03-04-2006, 07:32 PM

Contributed by: JV on March 4, 2006
Here are some tips and tricks for removing a stuck disk from your navigation drive unit. It is recommended that you try these in the following sequence, as each progressive step becomes more complex and riskier.
Solution 1:

Put the key into the ignition and turn to position 1 or 2. Go to the nav computer and press and hold the eject button. The button will flash while pressed, and you must keep hold of the eject button for about 3 minutes. You'll notice that eventually the light on the eject button will stop flashing. As soon as you see this let go of the button, and press it again quickly. The CD will hopefully eject.

Solution 2:

Remove the power to the nav unit (either by disconnecting the battery or removing the cables from the back of the uint) and then reapply power while holding down the eject button.

Solution 3:
Disclaimer: this should be considered a last resort to removing a CD from your Nav drive. Your warranty may be voided when you open your Nav drive, due to the tamper-proof sticker on the rear of the unit. Do not attempt this if any of the steps seem uncomfortable to you. X5world / X3world is not responsible for any damage you may cause to your Navigation computer.

Tools you will need:
Electrician’s screwdriver set, with small Philips, flathead and Torx bits.
*needlenose pliers are optional and may be needed

Remove your Nav drive from the back rack by removing the four 8mm bolts from the rack, then slide out the Nav drive and disconnect the blue and maroon harness and the coaxial cable for the antenna.

Next, press down lightly on these 4 copper–colored pieces which hold the mounting bracket onto the drive and slide the bracket towards the rear of the unit.
Once you have your drive on a level working surface, you can take the sticker off the cover. I remove mine very gently so that I can use some Elmer’s glue and glue it back together.
Now you’re ready to remove the top cover. Find the metal tabs on the sides of the unit, and lightly lift up on them with a screwdriver or similar tool. Be careful not to bend anything as you do this!
Get the entire side loose, then you can lift up on the rear corner of that side and lift up the single metal tab at the rear of the unit to loosen the rear.
Now you should have an easier time with the other side, and it may just lift right off at this point. There are tabs in the front of the cover next to the plastic trim, so make sure you pull the cover off towards the rear so those tabs can slide out.
Cover off the unit, now you’re ready to move the motor aside to wind out the CD.

With the black plastic face of the unit pointing towards the left of you, and the rear of the unit towards your right, look down into the drive and there will be your motor. Small metal part, about the size of a AA battery, held in place by one very small screw.
In this photo is has “MADE IN CHINA' stamped on it. The screw you need to remove will likely be a small black Torx or Philips screw- I have seen both so far in taking 4 different drives apart. It is located just about dead center in the above photo.

This is a replacement flat head screw on my old MkIII. The original screw was starting to round off a little bit so I figured change it and be safe for future removal needs and a flat was the only one that small that I had.

Once you remove the screw, carefully move the motor upwards and slightly towards the front of the unit. You’ll see the wires soldered to the back of the motor as you do this.
Be very careful here- you can’t move the motor very much, because the wires don’t have hardly any slack in them and you do not want to have a wire come loose from its connection because then you’ll need to resolder it, which I DO NOT recommend!

Find something soft to prop the motor up with, such as a Q-Tip, or carefully hold it with one hand as you use the other to work the small plastic gear with a small screwdriver, or similar instrument. Here’s what you’ll see when the motor is moved out of the way:
You’ll need to move that gear towards the front of the unit, and you’ll start to see the CD which is stuck inside moving towards the loading slot. Take your time with this step. You break off a tooth on that gear, you will need a whole new Nav drive. Sometimes the CD will seemingly be stuck in one spot, but if you keep gently turning the gear, it should keep moving towards the eject slot.

If it doesn’t eject, you can help it along by using a small screwdriver or similar tool to move the small metal tab in the center of the picture below towards the outside of the nav unit. You’ll see a semi-circular track that it moves through. Be gentle with it if you end up needing to move it.
Once you’ve removed your CD, follow these steps in reverse to put the cover back on, carefully lining up the metal tabs on the top of the cover as you do so.

__________________
JV
What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know...it's what we know for sure that just ain't so