I have the 6-disk CD changer and about half the time it won't load a CD, instead issuing a "no disk" message as it attempts without success to load each of the six disks. After the car is shut off, the changer will often work again the next time I drive the car. Any idea what's going on? I assume the POS is telling me it's about ready to retire permanently, but maybe there's an adjustment, lubrication or something else that can be done?

 

Mine did something similar ... for some reason, it would insist that the last cut of the first disk be played until the end before it would recognize and load the next disk and so on. It drove me crazy. This was on a Mercedes 280 that I had as a winter car. Then I got a 99 C2 with a changer, and it did the same damn thing. It's mystifying, but since both changers were Becker changers, there must be a reason for it. In all cases, there was a CD-R in the stack, I don't know if that had anything to do with it or not.

Vic
95 C4 cab

 

.... the same things you described re your Merc and 996, though I haven't really studied exactly when it goes on vacation. But it does seem to work when I first drive off and only misbehaves if I change CDs, or switch to FM and then back. Of course it's sporadic, which makes it hard to diagnose.

I'll keep an eye on the situation and post here again if I see a pattern just in case others could benefit. If you've had the problem twice, I assume it isn't unique to us. BTW, like you I usually play CD-R's (burned from my vinyl collection) so maybe it's time to load the thing with 6 prerecorded CD's and see if the beast simply doesn't like CD-R's.