Searched on this forum and there's plenty about the sticking or jammimg CD cartridge and how to remove the player from the glovebox.
However my problem with my Alpine player was that the cartridge would eject - but it would not play and kept reading "No CD". I could hear it clicking and trying to read the CDs but to no avail. I tried a spare working cartridge - still no good. I searched the forums and found 4 other posts with apparently the same problem - and "helpful" advice about the sticking cartridge or even spraying the innards with WD40 - but no-one appeared to report that they had solved the problem.
Firstly, anyone with a CD player problem is advised to remove it, take off the top casing, then reconnect in the footwell of the car with the innards open for inspection. (Naturally, BEWARE THE EXPOSED LASER). Watching what is or isn't happening can be very revealing.
It showed that the machine was trying to read each CD by rising up and down the cartridge CD by CD - but couldn't pull the CDs across to the player.
The big cog (Photo 4) which is revealed when the lid is off can usually be turned by hand (eg to release a sticking cartridge) but mine had seized solid. And the car has done only 27k... .
THE FAULT - was simply a drive cog (its on the end of the spindle that meshes with the big cog in Photo 4) that was not meshing with its worm drive (see Photo 8 - sorry the photo is taken after the problem has been rectified - note there is plenty of lubricant around the mechhanism too!). To check this drive cog on the other side (underneath) of the player meant releasing if from the chassis by removing the floating suspension rubber bungs
The worm had somehow risen on top of the cog it was supposed to be meshing with - and just would not budge. You'd think any vibration would have made it reseat properly (but no) - all it took to rectify was a slight nudge with the tip of a screwdriver and heypresto - all working as it should. I have to say that both son and I thought the motor "B" had packed up - until his sharp eyes spotted what might just be a fault that others have experienced?
Push out the gel/rubber bungs and disconnect the springs - watch out as this can fly away - moving it first to the position shown below reduces a lot of the tension. (Long nosed pliers are useful for reconnecting).
