# CD stuck in car stereo **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 15, 2008, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486 "2008-03-15T19:00:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RancidYakButterTeaParty)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2008, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486/1 "2008-03-15T19:00:44Z")
I put in my Ben Folds CD and everything was fine–then the CD player simply stopped working and the stereo turned itself off. I got it to start back up when I re-started the car and the radio works completely fine. However, the stereo doesn’t recognize that the CD is still in there and it won’t eject the CD or play it. Not sure it will help but my car is an '05 Chevy Malibu Maxx. Any suggestions for getting the CD out? ---
**Author:** ![hekk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@hekk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hekk)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486/2 "2008-03-15T19:51:52Z")
[QUOTE=RancidYakButterTeaParty] I put in my Ben Folds CD and everything was fine–then the CD player simply stopped working and the stereo turned itself off. I got it to start back up when I re-started the car and the radio works completely fine. However, the stereo doesn’t recognize that the CD is still in there and it won’t eject the CD or play it. Not sure it will help but my car is an '05 Chevy Malibu Maxx. Any suggestions for getting the CD out? [/QUOTE] I take it you are not using an aftermarket radio? That would make things much easier.. There MIGHT be a little hole somewhere that you would poke a safety pin or sewing needle through that would manually move the mechanism that pushes the CD out. It’s probably there, but you may have to take off a cover or two to access it. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486/3 "2008-03-15T20:01:07Z")
After you free your CD, I suggest you throw your CD player away and install a new one. IME, once your CD player starts getting liberal about how long to keep your CDs, there’s no convincing it that you’re the boss. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486/4 "2008-03-15T20:08:01Z")
First, you take a screwdriver with a thin, but flat, blade. Stick it in the opening between the tray and the faceplace and twist. After the front breaks off, take some pliers and pull out the tray or tear it enough you can reach in to get the disc. Then junk the player and get a new one. If it did this once, it will do it again, as **Hostile Dialect** says, so it’s not worth saving. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486/5 "2008-03-15T21:56:22Z")
Step 1: Disconnect the player from the power supply and let it sit at least a half hour. Plug back in and try again. Step 2: There’s some general info spread throughout the S.E.R faq. [Here’s a section](http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/cdfaq.htm#cdcdchjse) that mentions some tips for resetting some car players. ---
**Author:** ![hekk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@hekk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hekk)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486/6 "2008-03-16T04:54:33Z")
[QUOTE=Musicat] First, you take a screwdriver with a thin, but flat, blade. Stick it in the opening between the tray and the faceplace and twist. After the front breaks off, take some pliers and pull out the tray or tear it enough you can reach in to get the disc. Then junk the player and get a new one. If it did this once, it will do it again, as **Hostile Dialect** says, so it’s not worth saving. [/QUOTE] I don’t think that there is a tray in a car CD player. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486/7 "2008-03-16T12:40:11Z")
[QUOTE=hekk] I don’t think that there is a tray in a car CD player. [/QUOTE] Probably so; I was thinking of a desktop computer, where this tactic has proved useful. Still, there must be some way of destroying it in a satisfying way. ---
**Author:** ![SharkB8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@SharkB8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SharkB8)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486/8 "2008-03-16T13:03:10Z")
This happened to my '06 Wrangler, but I had a 6-disc magazine and they were all stuck. I took it to a Jeep dealer and they replaced the CD player, and a couple of weeks later, they mailed back all 6 CDs that were in the magazine, in the same condition. It didn’t cost me anything since it was under warranty. Otherwise it probably costs as much as buying the new factory radio and a little labor. Lousy American factory parts! ---
**Author:** ![bufftabby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bufftabby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bufftabby)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486/9 "2008-03-17T02:54:47Z")
I’ve got a cd player that likes to keep CDs in it. I take a CD I don’t care about and I press the eject button as I wiggle the CD up and down in there. Works every time. ---
