Alright so i still have the stock CD changer in the 740iL. Not to long ago it started to skip really bad, give me CD ERROR messages and would freeze up when i would skip tracks. I finally decided I had three options
1) Leave it as it is and deal with it
2) Scrap my stock tape player and put in an aftermarket
3) Try and fix it myself
As you would guess i did the third one (Sorry i did not take pics)
Materials:
1) 2 Philips screwrrivers one medium size one small size
2) Rubbing Alcohol
3) Cotton Swabs
4) Responsibility for your actions as this is a DIY Solution.
Alright step by step
1) Remove the cd magazine. Remove the trim panel that surrounds the CD Changer and Amp. There are two (push pins/locks). To remove them hold the back side of them and just screw it off.
2) Remove the four screws mounting the changer to the brackets. Two in the front and two in the left side.
3) Carefully pull the changer out and disconnect the three wires coming out of it.
4) Alright there are 8-10 black screws that secure a cover onto the changer remove all of them. They are on the left right and back side.
5) Lift the cover off from all sides DO NOT try and lift from front to back or you will bend the back piece out of place. Once removed set it aside.
6) Delicate Part Here: From the back lift the assembly out so that the previously exposed side is face down.
7) Now you should see the laser and the gear mechanism that moves it in and out. There is a little silver bar that it moves on. On each side there is a small screw and bracket that hold it down (You might want to manually wheel out the assembly so its easier to remove and later replace). Remove on of these in order to lift out the laser assembly (Dont completely remove the braket leave it in there a little bit so putting the bar back in is easier.
8) Carefully lift the laser assembly out and clean the laser head and area around it with the alcohol and cotton swabs. Chances are it was pretty dirty with dust and what not,(mine was) you might also want to get a can of compressed air to blow out any more dust.
9) Notice that the bottom of the laser assembly has a gap and the piece of metal beneath it has to fit in there for smooth operation and to keep the laser in position.
10) Put the laser assembly rod under the bracket and tighten down the clamp.
11) Flip the assembly back in the changer case. And put all the black screws back. It may take a little while because you have to get the hole in the cd changer aligned woth the holes in the case. Be sure the ejection button and assembly are locked in properly. Tighten all down.
12) To put the changer back in the bracket put in the mounting screw that goes in on the top left side and slide it and. After that put the remaining three in and replace the trim panel.
13) Replace the magazine and go for a test drive.
This worked for me i tested all my discs and workder like a charm no CD ERROR messages or freezing up on me. Now I can rock out to all my CD's.
GOOD LUCK
also on almost ALL cd or dvd drives the laser has a potentiometer on it. its an adjustable resistor basically and it limits the amount of power your laser uses to read to the last layer. if you turn this up a bit it will read a lot better
Tried the above, I now have an aftermarket system. Since the build date was back in 94 and prev owner loved to jump start it was mostly fried, which is why my car now has new battery, alternator, IKE, DME, and GM
1995 740iA. Dinan DME. Kenwood Exelon system. Kicker Competition subs. DSP bypass. Servotronic bypass. ASA JH9 18" Wheels. Cherry Bomb exhaust. Resonator delete. 99-01 Euro crystal tailights. Xenon angel eye headlights w/ mild facelift. Kidney grills.
good info...
Random Sig below (refresh to see new image)
Damn I need to try this, I have put 2 in my car in the last year. They were used off ebay and worked great for about 4 months.
Yea i heard about adjusting the potentiometer and i also heard the risk of burning out the laser. Instead i decided to clan the laser and if that didn't work then i would go about adjusting the potentiometer as a last resort. Since cleaning the laser worked i decided to leave it as is, if it isn't broken don't fix it.
i take it that youve already tried the $12 cd "cleaner discs" that they sell to clean the laser for dvd players and whatnot. I used one on my 6 disc changer in my volvo and now it works great! a cheaper and easier step to tearing the whole unit apart
just my 2 cents- Patrick
The cleaning discs wouldn't play in my car to try to clean the laser. I am trying this right now, if it doesn't work I just have ANOTHER broken changer. Updates in a few.
I actually didn't try the cleaner discs that and i havent seen any that i can recall being sold anywhere around here, but i have seen the tape cleaners for tape decks. I've only seen the systems that clean CDs and DVDs.
