CrispyC

Hi,

New to the forum, so sorry if I sound a bit uninformed because a Benz is not a car I generally work on, but I have been borrowing my mother's car while mine is being sold, and the CD changer crapped on me, and it wouldn't be a good thing to give it back to her like that.

Anyways, things were going fine, player was working as excepted (the magazine rarely gets ejected, but I put my music in to listen to). I switched over to the radio, then wanted to switch back to CDs, but got CDC Error on the head unit and it would make some noise, but not eject. Checked fuse and it looked fine, replaced fuse and tried again. As I was driving later on, there was a straining electronic noise coming from the glovebox area, and now there is no power to the changer and the glovebox light is not coming on (I don't think this is a coincidence). I do not smell any burnt electronics or wires.

The light in there uses a 15 amp fuse, which I think is super high, so I am wondering if the cd changer draws power from this fuse as well? There also is a possibility that I had reinserted the fuse in the empty space above where it goes, the diagram is really terrible. It is definitely where it belongs now and still getting No CDC or light in glovebox.

I need a quick fix for this, getting my new car Friday, and I don't think she will be pleased to know it's broken (the seat control module is died as well a few months back so seat doesnt move nor does steering column, but this is an issue we arent really going to address).

I could really use some help on this one. I know these cars are pretty notorious for electrical gremlins such as this, and we have dealt with several. The car has basic sound system, no HK or anything.

Another note, what is the strange jumper that has a red wire on it inside the interior fusebox? I see no mention of what it is for anywhere. Thanks!

CrispyC

I can also provide pictures of the current fuse panel layout, maybe something is in the wrong place? I will put it here when I get one.

DACHIGGA

Not sure about the cars with most but if it's the same as the pre 2005. But in the pre 2005s the CD changer draws power directly from the head unit.

CrispyC

I went poking around in the fusebox again, this time with my multimeter, and noticed some strange stuff I didn't catch before, the box doesn't have Sound System and one other item installed as they are select equipment (SE) and I got a bit disoriented with what the changer fuse should be directly next to. Realizing this, I put the fuse into the "jumper" (it's off all by itself in between two fuses at the top and everything else in this particular car) I had noted in my first post and the changer fired right back up. It was not jammed or anything, but disconnecting power to it for a while got it straightened out. As for the glove box light, I didn't realize that this only works if the key is on. The more you know. Hopefully this helps someone later down the road, if you get CDC Error up on your head unit, pull fuse and wait a while and reinsert it. You may have to start car to get it working, but mine started making noise and the head unit eventually noticed it had a changer installed.

In regards to what you said, it looks strongly that the changer draws ~12.4V over a 7.5A fuse to run all of its electronic components in cars newer than 2005