Hey all-
I am having a problem with my 6 CD changer in my 04 Mazda 3S- The FM radio works fine, but when I load a CD, it won't play. It just says "CD" on the screen, and then shuts off. Again- I can load and eject the CDs fine, but they won't play. I tried inserting a laser cleaning CD thinking it might do something, but nothing is working. Any suggestions? I am really hoping the whole HU does not need to be replaced since Madza is out of their minds wanting $600 to replace.

 

I'm guessing that your car is no longer under warranty at this point, yes? Have you tried using different CD's at all? Are you using CD-R's? Will it eject all of the CD's and let you load them, but just not play?

 

HI! That's right! My warranty just ran out about 10K miles ago. I have tried using a variety of CDs, both CDRs and purchased albums. I can freely eject and and load with problems. I have ejected all 6 CDs and reloaded the same ones, different ones, and still- the same thing. Just says "CD" and turns off. Any ideas as to whether the existing player can be fixed?

 

Oops- that was supposed to be- I can eject and load with no problems, not "with problems", sorry !

 

Hmm, like you said it sounds like it's not the media, just the player itself. Funny, most people who have problems with the changers are from it jamming and getting stuck.

My suggestion is to look around in the buy/sell sections of some of the mazda forums and see what you can find. The 6CD changer runs around $400ish from the dealer (don't know where they got $600 from) but I've seen them as low as $50 used online. You can use one from a '04 or '05 model, however they changed the wiring harness in '06 to have a separate plug for the LCD so while an '06 or newer unit would work, nothing would be displayed.

 

I've seen the single players, like mine, for $50-$100. There is currently one on eBay for $100 (so they say, but I've seen some wrong listing there too,) and that's what I've been seeing on the low side of the changers. $200+ is more common.
$525 is the new price from Mazda.... I checked. It's the same price for all years, though the part #'s are different.
http://accessories.mazdausa.com/comm...ehicleCode=M3H

 

If I was in this situation, I would invest my dollars inone of the betterIPOD (or MP3) integration options. CDs are already on the wane. In a couple years, they'll be thought of like cassettes.

You can talk about buying the player cheap, but unless you are technically skilled enough to install it yourself, with installation, replacing your unit will cost you hundreds of dollars in total.

I'm a recent discoverer of MP3 technology, and I have to say, I am slowly using my MP3 player more and more, and playing CDs less and less.

 

While I take your point, replacing the HU in this car is a matter of five tension clips and two phillips head screws. It's a job of about 5 minutes.

 

Thank you for allof your help everyone! I am losing my mind without my player working in my car for my morning commute! ICSPOTS-

Do you know of any good sites to use as a guide to replace the player? I installed my own player in my old protege, but I have no idea aboutwhere to start with theMadza 3. I am going tobrowse ebay tonight and see whatI can find for theHU.

Thanks!

 

Check out THIS walkthrough. The only thing I'd change about that is how the dash strip is removed. It has four (or five) tension clips holding it in, and one hook. The hook is on the far right, one clip is to the left of the LCD, and the rest are between the LCD and the hook. Some people have broken the hook by pulling the whole strip straight backwards so here's my suggestion. Open the glove compt., place your right hand on the far right of the strip and hold it semi-firmly against the dash. Grab the bottom of the strip on the far left of the glove copmt. and pull backwards until the clips release. Once you've release the ones betwen the LCD and the hook then gently flex the strip to release the hook. Then you just pull the last one (on the left) loose and you're done.

Is that what you were looking for?