Causes & How to Fix Subaru CD Player That Stopped Working

Last updated on July 11th, 2023 at 08:34 pm

What Causes a Car CD Player to Stop working?

It shouldn’t be complicated to fix your Subaru CD player if the Subaru CD player jammed or develops a minor or major technical issues.

It would be beneficial for you to learn how to troubleshoot and fix issues with your car CD player.

If the CD player in your car has lasted for more than seven (7) years before it starts having recurrent issues, then it may be time for you to have it replaced.

Your Subaru CD player can jam or skip while playing due to several causes including misuse, hardware failure, or CD abuse.

These issues can cause your CD to spin without playing, indicating read issues. There are cases where it would be easy to fix minor Subaru CD player issues.

However, in other cases, it may be require replacing some old parts with new ones. The cost of these repairs may even surpass the value of the player.

So, when looking at how to fix car CD player, it is ideal to always start your troubleshooting with essential diagnostics and cleaning before evaluating faults.

How to Fix Subaru CD Player: What Causes a Car CD Player to Stop working?

So here are some of the highlight of this article:

how to fix Subaru cd player
What causes a car CD player to stop working
How much does it cost to fix a car CD player
Why do CD players stop working?
2018 Subaru outback cd player problems and How to Fix a Car CD Player that stopped working
Subaru cd player check disc
Why the Subaru Impreza cd player won’t eject and is stuck the drive

How to Fix Subaru CD Player (Subaru CD Player Jammed)

Clean the CD player

When your Subaru CD player is dirty, it would be impossible for it to function properly most time this might make the Subaru cd player to be jammed or exhibit other symptoms.

A CD player that only spins without playing the CD may point to fault in disc player reading.

This issue can be rectified in most cases by meticulously cleaning the CD player using a soft, microfiber cloth.

You can also remove the tray and clean the sensor and interior parts to get rid of all dust and particles.

Avoid using a microfiber cloth that sheds as doing this can cause particles to get trapped in the CD player, thereby worsening the condition of the CD player.

Also, it would help to make use of an air canister specially made for cleaning electronics to blow out dust and debris.

Check moving parts

In most cases, the mobile parts in a CD player can pack or jam and stop working.

This issue can be rectified by adding a few drops of machine oil to the moving parts to help restore back the usual operations.

If the mobile parts of your CD player are accumulated with dirt and debris, it will cause it to vibrate, squeak, and develop other malfunctions.

Subaru cd player jammed need to be fixed especially if you want to keep enjoying pleasant song while driving.

What Causes a Car CD player to Stop Working?

Basic Troubleshooting on How to Fix a Car CD Player

Prior to opening your CD player for insidious repairs, it would be ideal to try some basic troubleshooting to figure out how to fix a car CD player.

Troubleshooting volume or sound quality. If the fault is sound related, then it means the speakers may be faulty and not necessarily the main unit of your audio system. Try to take away the speaker covers in your car and remove all dirt. Test out the electrical connections to ensure they are all okay.

Check connections behind head unit. Another factor that may cause a car CD player to stop working is connections behind the head unit. Ensure you open the dashboard to access the system unit. For additional directions, you can consult your owner’s manual. If you still not able to fix it with the auto repair manual for your car. Make certain that all speaker connections are sound.

When CD shows blank. If your CD indicates blank when you insert it, check it properly to ensure you didn’t insert it upside down. This will cause the CD player to behave as if it isn’t functional.
When music skips or stops completely. Dirty CD or damaged tracks on disc can cause music to stop or skip. It is ideal to first test out some new CDs to check if error still persists before concluding that the fault is with the player. If it doesn’t, then the problem is with the disc and it will require fixing either by cleaning or repairing the disc.

Advanced Troubleshooting

Advanced troubleshooting becomes necessary if you have exhausted every possible avenue in rectifying the car CD player fault with minor troubleshooting.

The advanced troubleshooting to fix a car CD player is mostly employed by electronics technician.

However, you may need the following tips for advanced troubleshooting of a car CD player.

Faults with CD Door

There are cases where the door of your CD player jams or gets stuck. You can troubleshoot this by:

Unfasten the bottom of the player. Also remove the optical deck using thejeweler’s screwdrivers. Inspect the drawer mechanism for slack or broken parts. Examine the belt to ensure it is still okay.
Check all mechanisms to see if there’s any mark or dent and also check the electric motors. Apply silicone grease to mobile parts, particularly if door CD door is noisy.
If the interior is dirty, you can clean it using an air compressor with an air gun attachment or a toothpick, to get rid of grime and dirt.

Skipping Audio

If the issue with your car CD player is that the audio skips or music stops playing, then try the following maintenance tips:

Clean the objective lens and spindle.

Check the lens after cleaning for any scratches. If you find any marks or scratch, then it means it is condemn and needs to be replaced. It may require you buying new CD player.

You can also clean the Q-tip under the lens by lifting it up to some extent and inserting another alcohol-moistened swab beneath and clean off the turning mirror under the lens.

When you are done with cleaning the lens, check if it sticks while moving up and down or it doesn’t remain flat with the deck while being moved around. If this is the case, it means he whole unit may have to be changed due to mechanical fault.

How much does it cost to fix a car CD player

On average the removal of car CD player instructions cost less than $10. And the cost of fixing a car CD player cost about $185 to $300, depending on the make and model of the Subaru vehicle you have.

The cost of factory replacement may cost twice the price. So basically this is estimate of how much it cost to fix a car CD player.

2018 Subaru Outback CD player Problems

There are problems that have been linked to the 2018 Subaru Outback CD player according to the statistics and reliability analysis.

The unit that controls the radio, backup cameras, navigation and Bluetooth can go blank and unresponsive on starting car.

Infotainment screen can go black thereby making radio, navigation system, Bluetooth and rear camera inoperative.

The whole center radio cluster fails to operate.

The radio display head unit fails and the rear back-up camera and warning signals stops functioning.

Radio automatically comes on at very loud volume on starting Subaru Outback. This fault continues and refuses to turn off or adjusted for some time.

Bluetooth erratically disconnect on its own. It can last for some minutes or hours.

Why Subaru Impreza CD Player Won’t Eject

If your Subaru Impreza CD player refuses to eject CD, then it may be caused by any of the factors we have discussed above.

You can employ same troubleshooting steps to fix the issue.

Check your owner’s manual for fuse(s) that reins the CD and the radio. Then disconnect all the related fuses before turning on your ignition to the accessory position.

Clutch down the eject button of your Subaru Impreza CD player for 2 or 3 minutes. The eject button may flash depending on your model.

Conclusion on How to Fix Subaru CD Player That Stopped Working

Fixing your Subaru CD player shouldn’t be much of an issue. You should be able to open your car CD player and fix it if it develops an electronic fault.

If you are unable to fix it, then you can send it to an expert auto technician after you take out the radio.

In some cases, carrying out minor troubleshooting like those we have discussed above should be able to rectify the fault with your Subaru CD player.

Cleaning the dirty parts or replacing the cheap parts should be able to fix any fault.

If the fault is caused by mechanical issues and you are unable to repair it yourself, then it is best to allow a professional handle it.

Take it to auto shop.

Gift Dennis

Hi dear, I am Dennis Gift, an autobody repair technician with over 4 years of experience; and I love everything about fitness and cars and researching and sharing my experience. And this is where I get to do that freely without reservations. So come along with me.