My changer was working fine, then one day it would not play. I have no lights. I have 4 discs in the player. I have pulled the fuse for the radio, left it out for about an hour, hoping that it would reboot when I re-inserted the fuse. It still won't work. It's like it has no power.

I have searched the internet but with no luck.
Any help is much appreciated.
Thank you in advance for your time and replies.

 

1) Disconnect and isolate negative battery cable.
2) Remove lower center trim bezel
3) Remove screws from radio
4) Remove screws from CD changer
5) Remove CD changer from Instrument panel
6) Disconnect wire connector from CD changer.

 

Thank You Mr. Cot Tear (Freddy "Boom Boom" Washington voice)
Welcome Back Kotter reference.

My player is separate from the radio. It is mounted low in the console all by itself. I pulled the wood grain dash bezel that surrounds the Heater Control and Radio. I didn't pull out the radio.

Do I need to remove the radio to access the player?

 

The passage above is right out of the shop manual. I have never actually removed my CD changer, which is just like yours and I suspect the guy who wrote the shop manual never removed one either, which is totally typical.
Anyway, to get to the screws to remove the CD changer, you'll need to remove the trim piece that surrounds it. Trim pieces like that are usually snapped in place like the one surrounding the radio.
I believe you will need to remove the radio anyway, if for no other reason than to disconnect the cable that leads from the radio to the CD changer. Once the bezel surrounding the radio is off, removal of the radio is easy. I have done that. Get the radio out, remove the trim around the CD changer and you should be home free.
Come back and tell us how it went.

By the way, there are several fuses that relate to the radio. When my original radio was failing, I found I could get it to "reset" by pulling the IOD fuse and waiting about 30 seconds. The IOD fuse is the one in the middle of the fuse panel with "ears" on it.

I got the reference to "Welcome Back Kotter". I used to hear that all the time. My cousin taught school in the inner city and got it constantly.

 

I took the radio out, along with the CD changer. Your directions were spot on...Thank You...I had to damage the CD changer to get my discs out of it, no biggie, gives me reason to replace the head unit with a nice Pioneer. I put the changer back in it's place, but with no CD mechanism, just the frame and faceplate.

My next question is....Do they show/make a disc changer delete cup or plate? It would be nice to have a pocket to go where the disc changer is mounted.

 

My 2002 does not have a CD changer. The space down there winds up being bigger. See if you can remove the bracket the changer was mounted to.

 

The changer is mounted to the bracket with 2 screws. I had the whole piece out including the cd changer bezel. I put it back together because I didn't want a big hole there.
What do you have where the cd changer would be? A pocket of some kind? A place to put your phone, smokes, keys, etc.?

 

I have attached a pic of the 2002 which does not have the changer. It leaves a pocket for miscellaneous stuff. I assume the shelf is there after removal of the changer. If not, you can probably find one in a junkyard. The second pic is of the 2001 with the changer in place.

 

Good Photos...Thank You.

I scoured the internet last night and found a part call "Instrument Panel Mat." It appears to be the "Pocket" for where the CD changer would be. It is listed as "Without CD Changer." Lists at $18.70, for the $20.00, I'll roll the dice. The parts guy at the Dodge dealer said it sounds like it's the right part.

The Part Number is 04595756AA.

Looking at the 2 photos, I don't really like the appearance of the big opening. I may remove the faceplate from the changer and line the changer box/frame with some trunk liner carpet I have leftover from the restoration of my 68 Cadillac Deville Convertible. I like this idea. I hope I can get it to work.

 

That "mat" may be a rubber mat that lays on the shelf. I don't think it's the actual pocket.