I'm having issues with a fixer-upper CLD-79 I bought on fleabay dirt cheap, and I can't really figure out how to fix it. I'm hoping someone here might be able to help.

I bought the player with a disc stuck inside and displaying the A3 error code. I removed the disc (Disc 2 from Twister) and manually assisted the pickup out of the side changer and it made it play again. However, that hasn't completely fixed the problem.

The pickup is still acutely getting stuck in the side changer mechanism and then giving me alternating E3/A3 errors (usually E3 immediately after it gets stuck, then A3 if I restart the player. It only happens from Side B (top rails), never from Side A, and usually after finishing a disc when the player attempts to flip the pickup back to side A. If i flip it with the buttons on the remote, it NEVER gets stuck. It only gets stuck after the end of a disc or if I shut off the player while playing a disc on Side B. I've tried strategically putting new white lithium grease/lube on the top (Side B) metal rail and that didn't help much. I've noticed the pickup seems to skip a bit when moving off the rail from Side B to the side changer. Nothing I do seems to help the skip. I'm afraid to get much more aggressive with lubing it until I can find out what is exactly causing the pickup to get stuck.

Currently, I'm having to pull off the lid off the player and manually assist the pickup several times per week and it's starting to get pretty annoying.

I've bought a new belt from Pioneer for the player since that seems to play a role in placing the side changer correctly, but haven't gotten it in the mail yet. I hope that fixes it, but I have my doubts.


I am getting ready to take some photos and attempt to get a video of my player's shenanigans.

Usually the white grease will fix this, If it didn't then check the alignment of the guide pin in the turn mechanism and bend it as needed to better align.