CD Changer problems — how do you work it?

[MrInternal]

Hello all.

I have a six disc CD changer in the arm rest of my '99 EB and it will only read one CD in it if I put multiple CDs into it.

Am I doing something wrong? This is the first of any kind of CD player I have owned so it is possible that I am doing it wrong.

Say I place one in slot 1 and one in slot 2 — it will only read the CD in the CD player and the CD in slot 1 nothing in slot 2. So I switched it up. I place a CD in slot 5 and a CD in slot 6 and again it'll only read the CD in the player and the CD in slot 5 — nothing is slot 6.

Is it broke, or am I just not pushing the right button?

Would much appreciate the help.

ml

 

[kalel33]

It will read the first CD in the first slot and so on and so forth. You have to push the button for next CD. You might just be pushing the source button back and forth from HU to CD changer.

 

[MrInternal]

It will read the first CD in the first slot and so on and so forth. You have to push the button for next CD. You might just be pushing the source button back and forth from HU to CD changer.

On the steering wheel, it has option like increase and decreasing the volume, next, and mode — all of which do not work. The rest of the buttons on the steering wheel work.

I do not recall a "HU" button on the display; however, what I use to change the CDs is to click the "CD" button on the display. You would figure they'd make a button that would able you to do such, unless the "Next" button on the steering wheel is the button — which does not work.

ml

 

[MrInternal]

Moreover, is it possible that it has a bad fuse, but why is it just those four buttons, when it has a total of 13 buttons on the steering wheel and eight of them work.

ml

 

[MrInternal]

Er. Nine.

ml

 

[kalel33]

Dont know about the steering wheel buttons, but the HU (head unit) should have the button to change the source and the button to change the CDs in the changer.

 

[DirtMcGirt]

is it factory head unit or aftermarket?

If its factory, it should have changer controls on it, (check ur manual), if its aftermarket maybe ur fm button will change cd's (thats what my controls are for a kenwood.) If no manuals, just press buttons until you figure it out.

 

[cobrajeff]

CD Changer

To change CD's on the factory Ford changer, you use the "TUNE" button on the face of the radio. When you push the "CD" button, it puts you in CD mode, and begins playing the last disc that you were playing. Pushing the CD button on the radio again will NOT change discs - it will toggle you back and forth between CD's loaded in the radio (IF you have a Ford "Dual Media" or "CDX6" model radio) and those loaded in the CD changer. While in CD mode, the "TUNE" button on the radio will advance you to the next disc loaded in your changer, while the "SEEK" button will advance the track on the current playing disc.

Some older models of Ford steering wheel controls couldn't interface with the CD player or CD changer. It seems to me your '99 model SHOULD work with the steering wheel controls. If all of the pieces in the system, Head Unit, CD Changer, Steering Wheel Controls, and wiring are all factory original, it should work. If the Changer was added, the head unit swapped, steering wheel changed, or wiring modified, then the SWC's may or (more likely) may not work.

regards,
cobrajeff

 

[MrInternal]

Thank you all for the replies.

ml

 

[MrInternal]

is it factory head unit or aftermarket?

If its factory, it should have changer controls on it, (check ur manual), if its aftermarket maybe ur fm button will change cd's (thats what my controls are for a kenwood.) If no manuals, just press buttons until you figure it out.

How do you tell if it is a factory head unit or an aftermarket? I am not too sure. It is inside the console and I saw it was made it Japan.

Unfortunately the vehicle did not come with an owners manuel.

:..(...

ml

 

[MrInternal]

To change CD's on the factory Ford changer, you use the "TUNE" button on the face of the radio. When you push the "CD" button, it puts you in CD mode, and begins playing the last disc that you were playing. Pushing the CD button on the radio again will NOT change discs - it will toggle you back and forth between CD's loaded in the radio (IF you have a Ford "Dual Media" or "CDX6" model radio) and those loaded in the CD changer. While in CD mode, the "TUNE" button on the radio will advance you to the next disc loaded in your changer, while the "SEEK" button will advance the track on the current playing disc.

Some older models of Ford steering wheel controls couldn't interface with the CD player or CD changer. It seems to me your '99 model SHOULD work with the steering wheel controls. If all of the pieces in the system, Head Unit, CD Changer, Steering Wheel Controls, and wiring are all factory original, it should work. If the Changer was added, the head unit swapped, steering wheel changed, or wiring modified, then the SWC's may or (more likely) may not work.

regards,
cobrajeff

Thank you again.

Here is what happened. I read what you wrote and did what you said, and pushed the "TUNE" button to toggle between the CDs; however, it did not work. I was disappointed, thinking it wasn't going to work, so I turned off the engine. I then thought I'd put it in the "power on" position of the ignition and try it that way. Well, you wouldn't believe it, I pushed the "TUNE" button and it started toggling between them. With a big smile on my face I turned the engine on and tried doing the toggle option and it worked somehow. Very weird. I just hope it works tomorrow, but at least I know it works.

Re: The buttons on the steering wheel not working. I do not know what to do about them. I really would like to have them functioning [it might save me from an accident by not having to look down to raise or lower the volume]. The buttons to inc/dec the fan speed works and the buttons to inc/dec the temperature works, but not the inc/dec the volume, "Next", and "Mode" buttons. Is the only possible conclusion be that it is a "loose" wire? Or is there something less technical I could try first?

By the by, the Cruise Control buttons work on the steering wheel, too.

Very much appreciate the help,

ml

 

[cobrajeff]

Ford base part numbers

What I am referring to as the "Head Unit" is located in the dash. Depending upon the model of radio, they will have different part numbers.

The Ford "Dual Media" radio (has a cassette AND a CD opening in the face) will have a "base" part number of 18C868 (with a 4-digit prefix indicating the carline and model year it was originally designed to be used in, and a 2-digit suffix denoting the change level and model type).

The Ford CDX6 radio (with integral changer) has base part number of 18C815. Ford single CD radios also have a base number of 18C815 (not my idea, I fought for the CDX6 "changer radio" to have a unique base part number, and lost).

As far as the remote console mounted CD Changer, if it is a Ford unit, it will have a base part number of either 18C830 or 18C832 (depending upon whether the Ford vendor supplied the unit WITH or WITHOUT mounting brackets). The CD Changer magazine will have a base part number of 18C833 (no aftermarket parts will use this numbering system).

We used to put the Ford logo on all the parts so you could tell you had genuine Ford OEM equipment - until some genius in Marketing decided the Ford name wasn't good enough to use in Ford vehicles

Many of our CD Changers are provided by companies in Japan - most of them are names you have heard of - Sony, Clarion, Pioneer, Panasonic. The Head units, with few exceptions, were usually built in Mexico by Ford's Electronics subsidiary, now spun-off as Visteon.

If the radio in your truck was ever serviced in the past, there is a possibility that another model, which may have looked the same, but lacked SWC compatibility MAY have been installed. If you can provide the part number off the radio in your vehicle, I can probably tell you if it is an OEM Explorer model.

Hope this helps.

regards,

cobrajeff










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