The older blazon of CD Changers fitted to vehicles that are ten to xv years young, if still in situ, are running on borrowed fourth dimension. Complex electromechanical systems and solid state LASERs don't take an space life and frequently replacing the unit with a more modern radio/cd or MP3 actor is the best selection.  However for those of the states with older integrated COMAND systems that use a dedicated cut out in the nuance, it is non always practical to alter the caput unit to a more modernistic type without huge expense and if we want to play CDs the remote changer has to work equally the slot upwards forepart is for the NAV disc but.

Mercedes Benz CD Changer Repair Work-around 8

So what do nosotros practise and so…  The pick is to source a used unit from a bit car or breaker but it is near probably from the same era and volition most probable exist well on its way to end of life.  So if y'all have an issue of 'Magazine Empty' or a badly skipping CD changer then there is a couple of last things to try earlier lifting the lid on the recycling bin and dropping it in!

As the Laser ages it becomes less powerful, rather like a halogen bulb that yellows and gives off a degraded level of illumination to that it did when new.  What nosotros can do is increment the current to the laser slightly to lift its light output to compensate for its ageing and hopefully put the player back into service for a while longer. (delight note that by increasing the LASER current over the specified factory set up optimum, will have the effect of shortening its life, but my view is – if the player does not work correctly now considering of a poorly performing aged Laser reader, then it clearly can but actually be fixed past replacing it – a cost choice that usually outweighs the buy of a consummate replacement player.)

Mercedes Benz CD Changer Repair Work-around 7

Manifestly it goes without saying that it may but be dirt that is hampering the role of the CD role player and in a few cases cleaning of the Laser lens volition rectify the problem. This is the affair to endeavor beginning before making any electrical aligning. You lot can employ one of the specialist cleaning CDs you can buy with a fine brush fastened to the playing surface.  As this is drawn into the disc changer and played, the fine brushes gently sweep dirt and dust particles from the lens at very high speed.  More stubborn dirt will have to be removed with the fragile use of a cotton bud and surgical booze.

Mercedes Benz CD Changer Repair Work-around 6

Assuming that you wish to go on with trying to breathe a new lease of life into your old disc changer, and that you are not besides bothered by the hazard of failure – and so read on.

Eject the CD cartridge from the mechanism, disconnect the cables and orange DB2 fibre connection removing the player from its bracket in the car.  Working on a table or bench, unscrew the iv cross-head screws from the sides and 3 from the back of the unit case, two of these concord the fibre convertor.  This then slots off sideways and the orange ribbon can be disconnected from the PCB connector past simply sliding out the white plastic anchor section nearly 2mm, releasing the foil from the PCB.  Now completely elevator off the cover.

Mercedes Benz CD Changer Repair Work-around 5

Unhook the leap loading mechanism from each side of the unit, noting the position of the levers before doing and so. These are set depending on your thespian installation – either Horizontal or Vertical.  Now pull off the iv 'gel' daze dampers from the retaining spikes on the inner chassis (ii on each side) and undo a single retaining philips screw on the connecting orange foil assembly.  The inner chassis should now pull costless from the base of operations section.

Mercedes Benz CD Changer Repair Work-around 3

Place the laser saddle and turn the lead-screw cogs with your finger to bulldoze the LASER to the outer edge of the chassis, once in position turn over the thespian and you should be able to encounter the floating lens associates through a gap in the machinery top plate, there is plenty room here to slide in a cotton bud and lightly brush the lens clean.  Use alcohol if any deposits are stubborn or hard to remove, dry thoroughly and polish off any residue lightly with a dry cotton bud.  Y'all may wish to try the thespian to gauge any improvement at this bespeak, before moving on to the 'last stand' of adjusting the LASER current to become that final bit of life out of the thespian.

Mercedes Benz CD Changer Repair Work-around 2

Go back to the lead-screw and run the Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation to its most inwards position in the chassis so wait on the revealed vertical edge of the saddle and you lot should see a small ceramic trimmer or potentiometer, about 3 mm in diameter.  This adjusts the Laser current. On Older wired and DB2 Mercedes and BMW, Alpine and Becker changers – current is increased by rotating this tiny trimmer anti-clockwise.  It only needs to be moved by a modest amount, as a small-scale increment is frequently all that is needed to restore the player to a working country that may final for a good period of time, maybe year or even more depending on your luck!  Remember the Laser is probably problematic anyway due to its age, so past increasing the current you are stressing it beyond its designed limits – but if you win a year or more utilise out of information technology before the inevitable replacement of the changer – whats to lose!  Rotate the trimmer about xxx degrees anticlockwise and rebuild the unit and exam.  More often than not this is all that is needed to get things running once again.

Mercedes Benz CD Changer Repair Work-around 1

If you lot need to apply power to the CD changer while on the bench, dismantle the fibre converter housing and attach 12v DC supply as shown beyond the power diode on the PCB

Practiced luck! Remember this is not a repair, it is hopefully a 'go-out-of-jail card' used to squeeze the possibility of a little more operating fourth dimension from a unit that is eventually going to fail.  Usual disclaimers apply, you exercise this modification totally at your own risk nether the full understanding that it may non piece of work for you and that it could backlash and you end up junking your classic player.