CD Changer not working

[bettsaj]

Hi guys,

I've just bought an A4 Quattro Convertible and everything on the car works fine... It's really been looked after. The only issues I have are the drivers heated seat doesn't work (not a deal breaker), but more concerningly the 6 disc CD  changer in the glove box appears to have no power. For the first time today since owning the car I tried to load a CD into it and it's just dead, it didn't try and load the CD, there's no life when I press any buttons on the front of it, and also the CD Changer icon on the navigation System plus display is greyed out (see picture) which suggests to me it's not seeing the CD changer.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I've read somewhere that the fuse for the changer is part of the radio circuit?? I've also read that there might be a separate code to activate CD changer. I suspect it's possible the previous owner had to change the battery or something and recoded the nav plus system, but not the CD changer??? this is all new to me, so i'm a bit lost.

[bettsaj]

Just realised I posted this in the B6 forum when it should have been posted in the B7 forum... oppps! sorry

[Steve Q]

Did you buy it from a dealer? 

I'd recommend you get an auto electrican to take a look at the wiring 

[bettsaj]

I'd like to check the fuse first,and the obvious things... I can actually get a replacement changer off eBay for around d 20 quid so shouldn't be too expensive to sort

[bettsaj]

Right, an update.... I removed the CD changer from glove box and checked the wiring, nothing to report there. I then moved onto the head unit itself, removed that and pulled the harness out so I could have a look at plugs, and quadlock  etc to ensure that there were no wiring issues and the CD changer burst into life. It lit up and started making noises. So, obviously a wiring issue between the head unit and the changer.

I put a CD in the changer and selected it on the head unit to play, it didn't play. It just kept defaulting back to the DVD player. When I checked the head unit display it wasn't actually showing that it had an audio CD in the changer, just that there was something loaded into it. So the head unit looks like it's not receiving the data signal from the changer to tell it what is loaded into it.

I checked the quadlock, and there's a lonesome yellow wire about 2" long which looks broken (I'll post a picture when I next go out to the car) it looks like it should be connected to something, but it's not. And at this stage I can't see where it should go as I can't see any other yellow wire around that area.

Like I say.... I'll post a photo and maybe someone could make suggestions regarding this wire. I've checked the online pinout diagrams, and they don't colour code the wires so it's hard to identify what this wire actually is.

Edited September 24, 2023 by bettsaj

[bettsaj]

Just had a thought..... The break in this yellow wire is clean, I mean there's no wire protruding from the yellow jacket so it's a clean cut. My guess is I won't find another yellow wire as such, I reckon the wire has snapped flush with the end of the pin in one of the plugs.

 

Next time go out to the car I'll take a photo of the wire and also look for any plug sockets that look like they have a wire snapped inside. If that's the case it should be an easy fix providing I can replace the pin that's inside the multiplug.

[Steve Q]

Good diagnostic work. You could always try a breaker on eBay for the wiring harness or replacement head unit/cd player. 

[bettsaj]

I don't need to replace the cd changer as that appears to be working fine, same with the head unit. I need to look to see where the yellow wire is attached, as I can't remember off the top of my head. If it's just wiring I'd like to just patch in some new wire rather than pull all the loom out etc, that'll just be a major headache. I'm sure it's just a data connection wire, I just need to try and identify where it should go. Thanks for your comment though 👍 

[Magnet]

Hello Andy,

No more than and educated (!??) guess. Permanently live ‘memory’ feed - ? 
You’ve gone a long way with this Andy, and I think if I was in your situation, I would now be looking up a localish audio specialist, and seeking advice there, rather than trying to pre-guess anything going forward. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[bettsaj]

On 9/25/2023 at 8:48 AM, Magnet said:

Hello Andy,

No more than and educated (!??) guess. Permanently live ‘memory’ feed - ? 
You’ve gone a long way with this Andy, and I think if I was in your situation, I would now be looking up a localish audio specialist, and seeking advice there, rather than trying to pre-guess anything going forward. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

Yeah, I kind of agree with you and see where you're coming from. I'm going to have one more look and if I can't see anything blatantly obvious (like the other half of the yellow wire) I'll seek out an audio electrician. 

[bettsaj]

Update: I thought i'd try a cheap option first, by buying a used CD changer off eBay.

Managed to procure the same model changer, apparently working from an A4 2.0 that had been scrapped. Swapped the changers over, and I have a different issue now. 

Previously the changer couldn't read the CD so the head unit showed no CD was loaded. Now after I've swapped the changers over to the new (to me) changer, I put in a CD, and the display shows as "Loading CD".... And that's how it stays. I've tried different CD's proper shop bought CD's and ones that I've burnt, all with the same result "Loading CD".

I've heard that the head unit should automatically recognise the new CD changer, and that there's no coding to be done.

[Steve Q]

I guess the second hand one could be faulty? 

As you say it should just be plug a d play.