CD Cartridge won't eject

Beemer Guy · 9th February 2011, 14:04

My new (to me) M5 arrived yesterday and I went to put some tunes in the changer, but the magazine won't eject. It has power and I can hear it doing something, but the cartridge stubbornly remains. I seem to recall that when new, these things came with a plastic card for just this situation that you would insert to trigger the release, but I can't seem to find such an animal in my manuals and paperwork (hey, it's a used car). Any suggestions on how to get this thing to come out, short of taking the whole thing apart (in which case I'd be as likely to break it as fix it)?

Thanks!

Michael

RichardP · 9th February 2011, 14:19

A gentle, or not so gentle, whack on the side furthest from the magazine door just as you press the eject button will often do the trick. However this is a good sign that the changer mechanism is on it's way out, so even if you get it out you may find it just says NO DISCS or NO MAGAZINE when you put your CD's in.

Alpine2002 · 9th February 2011, 16:10

I have been slapping/punching the side of mine for about a year now and it starts working every time. I do frequent the Dice/Intravee discussions often.

jgfabs · 9th February 2011, 16:39

Probably just a disc not returned back into the cartridge case.Do as Richard suggests first off or if this fails I have used a pair of long nose pliers to reach in and assist the disc carrier back .Not ideal....but it might allow you to retrieve your discs,and then buy a replacement disc carrier maybe!!!

KGB_SSSR · 9th February 2011, 17:12

There is no great problem.
One CD disk fall out its place in cartridge. You need to get the changer of the car, take of its cover and put the disk on the right place.

Beemer Guy · 9th February 2011, 18:49

Hmmmm... since I just bought the car, I made the assumption that there were no disks in there to start with. I suppose the PO could have left one in. I'll try all of your suggestions, thanks!

Redneck M5 · 9th February 2011, 22:19

My M5 is completely stock except of an iPod adapter and a Bluetooth phone system.

I got fed up with taking my CD Changer out, shaking it around and putting it back in. The last time I took it out, I beat it with a hammer.

AMP · 10th February 2011, 02:43

I've never tried this with the newer style Alpine changers, but the older ones (mid 90s) had a manual release for the magazine. Take a piece of heavy cardstock and cut it to be about 2/3 the width of the magazine and about 6 inches long. Insert it into the space between the magazine bottom of the magazine and the changer. About 2 - 3 inches in you'll hit a little resistance... keep pushing and you should release the tab that holds the magazine. There's a little tab inside the changer that locks into the recessed square on the bottom of the magazine. This is what you are releasing.

The older Alpines didn't have trays that slid out and held the discs so if one of the trays on your changer is partially out I don't know if this will work.

Beemer Guy · 10th February 2011, 03:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redneck M5

The last time I took it out, I beat it with a hammer.

Did that fix it?

M55555 · 10th February 2011, 04:32

I use to also hit it on the side of the unit. When that stopped working, I now hit it from the top, with the magazine door open. A lighter tap of the actual magazine usually gets it running again. Do at your own risk.