Unjamming a 9006 Audiophile CD changer.

[HeavySoul]

Have a 9006 Audiophile 6 CD changer in my ST170 and it's jammed again today for the third time in a month.

I have had it to the dealers twice to sort it out but now am looking to try and sort this out myself as do not have the spare money to be throwing around everytime this happens.

Does anyone have any experience of this in-dash changer units? Would I be able to safely unscrew the unit myself and pull the CD's out? I presume I will need to disconnect the unit and find myseld a new code also?

Any help would be appreciated.

[dern]

If it's the same mechanism as the 6006 then you just pull the unit from the dash, undo a couple of nuts at the back (they are some security type but if you have a dremel you can simply cut a flathead screwdriver in to the head and undo them with a screwdriver) and then lift the top panel off. You can then remove the jammed cds.

Ours has done this twice in 6 months so far and we've found that CDRs jam it as do certain original cds. It looks to me like the mechanism is not very tolerant of variations from a standard cd size spec and fails to grab the cd and then it 'loses' it and the unit is jammed. Alternatively something could have broken but on the mondeo forum I went on they seemed to think that the mechanism was just intolerant.

Believe it or not the last two ford has the codes written on the top of the stereos. If it doesn't it'll either by in your audio handbook or give ford a call and they'll look it up for you.

The long term fix is to either replace it with something decent or buy yourself an ipod.

Good luck.

Edited by dern on Thursday 17th January 10:16

[HeavySoul]

dern said:

If it's the same mechanism as the 6006 then you just pull the unit from the dash, undo a couple of nuts at the back (they are some security type but if you have a dremel you can simply cut a flathead screwdriver in to the head and undo them with a screwdriver) and then lift the top panel off. You can then remove the jammed cds.

Ours has done this twice in 6 months so far and we've found that CDRs jam it as do certain original cds. It looks to me like the mechanism is not very tolerant of variations from a standard cd size spec and fails to grab the cd and then it 'loses' it and the unit is jammed. Alternatively something could have broken but on the mondeo forum I went on they seemed to think that the mechanism was just intolerant.

Believe it or not the last two ford has the codes written on the top of the stereos. If it doesn't it'll either by in your audio handbook or give ford a call and they'll look it up for you.

The long term fix is to either replace it with something decent or buy yourself an ipod.

Good luck.

Edited by dern on Thursday 17th January 10:16

Yup they are the same as the 6006's apparently and suffer from the same problems.

I do not have a Dremmel unfortunately but I have got the unit out of the dash and tried to get the screw out (no luck so far!). Can you simply lift the CD's out if the top panel is taken off?

Have managed to find the code also so no problems there - just need to get those CD's out. Typically they are CD's I really want to listen to too

New car is a more exciting option than an iPod

[dern]

HeavySoul said:

I do not have a Dremmel unfortunately but I have got the unit out of the dash and tried to get the screw out (no luck so far!).

Get a hacksaw blade on it and cut a flat slot that way.

HeavySoul said:

Can you simply lift the CD's out if the top panel is taken off?

You'll see when you get in to the box but inside there's a number of layers in which the cds sit and these layers form a stack which moves up and down. Your cds will be in that stack somewhere and you'll need to carefully manoeuvre the cds around until they come out. I've got cds out from the bottom layer though so with patience it can be done.

HeavySoul said:

Have managed to find the code also so no problems there - just need to get those CD's out. Typically they are CD's I really want to listen to too

Hopefully they won't be too scratched

A new car is always good . We found the cd player was marginally more reliable if we never put 6 cds in it but max'd at 5... well, it worked for a month anyway until it decided it didn't like one of the wife's cds and choked.

[HeavySoul]

dern said:

HeavySoul said:

I do not have a Dremmel unfortunately but I have got the unit out of the dash and tried to get the screw out (no luck so far!).

Get a hacksaw blade on it and cut a flat slot that way.

Will have a go that way then

dern said:

HeavySoul said:

Can you simply lift the CD's out if the top panel is taken off?

