Well, that's pretty simple to diagnose, then. You must be using the Hijack kernel on top of a v1.0x release of player software. The two are NOT at all compatible, as noted in several places on the Hijack website. Actually, they are compatible, except that the Empeg guys changed the IR-remote codes from v1.0x to v2.0x.. so the codes the kernel generates --nothing to do with Hijack-- will not work with the older player software.
Either dump Hijack, or upgrade to v2.00beta3 or v2.00beta7 software and then reinsteall Hijack.
-ml