Magazine Empty - fixed, for now, I hope
11-13-2007, 03:03 PM
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1999 E430 Sport
Magazine Empty - fixed, for now, I hope
I just thought I'd post a little anecdote of how I got around the "MAGAZINE EMPTY" message on my '99 E430's CD changer. I did a search of this forum and didn't find any similar information (but then again, maybe I'm not that good at searching)
While driving along listening to a CD, I inadvertently pushed one of the number buttons on the radio (I think it was 8 or 9, not that it matters). The music stopped playing and the head unit wouldn't do anything in the CD mode other than display "MAGAZINE EMPTY". Needless to say I was not impressed. I tried switching to the radio or tape modes and back to CD, with the same result - "MAGAZINE EMPTY", so I stopped in a parking lot, opened the trunk and ejected the CD magazine, then re-inserted it. The CD changer sorted through the six slots like normal, and then the head unit said "MAGAZINE EMPTY".
I shut off the engine and removed the ignition key, then ejected the CD magazine and re-inserted it. The CD changer did its usual shuffle through all six slots and then I turned on the ignition and got the "MAGAZINE EMPTY" message again.
Here is what worked:
I shut off the engine again and ejected the CD magazine again. I reached under the CD changer and unplugged the electrical connector from the changer. The electrical connector supplies the power and a wakeup signal to the changer. I waited five or ten seconds, then plugged the electrical connector back in and re-inserted the CD magazine. The CD changer sorted through all six slots just like before, but this time when I turned the ignition and the head unit on, the CD changer started working again playing music from the CDs, just like it should.
If your CD changer is not working and is just showing "MAGAZINE EMPTY", even though it's not empty, you might want to try this.
I've seen a number of changers for sale on eBay with the caveat that the changer is broken and always gives the empty magazine message, and I'm starting to wonder if perhaps these changers aren't broken, but the internal software in the changer is just poorly designed and needs to be reset by removing the power for a few seconds.
While driving along listening to a CD, I inadvertently pushed one of the number buttons on the radio (I think it was 8 or 9, not that it matters). The music stopped playing and the head unit wouldn't do anything in the CD mode other than display "MAGAZINE EMPTY". Needless to say I was not impressed. I tried switching to the radio or tape modes and back to CD, with the same result - "MAGAZINE EMPTY", so I stopped in a parking lot, opened the trunk and ejected the CD magazine, then re-inserted it. The CD changer sorted through the six slots like normal, and then the head unit said "MAGAZINE EMPTY".
I shut off the engine and removed the ignition key, then ejected the CD magazine and re-inserted it. The CD changer did its usual shuffle through all six slots and then I turned on the ignition and got the "MAGAZINE EMPTY" message again.
Here is what worked:
I shut off the engine again and ejected the CD magazine again. I reached under the CD changer and unplugged the electrical connector from the changer. The electrical connector supplies the power and a wakeup signal to the changer. I waited five or ten seconds, then plugged the electrical connector back in and re-inserted the CD magazine. The CD changer sorted through all six slots just like before, but this time when I turned the ignition and the head unit on, the CD changer started working again playing music from the CDs, just like it should.
If your CD changer is not working and is just showing "MAGAZINE EMPTY", even though it's not empty, you might want to try this.
I've seen a number of changers for sale on eBay with the caveat that the changer is broken and always gives the empty magazine message, and I'm starting to wonder if perhaps these changers aren't broken, but the internal software in the changer is just poorly designed and needs to be reset by removing the power for a few seconds.