You'll see when you get in to the box but inside there's a number of layers in which the cds sit and these layers form a stack which moves up and down. Your cds will be in that stack somewhere and you'll need to carefully manoeuvre the cds around until they come out. I've got cds out from the bottom layer though so with patience it can be done.

OK - from looking in the top of the unit there does not seem to be much room at the back to pull the CD's out through the top but I imagine if you take one at a time from the top carefully then you can work your way down?

[dern]

HeavySoul said:

OK - from looking in the top of the unit there does not seem to be much room at the back to pull the CD's out through the top but I imagine if you take one at a time from the top carefully then you can work your way down?

I was able to do it this way so fingers crossed. You may also find that once you removed the cd that caused the jam the lower ones will be able to eject normally. You can reconnect the power with the top off and the unit out of the dash to try it at any rate... you'll also see how it works, how fragile all the bits are and how likely it is to jam again so you can make the judgement call as to whether to put it all back together or at least gain some satisfaction from the whole episode by taking a sledgehammer to it

[HeavySoul]

Well have managed to sort it out this morning, was much easier than anticipated

Here is a mini guide if anyone else needs some help:

1. Unlock the HU from the dash using metal U-pins (eBay, find a friend or make your own).
2. Detach all the wire connections from the rear of the unit and remove unit from dash.
3. Get yourself one of these:

A Drayton T7 Starscrew (£4 from your local motor spares shop).

1. Unscrew the two screws on the top rear of the unit (orange) and then unclip the metal cover in four places(white):

1. Remove cover to reveal CD's

1. Gently lift up the tilting metal bar across the middle and hook the CD's out one by one with the end of your screwdriver.

Easy:


The limited amount of space for the CD's to be stored seems to be part of the problem as to why these units jam/confuse themselves so easily. Also pictured is the useful reminder printed by manufacturer


Took me about ten minutes in total, only tricky bit is getting the CD's out of the little space but would be even easier with two pairs of hands.

HTH

[nibbouk]

Heavy Soul you are a legend. This solves my problem, i.e. what type of screwdriver is used. My wife passed me a CD to put in whilst driving in the dark, and I slid it in upside down, now it doesnt see it. These instructions will save me a fortune. If only I could remember my code though!

Edited by nibbouk on Friday 25th January 21:52

Edited by nibbouk on Friday 25th January 21:56

[HeavySoul]

nibbouk said:

Heavy Soul you are a legend. This solves my problme, what type of screwdriver is used. My wife passed me a CD to put in whilst driving in the dark, and I slid it in upside down, now it doesnt see it. These instructions will save me a fortune. If only I could remember my code though!

Take a look at the photos nibbouk, it's a star screwdriver, size 7.

Code not written in your owners manual? If not they are fairly cheaply available from a Fraud dealership or maybe somewhere in a dark corner of the internet?

Let me know if you need anymore help.

[nibbouk]

Ah, I've taken the lid off but the problem I have is that the laser arm is set in the play position and makes access to the CD's impossible. I think I need to reconnect it and eject the disks it can find. Funnily enough the CD in question is not in upside down at all, so I dont know why it couldnt read it.

[nibbouk]

Aha, all sorted finally. Struggled to get hold of a T7 torx, many sets containing T6's & T8's, and a lot of sets start from T10 upwards. Make sure your cassette is empty of all CDs it can find before you start otherwise the laser arm is in the way! The process does take 10 minutes once you are in situ, have the right tools & your PIN, otherwise it can take up to 8 hours! Cheers HeavySoul

BTW one way I found easier to get the CD out is to tip the unit upside down so it falls down, it's easier to grab the CD I discovered

Edited by nibbouk on Friday 25th January 21:55

[:J:]

I have just used these instructions and they worked a treat, thank you to the O.P

Keys to remove the stero (*2) 55p each + VAT from Ford.
New no. 7 torx head £1.60.
Doing the job - a doddle

Ford wanted £80 to look at it !!! Rip off merchants !!!!

Thanks again and bouncing back up the forum for others to benefit from

[HeavySoul]

:J: said:

I have just used these instructions and they worked a treat, thank you to the O.P

Keys to remove the stero (*2) 55p each + VAT from Ford.
New no. 7 torx head £1.60.
Doing the job - a doddle

Ford wanted £80 to look at it !!! Rip off merchants !!!!

