If you have a CD stuck in your car’s CD player, don’t panic: a quick DIY fix can probably get it out.
One of the most annoying things that can happen to your vehicle is a CD getting stuck in the car's CD player. Not only does this prevent you from being able to listen to that particular CD, but it keeps you from being able to listen to any CD. It goes without saying that this is a major bummer.
It doesn't need to be hard to fix though, and it doesn't even need to involve a mechanic. So read on, car super-app Jerry
is here to show you how to get out a CD stuck in your car's stereo, so you can get back to your favorite tunes. Check the owner’s manual
Before doing anything drastic, check the audio system portion of your owner’s manual. There may be information there about how to remove a stuck CD from the car's CD player. Read through the section thoroughly, and try any tips that it suggests.
If you can't find your owner manual
or it doesn't have the answer you're looking for, there are still several steps you can take to get your CD unstuck from your car's stereo. Hold the power and eject buttons simultaneously
Most car audio systems have a reset feature of sorts for their CD drive. Start by turning your car on, and then turning it off.
With the car off, hold the stereo power button and the eject button simultaneously for at least 10 seconds. If that doesn’t work, turn the car back on, and try the same thing with the vehicle running.
Smack the audio system
You’ve surely seen people try to fix their electronics in the movies by hitting them. While it’s not recommended that you do this too hard, there’s something to it. Hitting the sound system can jostle things about and loosen up any parts that are stuck.
Try hitting or slapping the audio system hard enough that it will jolt it, but not so hard that you risk breaking anything.
Perform an electrical reset
If the CD is still stuck, it’s time to try an electrical reset. An electrical reset is just what it sounds like: it resets the electrical components of the vehicle, which means that if your CD is stuck because of an electrical problem, then a reset should fix everything.
To perform an electrical reset, simply turn the car off, disconnect the negative terminal on the vehicle’s battery, wait 10 seconds, and then reconnect.
An electrical reset will delete all of the information stored in your audio system, like any radio presets. So write down your favorite stations
before trying this method!
Use another CD as a wedge
If none of the prior steps worked, it’s time to try and force the CD out. To do this, you can use another, second CD to act as a wedge for the original CD. Find a CD you don’t care about, as it may get scratched, and see if you can insert it into the CD drive.
While holding onto the CD, press the eject button, and see if the stuck CD will come out. If not, try inserting the second CD all the way in, on top of the stuck CD, and then pressing eject.
Use a credit card to pry out the CD
If the previous method doesn’t work, you can try to pry the CD out with a credit card. Wrap one end of your credit card in painter’s tape or duct tape so you don’t damage anything. Then stick a corner in and use it to try and pry the old CD out.
As you do this, occasionally press the eject button to see if that will help push the stuck CD out of the slot. If you don't have a credit card handy or are worried about putting wear and tear on it, you can also use a popsicle stick. Wooden popsicle sticks are ideal because they don't conduct electricity.
Turn off your car to make sure that you're not conducting electricity with this method.
Having a stuck CD in your car’s stereo system can be a nuisance, but it doesn’t need to be a big deal. Don't be afraid that you'll be stuck listening to the same music over and over until you sell your car! Try these tips, and hopefully one of them will work so you can get back to listening to whatever you want.
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