car cds

[kaysixteen]

So I now have a cd stuck in my car's cd player.   Cd is old, a library cd from a Teaching Company course (15 years old), and has been heavily used.   Car is also old (2007), and cd player is almost certainly worn down internally.   This is of course one of those maddening car cd players that does not have a cd-rom-esque changer that shoots out, which would prevent, of course, any cd from being stuck into the thing (one wonders why car manufacturers do not design their cd players that way?).   Cd almost certainly also has on it a taped-on library barcode, since it is the first cd in the course set.  I was listening to it Sunday afternoon, the last of many cds I played on a long extended ride in what is essentially heat wave-like (90+ degree, high humidity) conditions.   When the cd was done, it just wouldn't eject, no matter how many times I pushed the damn eject button.   I have never had this problem in a car before, and of course hope I never have it again.  Owner's manual suggested that the thing is too hot and perhaps the bar code may have gotten loose and stuck into the thing, and that I should let the thing cool and try it again.   It otherwise gave little useful info.   I tried that this afternoon, but of course, though the car hadn't been driven all day, it was nonetheless sitting on the street in the baking heat all day.  No dice.  I had also googled the 'how to get a stuck cd out of the car cd player' query last night and tried the first trick suggested, namely to depress both the eject button and the cd power button simultaneously for ten seconds, but still no dice.  When the eject button is pushed, all you get is a clear sound suggestive of the cd spooling around and being caught in something, likely that bar code label.   This lasts for a few seconds and then nothing.   I then drove car back to the used car dealer today, and tried to have him get it out, but he was unsuccessful, even though he did try to stick in some sort of a paperclip thingee.  He said he almost got it, and strongly suggested I wait till early morning, in hopes that the car would have cooled sufficiently, in order to allow its removal.  He also thinks some of the teeth in the cd reader have likely worn down over the years.   He did do some quick research on  his computer to figure out how to get the player itself out, if necessary, and apparently on this particular car, that would not be an easy task, requiring 90 minutes of labor (I believe him, though he is not the greatest mechanic on the planet, and I do try to have my old mechanic, who is much better, do serious car repairs when needed, even though he is much more expensive).  I am a real fan of these teaching company series and really use my car cd player often, even for music cds (though I have not actually played a cd inside my apt for many years).   I am wondering 1) does anyone have any other suggestions for getting the drat cd out, esp since if I can't get it out, the library will charge me a replacement fee for the entire set, and in any case I really like my car cds and 2) is it worth replacing the cd player, and how much do you think that would set me back (presumably the guy could just put a new or newer used one in,  quickly, after taking the panel out, if I end up asking him to do that?   Thanks.

[Parasaurolophus]

Have you tried force ejecting?

Turn the car off and hold eject and power at the same time, for about ten seconds.


Otherwise, here are a bunch of different strategies.

[ab_grp]

Kay, I wish I had a suggestion, but this is eerily similar to the situation I'm in, though I have not figured out a solution for years and years and my CD is not a library loan.  I was listening to a Teaching Company economics course, and the first CD got stuck and has never come out, so I have listened to that quite a few times now over the years.  My car is 2005, and I think this CD has been in there since... 2009? I honestly can't remember.  I have tried every online tip and also spoke to my dealership years ago and found out that the labor would be reasonably extensive, so I just gave up and never pursued it.  Sometimes I turn it on and think aha! this time when I push eject it will come out.  And sometimes it sounds like it's trying to.  But it never does.  I figure my car stereo is so old and out of date that I will probably replace it anyway at this point, but I don't have to drive much out here and still haven't even figured out more than 3 local radio stations to pre-program.  That's also been on the to-do list.  I tend to listen to my iPod anyway.

Just wanted to wish you good luck with this and keep an eye out for any more tips that might help both of us! I am going to try some of those in the article Parasaurolophus posted, though probably not fooling around with the battery or going out to get a fuse right now (not sure if there is a spare for that one in the little kit or not).

ETA:  I have quite a few of their courses on CD.  If you can't get the CD out and (in the admittedly unlikely event) I have that course and can find it and the CD you need, I would be happy to send it to you if you think the library would accept it and you could avoid paying for the whole set.