Thanks again and bouncing back up the forum for others to benefit from

Happy to help

[subsonicgroover]

Thanks everyone for the support on this. Took me a while to unjam the CDs. I think I scratched them but I dont care. It seems to work now. Wish I knew how to fit an MP3 connection to the unit. I've tried various devices that are supposed to interface MP3s with the radio but they dont work well: the sound quality suffers and the reception drops out.

Can anyone suggest a way of hot wiring the unit to connect mp3s or do I need to buy a new system?

[Bagstar78]

Thanks for the great picture guide. Was going to buy a new unit until I read this, had it fixed in five minutes!

[HeavySoul]

Bagstar78 said:

Thanks for the great picture guide. Was going to buy a new unit until I read this, had it fixed in five minutes!

Pleasure!

Always good to see this thread get resurrected - shows it was worth my time/effort putting it up.

I found a more permanent solution to mine in the end - I bought a Civic Type R

[firestorm888]

Hey all - thanks so much for the detailed directions - HeavySoul - you're the one!

Question - I've got a 2003 SVT Focus here with a jammed 9006 audiophile 6 cd changer - guess what - cd error. I've got the t7 driver, I just need aid in figuring out how to get the HU out of the dash.

- What's a u-pin? Can I just bend some stiff wire to loop around though the holes and pull the HU out?
- Or... can I REALLY go to the parts department at Ford and request the u-pins to yank my HU? Could it be that easy? Do they only cost ~$1 each?
- Is there a kind gentleman/lady who could snap a 'how-to' photo of the implement they used in pulling out their HU? Bonus points if it's a easy to follow as HeavySoul's...

Thanks to all in advance for sharing everything!

Best regards, Marko

[firestorm888]

Ahhhh... looks like my cd changer can't handle the REAL stuff.



Bad news - I snagged my cds out - my 6 cd changer remains inactive when I mash the 'load' or 'eject buttons. I hear no actuators or any other actions within the unit when I mash and hold the 'load' button - making me think this here hed unit is just plain botched and ready for replacement.

Anyone have any tricks for 'resetting' the unit - a last chance to give it a go? Please tell...

Best, Marko

PS - here in America - the bolts on the top of the unit take a T8 torx driver...

[HeavySoul]

firestorm888 said:

Ahhhh... looks like my cd changer can't handle the REAL stuff.



Bad news - I snagged my cds out - my 6 cd changer remains inactive when I mash the 'load' or 'eject buttons. I hear no actuators or any other actions within the unit when I mash and hold the 'load' button - making me think this here hed unit is just plain botched and ready for replacement.

Anyone have any tricks for 'resetting' the unit - a last chance to give it a go? Please tell...

Best, Marko

PS - here in America - the bolts on the top of the unit take a T8 torx driver...

Not sure if there is a complete reset button within the headunit - maybe worth popping into the dealership and asking them? I am sure there is probably some kind of reset proceedure of something.

My unit ultimately gave up the ghost because one of the plastic semi circles that guide the discs had actually snapped inside the unit so it was permenantly confused as to how to handle the discs and just gave up in the end!

Glad to hear you got your unit unjammed firestorm

[firestorm888]

HeavySoul said:

Not sure if there is a complete reset button within the headunit - maybe worth popping into the dealership and asking them? I am sure there is probably some kind of reset proceedure of something.

My unit ultimately gave up the ghost because one of the plastic semi circles that guide the discs had actually snapped inside the unit so it was permenantly confused as to how to handle the discs and just gave up in the end!

Glad to hear you got your unit unjammed firestorm

Thanks again HS - I *did* rescue all of the cds in the unit - my step daughter is wowed, so that's someting - a $75 savings anyway, right?

I'll stop by the dealer - we'll see if there's a reset or a fuse situation.

Question Do we have a 'For Sale' forum here at pistonheads for us 'Mericans?' or would anyone recommend their favorite forum for person to person (or storefront to person) selling - just in case I have to buy another HU?

Thanks again to the all posters in the forum for the participation - y'all RAWK... Peace - Marko