QuestionHello, I drive a Lexus ES 300, but whenever I try to play my cd's, it shows up ERR 3. I dont know what error 3 means, it wont play or eject any of my cds. It sounds as if its trying to process it then shows up the error message. I would really appreciate any help/info. Thanks so much!
AnswerIt is related to failure of the cd mechanism; it may be a mechanical failure inside the drive or an electronic system failure. It can be caused by a number of ailments.
It may be correctable with a system reset. There may be an instruction in your owners manual on how to do that. It can also be done by removing power from the unit for 15 or 20 minutes. Lifting the power from the battery will do that but don't do it until you have studied the manual for your car; many Lexus brand cars have security systems that need anti-theft codes that must be entered before the car can be rebooted. So, be careful about that. If you do not have the anti-theft codes then do not remove battery power.
If the optical pickup is not working properly - such as a weak or dead laser diode - it cannot feed the digital data properly into the controller system. In this case the cd player needs service or replacement.
See this site for an idea of OEM replacements. You need the year of you car to know which unit might be the replacement for your car.
http://www.oemautosound.com/c-12-oem-cd-changers.aspx
I think you might be advised wisely to drop in at a nearby car installer/repair shop to get their opinion as they run into these kinds of failures often. Do not take it to a car dealer unless they have an entertainment electronics specialist on staff - and very few of them do.
Hope this helps.
