Dismantling Cd Player And Rescuing Cds

AlistairTIS200 · March 3, 2011

Hi all

I recently bought an IS200 with six CDs stuck in the player and the ERR3 message.

I've not managed to get the ERR 3 message to go away, but I thought it might be instructive to share with you all how I got the CDs out. All the usual provisos apply (nullifies guarantees, no promise of success, no compensation if the cat eats half the screws etc).

This is the CD player (note this is the early version fitted to 2000 IS200s)

First step is to remove the tiny screw on the bottom that hols the plastic facia on

Next step is to carefully lever up the tabs around the plastic facia to get it off.

You now have an apparently impregnable steel box, but don't panic. It comes apart easily, if you do it in the right order. First step is the top cover

Remove the two screws that hold this down and lift up the cover towards the CD slot end of the unit

Now turn the unit so that this side is facing you

Remove the 12 screws that hold this side panel on at the front, side and back. Take the cover off and keep somewhere safe

Then remove the 3 screws at the back that hold the top rear cover on. Remove cover and keep safe

Next remove the 4 scews holding the front cover on BUT DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE YET! You should see from the picture that the top tape player assembly is nearly free, BUT NOT QUITE!

Now remove the three screws that hold the other side cover to the casette player. BUT DO NOT REMOVE IT YET

To get the casette player off you need to free this ribbon cable, by carefully levering out the off-white plastic clip that holds it in

This is the plastic clip. Note that I broke one leg off it, but it still seems to work fine.

Now lift off the casette mechanism and put it to one side

Next remove the rear cover on the cd player - 2 screws

Now remove the two screws holding on the remaining side cover

The side cover will now be loose, but is still attached by the two rubber shock absorbers and springs. Lever the side cover outwards and pop the rubber absorbers off the brass lugs

Lift the side cover up and away from the bottom of the CD player case, then lower it to free the two springs

Now undo the three tiny screws that hold on the metal tabs securing the cogs on the top of the CD mechanism, remove the tabs, and carefully prise the plastic cogs off the brass spindles. Use precision screwdrivers.

Now remove the other six tiny screws that hold the CD player top cover on. Yes, there are really 6

Now lift off the top cover

and voila - here is the CD casette

Reassembly is the reverse of assembly, but note that this potentiometer at the back of the CD player (indicated by the screwdriver)

Must engage with this hole on the CD casette

There are approx three different types of the machine screws used on the CD player. Try to make sure the flat headed ones are used where there are likely to be clearance issues, and round headed ones otherwise.

If you find screws left over......go back to the beginning, do not pass GO, do not collect £200...

Glue any bits that have fallen off back on with superglue.

As I said at the beginning - the ERR3 message has not gone away, but I have the six CDs back...

Alistair