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error 3 cd changer

163K views 10 replies 11 participants last post by  Coachvtennis.com 
#1 ·
Hi, My name is Joyce. I have had my 2007 Toyota Corolla for several years now and am loving it. I haven't had any problems with it except the cd changer. About 4 months ago I put a cd in the changer and error 3 popped up. I could not eject the cd nor play the cd. Now I have 5 cd's in my cd player and can't play them or get them out. Any suggestions?
 
#3 ·
You need a new headunit (unless you never want to use CD's again).

You can try pulling the radio fuse for several minutes (or just disconnect the positive battery cable) and trying to see if it resets, but error 3 means the changer mechanism is jammed. VERY common issue on 2 of the 3 brands Toyota used for the headunits in these cars.

Sometimes you can take the unit apart and get your CD's out, but many times they get too damaged in the process.

You can get a replacement OEM headunit, but that will be overly expensive and it will likely just jam on you too in due time. Your best bet is to get an aftermarket headunit, mounting kit, and wiring harness. You will get a much better radio, the ability to play MP3 CD's, and usually an auxiliary input. Some also have a USB port to just plug in a flash drive with your music on it.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I have had that same exact problem on my 2005 before. My recommendation is to just drive it on a bumpy road, pressing the eject button every so often. The vibrations from the road may dislodge the CD. If this does not work then just get a used radio from ebay, i prefer the A56821 model since it has a tape deck.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I had the dreaded "Error 3" with my 6 disc OEM radio unit (back in 2008) in my 05 Corolla LE. For me, I was able to get the disc to eject by sliding in an old credit card into the slot and working the tray up or down until it kicked in while pressing the Eject button. May take a few minutes of fiddling with the card to get the interior tray to move into its normal position to either play or eject the disc. If the CD is not fully in the CD tray you have be able to use the old credit card to push the disc in so it fully seats in the CD tray, then try and eject the CD. I think I may have had to turn the radio/cd changer on and off once or twice to clear the error before I could get the player to eject the CD after using the credit card method. My CD player's worked just fine since then, and plays other CD's (even when loaded with six disc's) without issue.

I only had the dreaded Error 3 on one CD, turned out the disc was slightly thicker than the rest of my CD's (I use CD-R's, not original CD) that were in my 6 disc changer.

Others have suggested removing the entire radio/CD unit and remove the top cover of the radio to see if you can dislodge the stuck disc that way. Once the stuck CD is dislodged you should be able to reassemble the radio/cd deck back into the dash and eject the rest of the CD's in the disc changer.
 
#6 ·
I’ve had my Matrix ‘05 for 14 years. Yesterday I got the ‘error 3’ code & the changer was making no noises; no CD movement or shuffling was going on. After reading through the suggestions above, I decided to watch YouTube videos on how to remove the cd changer from the car, which was fairly easy, just needed the right tool to remove 4 screws, & then easily unclip 5 different cable/plugs. Once I had the unit removed, I opted to take the top/lid off that lies directly over the CDs (horizontal top piece) which only required removing 2 small screws (next to words that said ‘Open’) and then it pretty easily popped off, with some careful gentle prying. The 6 CDs sit on a white hollow post, & sure enough the top CD was just sitting in space off this post, and I gently slid it back on. Put the lid back on, rehooked everything & it’s back to normal! I loved laughing from the idea of driving down a bumpy road to try to fix this, as also suggested above; i’ve been down a few in my life, & would not be surprised if this indeed could also fix this issue. Good luck!
 
#7 ·
So, never took the cd player apart, but seems easy enough to do and I may have to try that if I have problems again...anyways error 3, but I could hear discs moving around they would change, just never play. Obviously can't use lens cleaner if won't play, tried blowing pressurized air, leaving battery unhooked for 12 hours. What is crazy is it would eject discs, I could put in new discs, it would select the discs, change discs, but not play...just kept putting in and taking out, changing discs...and then decided to beat on the dash while changing discs...and that did the trick, now it plays discs 1-6 no problems! Just puttin' it out there for you to try if you got problems....worked for me!
 
#8 ·
you may be able to fix it by opening up the head unit... but I'd just replace it with an aftermarket unit.... Or just never use CD's again.
I've had great luck with this bluetooth to FM adapter in my car.... use it with your phone and any app you want. Sound quality is actually really good, just make sure you don't turn the volume all the way up on the bluetooth adapter, turn the volume to the max on your phone, somewhere in the middle to 75% for the bluetooth adapter, and use the volume control on your head unit to fine tune.
 
#10 ·
I realize this is an old thread, but perhaps my experience can help others that experience the dreaded error 3. My Matrix is 17 y.o. and the 6-CD audio system has been intermittent for several years. Today it finally gave up the ghost and tried to take three CDs along to the grave. However, I removed it, carefully disassembled the unit (30 or 40 small screws), and exhumed the three CDs with no scratches. Time to replace with a more modern unit...besides, the sound quality was less than stellar and it didn't even have an aux port!

Hopefully this experience helps others with error 3.
 
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