2003 GT 6 Disc Player CD Error

Slapyo

Admin Dude
Feb 8, 2003
1,068
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49
Anaheim, CA
today driving in to work the cd player was fine. just as i arrive to work the cd player stops playing music and starts this clicking noise then the display shows "CD ERROR." i try to switch to a different cd, and i try to eject the cd, nothing but that clicking noise. i searched on here and found that some said to insert a crappy cd half way and sometimes that works. i tried that and it didn't work.

so now i have a problem, i have 6 cd's i can no longer access and the car isn't under warranty. i know ford will charge me an arm and a leg to have them fix it and it would be cheaper for me to get an aftermarket unit. but i like the stock unit, very simple, not flashy, looks like it belongs in the car.

is there anything else i can try to get it to work again. or atleast for the time being get my cd's out of it.
 
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another option i suppose would be a head unit that can have an iphone connected to it. so i don't need to have a 6 cd player. but everything i see is ipod and i called pioneer and they said that it's only for the ipod classic, and not the itouch or iphone. not sure about the other brands.
 
another option i suppose would be a head unit that can have an iphone connected to it. so i don't need to have a 6 cd player. but everything i see is ipod and i called pioneer and they said that it's only for the ipod classic, and not the itouch or iphone. not sure about the other brands.

if the ipod has a standard headphone jack you should be able to plug it in to most newer receivers.

heres what i replaced mine with. $340 on sale at best buy

jun08001.jpg
 
heh ya, that's my worry is it happening again. i've read too many threads with people having this happen to them, and in some cases more than once in different vehicles. while i'd like to replace it with a stock one it looks like i'm gonna just have to get an aftermarket one.

thanks for all the info.

for those who have installed aftermarket, did you do it yourself or pay to have someone do it? tryin to figure out how difficult it may be.

edit: just looked over in the sound and shine forum. looks like if i take my time and follow some directions it's not hard to replace. let's hope so.
 
I replaced mine myself, but I installed mobile electronics for a living for about 5yrs. Wich system do you have? (Dont remember when they went from Mach 460 to Shaker 1000.) If you have any trouble, post it in sound and i'll do my best to help out!
 
are you using standard cds or burned cds? These things hate burned cds and I tried them and they worked then started screwing up and wouldn't eject. Best thing is to disconnect it and wait a while then hook it back up and try to get them out. I had to use tweezers to get one out then the rest came out on their own.
 
I hate those head units. Back when I still had my Mach 1000 setup, I had burned CDs get stuck on several occasions. The ones I couldn't get out using tweezers, Ford just replaced the whole radio under warranty and mailed me the CDs that were stuck weeks later. When they replaced my last Mach 1000 H/U it worked OK, but I took out the whole system anyway and installed an aftermarket system I had laying around.
 
had the same issue yesterday as 'Slapyo' reported in my 2003 Mustang, which I think is the Mach 460 system... Played a cd fine at lunchtime, I selected to remove a cd which came out.. and when I hit load to put in a different one, got the 'cd error'..... I can get any of the other cd's to play nor get any of them to eject. I noticed some commented to get a new system... the one that did, did you have to replace the speakers too??
 
I replaced the Mach 460 CD changer in my 2003GT 4 years ago with a JVC A/V touch-screen receiver, and used the Metra adapter harness specifically designated for that system. No speakers were replaced. After adjusting the equalizer built into the JVC unit, it sounds essentially identical to before the swap.

The installation wiring diagram is posted here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/lw6zqiy9zv8umot/AV receiver install - 03 Mustang.jpg?dl=1
 
The problem is physical. It's inside the CD changer itself. I have an 6-disk unit that I "rebuilt" by swapping the changer portion out from another 6-disk style radio I got off ebay. Worked perfectly and still sitting on my parts shelf (not for sale).

But IIRC, you'd need to disassemble the radio pretty well to get to the cd changer portion. Not worth it IMHO as it's a common failure. Spent the money on an aftermarket setup