how to fix a CD player

There are LOTS of mechanical parts on a CD player that can age/wear.  Does your car run 10 years with zero service needed?  And there is also the issue of the laser assembly -- its performance also deteriorates with age and use.  

Most of those issues are going to require the attention of a trained technician with access to the needed test equipment.  Unless you are really lucky, I doubt its something you can fix with a $15 kit. The one exception to that might be if the CD tray area and laser are dirty.  There are cleaning kits you can buy but there's no guarantee that this will fix things.

thanks @mlsstl I am looking for easy steps to try, if they won't work, that will be the end of it. Nobody will diagnose it under a $100, I won't throw good money after bad. 

I would try a can of compressed air, available at most Office Depot stores. Open the case and blow out the transport mechanism and try to clean the lens by blowing across not directly at as that can sometimes distort the lens cover. If that doesn’t help then I would look for another player. Maybe if you have a good DAC the run the digital out, if so equipped, and that can increase your SQ. Good luck.

The transport mechanism rides on rails. These require lubrication - lithium grease. My old Pioneer has the same problem - it gets stuck a few minutes into all CD's. I will have to buy some lithium grease and lube the rails so the transport can track smoothly.

thanks @theo and @jasonbourne71  I will try those suggestions!