How do you unjam an indash CD player?

Answer 1

I had a Pioneer 6 CD changer in my Sport Trac that began refusing to eject CD's. I could see the CD in the slot, but it was not reachable. I would slide an Index Card or similar stiff piece of paper between the top of the CD and the Changer. Usually, it would eject immediately. A few times I had to let it load and try to eject the CD again before it would work. I have NO idea why this worked...or even how/why I thought of it.

In my experience a dealer can remove the cds from the player. Through my work in the automotive industry I have found that most dealers do not remove the cds that are stuck inside the units at the shop. They are sent to the factory and then removed. Usually they are sent back to the dealer and then returned to the customer. Yes, for $275.00

Without seeing it? Right. Try a local mobile audio repair shop? The price will be more doable than a dealer by far (though you may find that replacing it is still more cost effective in the long run). This is not a specific enough question to answer, unless we are expected to do certified training tutorials here. I prefer NOT to do such walkthroughs, since it is a safety hazard (at a minimum) and I do not know anyone's skill levels but my own.

Disconnect the battery and reconnect it. This will reset it and often the radio will spit out the cd. This works on aftermarket and often factory radios. Or if it has a reset button, push it.

Not an answer but...I have been told that CD changers (at least those in Ford vehicles) have a habit of jamming when you load homemade CDs in them. Apparently, the blank CDs you can buy are slightly thicker than pre-recorded music CDs. If you buy a blank CD and go on your computer and copy all your favorite songs to it, that CD doesn't get any thinner. And, apparently, the CD changers in Ford vehicles are built with a minimum of extra space, so there's not enough clearance for even an extra 1/64 of an inch.

So, this is not an answer to the question about unjamming the CD changer. But it might help you avoid jams in the first place. Also, it might be the case that certain brands of blank CDs are thicker than others, and some are no thicker than the pre-recorded CDs. So, you may be able to use home-made CDs after all, if you can find a brand that is thin enough.