Update: I have another broken cd changer..... it didn't work for me. But from your description OP I think I have a different changer.
excellent thread. thanks alot op, ill need to try this. I hate my 6disc changer...hints the cd43 player
MODS:18' Chrome M-Pars, 6000k Xenon Lowbeams and Chromelined Headlights, 01 Tails, Clear Corners and Side Markers, Boston G2 Sub and Gt22 Amp, Dinan CAI, 20% Tint, Hardwired Passport 8500i X50 Radar, Predator Chromium DDE Angel Eyes, Tri Stitched M5 Sport Steering Wheel, MKII Navigation Retrofit, Einbach Prokit Springs, Quad Brake Light Mod, Dice MB 1500, Powder Coated Valve Covers
you are worried about burning the laser out? I have been modding xbox since way back and the potentiometer is the only thing that will bring a limping drive back to life. it is very rare that the laser is dirty enough to not play(not saying it is not a problem) it is more likely that the changer is just old. the changer(any dvd or cd player) will build up internal resistance ...making the laser less powerful. Use a multimeter and check the resistance across the potentiometer. if it were say 1200 ohms or something, you could safely take it to say 900 ohms. The manufacturers make the laser just powerful enough to work. they make a much better ability to read than used. this will give you a MUCH better result that simply wiping off the laser. also under the laser is a angled mirror...that being dirty is more of a problem thean the actual laser face. I have yet to tear into my girls 530i and fix the changer, but when I do, I will take pics of the whole thing and my results of the "pot tweak" as its called.
mines working great now...i took a picture of the potentiometer to adjust....dont even need to take the laser out to do it. although you may want to if the inside of changer is dusty at all. even with the dust inside, the laser is facing down, so its pretty hard for dust to settle on it. once i have enough posts i will post the picture with photobucket.
OP do you have any pics?
I finally can post pics now so here is the potentiometer that needs adjusted. I cant remember if its clockwise (it's counterclockwise) or not, but you can check it with an ohm meter. just put one lead on the left bottom contact of the pot and one lead on the right contact of the pot. you will want to decrease the resistance in the pot, so the number of ohms on the meter will have to drop a bit. do this little by little, testing it several times to see improvement. adjust it as little as possible to make the player read well again. this process can be done to the unit several times down the road also. thats why its better to adjust little by little. once you have 0 resistance in the pot...there is no more adjustment and the player is then in need of a new laser unit. I have done this method to many dvd and cd devices over the years and it works.
Last edited by Mayorchuck; 04-18-2015 at 12:17 PM.
WOW, It actually worked!!! Can't believe it, my cd player used to skip so badly, sometimes it would just give "cd error"s. Now after playing with the potentiometer it works like new now, doesnt skip at all!!(Its set at about 1k ohms) I was about to buy another cd player too. This is so awesome. Thank You, disabledfuture you da man! I think you should put this on e38.org
maybe i should try that tonite, anyone got a i bus wire though?
MODS:18' Chrome M-Pars, 6000k Xenon Lowbeams and Chromelined Headlights, 01 Tails, Clear Corners and Side Markers, Boston G2 Sub and Gt22 Amp, Dinan CAI, 20% Tint, Hardwired Passport 8500i X50 Radar, Predator Chromium DDE Angel Eyes, Tri Stitched M5 Sport Steering Wheel, MKII Navigation Retrofit, Einbach Prokit Springs, Quad Brake Light Mod, Dice MB 1500, Powder Coated Valve Covers
Im def trying this. My cd player gave up on me about a month ago.
COOL! Im glad someone took my noob advise and tried it....whats the worst that can happen...it still not work? The pot tweak is a very easy to do mod on most ANY cd or dvd playing device....xbox...playstation, home theater dvd players...they are all made the same basically.
Great info I will see to it that it ends up on E38.org
Have a technical question, don't send me a PM but post it on the board so others can benefit from it!
Thanks for the write-up disabledfuture.
2001 740iL BI-XENON 3" Projectors LED AE's. Clear corners. EuroDyne tails. Bilstien S&S / H&R Stage 2 springs. Widescreen/Mark4 DVD. Escort 9500ci Radar/Laser.Beyern 19" Multi's staggered.
I took mine apart and cleaned the laser but still getting CD error. I just am not sure about going any further. Need some help here please.
2000 740IL
Midnight Blue ext.
Montana Tobacco Brown int.
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