**Author:** ![RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RancidYakButterTeaParty)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486/10 "2008-03-17T14:55:40Z")
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. This is the stock version of the CD player–so I’m not sure about any type of removal of the player itself–at least not by me. I haven’t had a chance to get it out yet–but I’ll check back in with the results soon. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486/11 "2008-03-17T15:08:43Z")
There will almost certainly be a pin-hole for manual CD ejection on there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486/12 "2008-03-17T15:32:36Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] There will almost certainly be a pin-hole for manual CD ejection on there somewhere. [/QUOTE] Yep, I had a CD stuck and I pushed a looooong thin needle in the hole and cleared it ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486/13 "2008-03-17T15:34:20Z")
I see GM’s stock CD players haven’t improved much since my experience with my CD player in my 98 Pontiac Sunfire. I got an after-market one after the third one from GM crapped out on me. I was still in grad school when I got the after-market CD player, so it would have been within two years of buying the car. ---
**Author:** ![RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RancidYakButterTeaParty)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486/14 "2008-03-17T22:38:00Z")
Alright, there is no pin-hole for manual ejection. I don’t have to remove the face to get to that do I? I tried sliding another CD in there as well and hitting the eject button–but I get the same old message “No Disc”. I’m guessing it might be time to just remove the whole thing and get another player? I can always get another CD of course. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486/15 "2008-03-18T03:29:09Z")
Be happy, for **RNATB** hath solved thy problem, and yea made delicious cookies also. Your antitheft device has decided that you disconnected the battery or did something else suspicious. The below are quotes from another MB that I won’t link to because the mods frowny face at that or something: \*\*Q: \*\* > [@](#): > > I bought a 2004 Malibu and one day my cd player stopped working and now says lock, although i did nothing to it… It has my fav. cd stuck in it but when i press eject is says no disc… HOw can I get this fixed without having to buy a new cd player or taking it to the dealer and spending 80 bucks? Someone please help me **A:** > [@](#): > > If your GM radio/stereo won’t play after you disconnect the battery then the Theftlock is enabled. > To remove the Theftlock you have to remove the code in the following manner. > (1) Go to your car and insert the key to the ON position (not run). When the radio turns on, press and hold #2 and #3 buttons. After about 10 seconds, three digits will appear on the screen. > Write these down. > (2) After you have the first three digits, press and release the AM/FM button. Another set of digits will appear on the screen. > Write these down. > (3) With your new found 6 digit code, go to the telephone and call 1-800-537-5140. It an electronic answering machine. Once the guy finishes talking, press 202108, followed by the _asterisk_ button (not pound) > (4) He will tell you to enter in your 4 or 6 digit code, followed by the _asterisk_ again. > So, type in the numbers you got from your radio, and hit _asterisk_ > (5) He will then tell you your 4 digit UNLOCK code. > Write it down. > Now go to your car, press and release the “HR” (hour) button until it flashes, then enter in the first 2 digits of your 4 digit code. > Next press press the MIN (minute) button and enter the last 2 digits. > FOR EXAMPLE: If my code was “1848” I would press the HR button 18 times and the MIN button 48 times. > When you are done press AM/FM. The radio is now unlocked. > To turn off the Theftlock so you don’t have to repeat this process the next time you have a power loss, just repeat the last step ---- Pressing HR and MIN to re-enter the code. When its done hit AM/FM, a blank set of 3 hyphens (“—”) will appear on the screen. > You have disabled Theftlock. > I hope you can follow all this—Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RancidYakButterTeaParty)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486/16 "2008-03-18T12:23:42Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] Be happy, for **RNATB** hath solved thy problem, and yea made delicious cookies also. Your antitheft device has decided that you disconnected the battery or did something else suspicious. [/QUOTE] You are the man! Thanks so much for the solution, and I hope those cookies are the best you’ve ever had. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-stuck-in-car-stereo/441486/17 "2008-03-18T13:20:00Z")
[QUOTE=RancidYakButterTeaParty] You are the man! Thanks so much for the solution, and I hope those cookies are the best you’ve ever had. [/QUOTE] I take it that means it worked? You’re very welcome.