grantq

My '99 has a CDC-3 disc changer. (also an in-trunk amp & tape player head unit)

When I put the cartridge in and attempt to use the CD player i hear the discs loading & spinning up, but the head unit claims "no disc".

I have put them in label-side-down (as instructed) but also the other way just for the heck of it.

Does anyone know if there's a simple problem or should i assume the player is toast?

thanks.

JBRipps

hmmmm...are these store bought cd's of bands, or are they mp3's that you made? Perhaps if they are mp3's, your cd player can't read them?

J

mickey6

Did it work and now it doesn't?
Usually the lens gets dirty but the CD changer keeps trying reading the CD. First I would try those CD cleaning discs (find them at record stores) and if that doesn't work a good old fashioned air spray in the slot or open up the CD changer and clean the lens. Good luck.

grantq

I've tried both kinds of CDs.
I guess I'll try taking the player apart and wiping the lens down with an eyeglass cloth.

mickey6

grantq,

if wiping the lens also doesn't work, PM me for a link to order lens assembly for the changer / CD mechanism.

estsn.com

How old is the CD-changer? Older models basically can't read CDs that are "burned" from a home computer. Not because the CDs from a computer require special technology but merely because the older CD players aren't sensitive enough to read the shallower imprint on "burnt" CDs.

Manufactured CDs are stamped so the imprint on them is easier to read and is also more durable. Frequently you will find that a burnt CD will work for awhile and then suddenly stop being readable (your CD player will just say there is no CD) - this is because of a deterioration in the impressions on the disc.

Hope that helps...


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grantq

I realize that burned CDs are more difficult to read, although I've never had an issue with a CD player manufactured after ~1996. Nonetheless I have tried pressed CDs with no success.

I took the player apart and swabbed the lens with a qtip soaked in isapropanol. (the lens is impossible to reach without some serious disasembly that i didn't want to get into).

There was something orange cooked along the edge of the back of the PCB. It looked like corrosion. I scraped it off and then cleaned it completely with a cottonball soaked in isopropanol. Now the PCB looks good, I'm hoping it was somehow shorting the exposed connectors on the PCB and that will solve it.... will report back when re-installed.

grantq

No love; CDs still won't read. I guess it's only AM radio + 8 tracks in the p-car for now!

perryinva

FWIW, I see them pretty regular on ebay. Got mine, which works perfectly for $80 shipped(CDC-3). Also, the Sony XTR(?)-61 and 65 have identical mechanicals & cassettes. I got a Sony 65 for $28 shipped with a cassette, just for the spare cassette and mechanicals!

grantq

The changers on ebay seem to be going for $150+ these days. Not worth it IMHO, better off just installing a new deck.

Maybe you are thinking of the CDX-65? I couldn't find anything about the "XTR" line. If it's the same why can't you plug it in instead of the CDC-3?

perryinva

Yes CDX, not XTR..don't know what I was thinking.... the mechanicals of the CDX 61 and 65 are the same..the 65 had limited disc title capability via firmware. Firmware of each is different from the CDC-3as the CDX line uses a bus lin over the RCA as well as the bus itself. The actual connectors are the same..literally a plug and play swap. If there is a mechanical issue, then it is a simple matter of swapping the electronics from one changer to the other. I like music in the car, but I don't go $1000s gaga....big waste of dough imho. The 10 speaker with the 6x40 oem amp is fine for me..all I did was add a PIE SON-AUX switch so I can have ipod or changer..tho I rarely use the iPod except for long trips.

grantq

I'm going to haunt the pawn shops this weekend, if i happen to find a CDX 61/65 is it a plug & play install?

estsn.com

Install a subtle aftermarket that has bluetooth and USB - you'll never regret it. The one I put in my BMW can accept iPods, USB keys, it can stream music over bluetooth and use the stereo to make and recieve phone calls. It's very convenient.

perryinva

What did you put in? I've yet to find a SUBTLE aftermarkat...they are all way too bling for me.

You will have to take apart your old player and swap the electronics or mechanicals. Not hard, but not P&P.

grantq

Just curious about plugging a music player into the RCA cables of the CD player:

Right now I can't keep the radio on CD input because it says "no CD" and switches back to radio.

If i unplug the CD player will it sit on the input and thus let me use an mp3 player?