When your CD player skips, the music won’t play in its entirety.
Instead, you may hear a few seconds of the first track or a few bars of the second song.
The result? Muddy sound and an annoying problem that can drive you mad from frustration.
Fortunately, fixing your skipping CD player isn’t as difficult as it sounds.
Read on to learn how to fix a CD player that skips.
What causes a CD player to skip?
There are a number of things that can cause your CD player to skip.
Here are some of the most common reasons your CD player might be skipping: A dirty or damaged disc:
If your CD player is skipping because of a dirty disc, try cleaning the disc with a CD cleaning kit to fix the problem.
A dirty or damaged turntable: A dirty or damaged turntable can cause skipping on some turntable models.
A dirty stylus is often the cause of this problem.
If this is the case, you can clean the stylus using an alcohol swab or toothbrush.
A damaged turntable motor: A damaged motor in your CD player is often the cause of skipping.
If you’re able to gently turn the motor with a screwdriver, you should be able to clean the motor and fix the skipping problem.
A damaged turntable track: If your CD player is skipping on a damaged track, you can often fix the problem by carefully repairing the damaged track.
If your CD player is skipping on a damaged track, you can often fix the problem by carefully repairing the damaged track.
A damaged CD drive: If your CD drive is damaged, you may experience skipping on some CD players.
You can easily repair a damaged CD drive if this is the case.
How To Fix a CD Player That Skips 5 Check
No skipping – the basics
When you put a CD into your player, the disc spins at a high speed inside the player.
The player then reads the information on the disc, which is actually encoded onto the disc.
The information read by the player is then transmitted to your speakers or amplifier.
As the disc spins, it passes through special optical pickups on the player.
These pickups let the player read the data off the disc, which is then stored in your player’s memory.
When you play the disc again, the player retrieves the information from the memory and passes it along to your speakers or amplifier.
While this all sounds simple, it is actually much more complex.
There are a number of issues that can result in your CD player skipping.
These issues can be caused by dirty discs, damaged players, damaged discs, dirty or damaged turntables, damaged motors, and damaged tracks.
Stop the disc from spinning
The most common cause of skipping is a dirty or damaged disc.
If you stop the disc from spinning too soon, the player can’t read the information on the disc.
This can cause a number of issues, including skipping.
To fix this problem, gently pull the power cord from the player and leave the disc spinning in the tray.
Let the player cool down for at least an hour before touching the player.
Fix stuck gears: The most common cause of skipping
If your CD player keeps skipping after stopping the spinning of the disc, the most likely problem is with the turntable or drive.
You’ll know if this is the problem if you can gently turn the drive or turntable with a screwdriver or other non-metallic object.
If you can turn the drive or turntable with a non-metallic object, the problem is likely the gears or belt.
You’ll need to pull out the motor and carefully clean the gears and belt.
Use a toothbrush to gently scrub off any dust or debris.
Carefully clean the gears and belt using a rag or non-metallic swab.
Keep trying: Solving a stuck turntable or treadmill drive
If your CD player keeps skipping after stopping the spinning of the disc, the most likely problem is with the turntable or drive.
You’ll know if this is the problem if you can gently turn the drive or turntable with a screwdriver or other non-metallic object.
If you can turn the drive or turntable with a non-metallic object, the problem is likely the gears or belt.
You’ll need to pull out the motor and carefully clean the gears and belt.
Use a toothbrush to gently scrub off any dust or debris.
Carefully clean the gears and belt using a rag or non-metallic swab.
Stop the music mid-way through playback
If your CD player isn’t skipping, but the music abruptly stops playing mid-way through a track, the most likely problem is a broken or damaged lead.
This can usually be fixed by replacing the lead.
If you need help replacing the lead on your CD player, see our guide on how to replace a lead.
If the lead is not broken, it may be broken from age.
In this case, you’ll need to repair the lead.
If the lead is not broken, it may be broken from age.
Final thoughts
All things considered, fixing a skipping CD player is actually quite simple.
You’ll just need to follow a few steps and your CD player should play perfectly once again.
If you’ve been struggling with a skipping CD player, don’t worry.
With a little patience, you can fix this annoying issue for good.
