further issues.

Thanks to Benza and Richard for their advice and pointers, I hope my experience with this issue will be useful to other members.

Regards

Gonzoribbons (with tunes )