[mamselle]

Or, is it a problem with their CDs that you've both discovered that is not your problem but deserves redress?

I.e., Is there anything online about those CDs in particular?

Might be worth checking...

M.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Have you tried force ejecting?

Turn the car off and hold eject and power at the same time, for about ten seconds.


Otherwise, here are a bunch of different strategies.

I think the double-sided tape idea is a good one. Keep us updated, Kay16. We want to know if you solved the problem.

[nebo113]

Any small hole in which to insert the tip of a paper clip to force ejection?

[mamselle]

Eek, just don't get electrocuted doing that...

M.

[polly_mer]

Eek, just don't get electrocuted doing that...

M.

Most CD players have a special hole for exactly the paperclip insertion technique.

[mamselle]

Whew, good.

When I was three I apparently stuck a hairpin in an electrical socket and jumped away, screaming.

I don't remember it, but the story was told often enough I have conferred memories that come back as soon as anything like that is suggested...

M.

[kaysixteen]

The dealer actually did try the clip thing Monday, without success.   Quite frankly, while I love the guy to death (he is actually a bivocational pastor in a local church, too), and did not even consider buying this car from anyone else, he is not a good mechanic, and the guy he has do most of the regular work for him, while better, is not as good as the guy I use for serious repairs (even though that guy charges much more).  I just do not think the dealer really knew what he might do to try to get the thing out.  I have a guy in my church I will ask on Sunday-- he will probably be able to get it out, and/or tell me what to do, and most importantly whether I really need to pay for 90 minutes of labor to get it out (and whether it would be worth it to replace the cd player).  I will pay this if I need to, because replacing the whole cd set for the library would cost more-- I would have to do so, could not get away with trying to replace the one cd myself, and these Teaching Co series, which  I do love listening to, are very expensive.   It may well be that the extreme (for SE Mass.) heat we have had here this week is the issue-- even the owner's manual notes that if the player is hot, it may stick the cd inside, and the dealer advocates waiting till it gets colder, which, if the weatherman is correct, it will be this weekend, before heating back up Monday (2020 around here is turning into one of the hottest summers in the dozen years I have been here, and we are now also in pretty serious drought, too).   Even getting out of work at midnight, with the car having sat for hours, still is very very hot, and ineffective-- I have tried that hit the eject and power button simultaneously trick several times, including late at night, with no effect.

I am  of course perhaps the most mechanically disinclined guy I have ever met-- the D, mercifully granted, I got in 8th grade metal shop was the only D I ever got anywhere, but even I realize that the thing will come out, and thankfully I have people I  trust to help me with this, and more serious car issues.   I look forward to getting access to the CDs again.   Thanks to all for the help, and I will let you all know what happens.

BTW, the Teaching Co has an app that allows one to get access to their courses on one's phone, without having to get the physical CDS-- anyone ever tried this?

[polly_mer]

The guy at church who is a fix-it guy is probably your best bet.  Let us know how it goes.

[ab_grp]

BTW, the Teaching Co has an app that allows one to get access to their courses on one's phone, without having to get the physical CDS-- anyone ever tried this?

I have had the app but hadn't used it until you mentioned it.  Maybe it makes total sense, but it looks like I can only access those courses that I did not buy on physical CDs.  It would be nice to have access to all of them.

Good luck with getting the CD out!

[kaysixteen]

I will see how the dude at church accomplishes this, which hopefully will take place before Florida-esque temps return here later next week.

ab_grp, do you mind my asking how much the TC charges for access to courses through that app?

[ab_grp]

There does not appear to be any charge for accessing courses you already own through the app (if you bought the digital version).  The courses vary in price, as I'm sure you are aware.  But I also have a bunch that I bought for very little due to the sales they had going on.  A friend recently told me about Great Courses Plus (https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/), which is a subscription service for on-demand streaming versus the a la carte purchases made through the main site (which you could then own).  There is a free trial, but I haven't tried that yet.  I am so far behind on other books and courses.   

[Parasaurolophus]

Eek, just don't get electrocuted doing that...

M.

Most CD players have a special hole for exactly the paperclip insertion technique.

That's amazing. I had no idea!