CD player won't accept disc

[Kachup]

'97 Dodge Grand Caravan SE

Just bought this van used a week ago, and I love everything about it! This was a one-owner van, only 40K miles on it, runs like a dream!

Anyhow, one problem...trying out the CD player (it is a slot-load), the first CD we tried got sucked in and played as normal. A day later, we ejected the CD, went to put another in, and it wouldn't "grab" onto it. All we got was "error" on the display, but no specific code. Tried putting the original CD in we had tried the first day (which had played fine), and now it wouldn't grab it either. Any ideas? Tried turning off the system, back on again, no good. The CD is a commercially produced one...tried others as well. This stereo has the slot-load CD, cass. player, AM/FM, toggle for speaker balance, and the three-slider equalizer.

Anyone have any bright ideas, before I have to take this in to the dealer? I'm assuming they would have disclosed something to us in advance if it was a known problem from the prev. owner.

Thanks in advance...

:help:

[McClane]

I would try pressing eject, the player may still think it has a cd in it.

If worse comes to worse and you need to replace the CD player, you can get an aftermarket one or if you want the OEM look, eBay has lots of mopar CD players.

[joevega]

I have the same problem on my '97 Grand Caravan LE. The first time I suffered through it, the van had 39K miles. I lived with it until one time it accepted a CD at about 48K. Worked untill 70K, then quit accepting the CD's. I just accepted not having a CD player until on one trip, at about 90K, I fed a CD to it and it took the CD right in. Worked again for about two months and then quit. The last time it didn't take, I pushed the "power" and the "CD" panel buttons simultaneously and it pulled the CD in. But that didn't last long, the next time I ejected the CD, it quit pulling them in. This was around 8 months ago and occasionally I'll test it out by offering a CD, but it's still not working. Just thought you would like to know others have the same problem. I decided tonight to research a fix to this problem and that's how I came across your thread. If you come across a home fix-it solution, let me know.

[Kachup]

Thanks for the replies on this thread. It is good to know that I'm not the only one having this problem. As of yesterday, the CD player is now working. It came about from an unrelated incident.

I had read on other websites about possibly cutting power to the stereo then reconnecting, and this would sometimes "reset" the CD player. I was thinking about doing this, then yesterday my wife and I took the Caravan to be e-checked (here in Ohio) for emissions testing. As part of that test, they connect a diagnostic cable under the dash to read the codes as the test happens. We believe that this reset the electronics somehow, because on the way home, the CD player started working as it should. All funtions seem to be fine at the moment. I'll report if it happens to go bad again.

I don't know if taking it to a garage to have it hooked up to a diagnostic testing machine would do the trick, but I do think that resetting the electronics package this way may help.

~Kachup
Dayton, OH