PC-Engine CD-ROM won't spin disk (new middle gear in place)

[McCracAttack]

So, I've got a CD-ROM unit for my PC Engine. It's one of the old white ones that you use with the briefcase style interface unit. I've replaced the infamous middle gear but I can't seem to get the unit to read disks. When I press RUN it tries for a few seconds and then says PLEASE SET DISC! During this time the disk won't spin at all. I've tried this with both game discs and audio CDs.

I've also opened the lid while holding the lid sensor closed and noticed the following behavior without a disk. If I gently move the laser away from the center of the unit when I hit RUN the laser will move back to the center and focus up and down a couple of times before I get the PLEASE SET DISK ERROR! I can also notice a faint read light that looks like the laser during this attempt but I have to be at just the right angle to see it as it's very faint. So, the new middle gear is working since the laser moves along the track but the unit can't seem to see disks even though the laser is working to some degree.

Any thoughts on what I should try next?

[Arkhan Asylum]

laser itself might be gimped.

Try cleaning it off with alcohol and a qtip, but be gentle.  It's kind of a fragile bit of hardware.

[McCracAttack]

laser itself might be gimped.

Try cleaning it off with alcohol and a qtip, but be gentle.  It's kind of a fragile bit of hardware.

I've actually tried that already but thank you.

[Tatsujin]

there are some pots inside the CD-Rom which my help turning it back to operation again.

/pcengineopengc4.jpg

maybe some other peeps here have more detailed infos about each of the pots adjustment.

and always remember, before touching any pot, mark their original position with a permanent marker, so that you always can go back to default.
only adjust one pot at the same time, and immediatly check the result/effect (-> better, worse, same).
only turn them slighlty (like 20 to 30 degree) per step -> not like the full range in one step.

hope that will help. good luck

[McCracAttack]

there are some pots inside the CD-Rom which my help turning it back to operation again.

Tried that for a couple of hours this evening. I managed to get it to where the disk will spin for a split second then slow to a stop. It would do this about 3 times and then give up.

[Tatsujin]

hmm..then it really seems that the laser itself bite the dust.. either the laser diode or the magnetic mechatronics that moves the lens for proper focusing. only a laser pick-up replacement may solve this problem.

[McCracAttack]

I actually do have another laser assembly but one of the ribbon cables is torn.



I'm trying to take two damaged CD-ROM2s and cobble together one working unit. Since the laser I have in there can't seem to focus I could try this other laser but I'm not sure how to repair that cable and I didn't see an easy way to remove it from the laser assembly. Is this laser pretty much junked too?

[Tatsujin]

unsolder the ribbon-cable from the broken laser unit and solder it to the "probably" working unit ;)

[Keith Courage]

That larger ribbon cable sucks to replace. The smaller one is definitely replaceable but the larger one not so much.

[McCracAttack]

I managed to find a reasonably priced CD player online that supposedly uses the same laser assembly so I'm gonna go that route. If I ever get this thing working I'll post an update. 

[Tatsujin]

doesn't have blueBMW or chop5 still some in stock?

[McCracAttack]

IT LIVES!!! Look at her spin!



The new laser from that Sony Discman off eBay did the trick. It took a few more pot adjustments to get it reading everything correctly but now it runs like a dream. In summary it took two CD-ROM2 drives and a Sony Discman to get one working unit. So it goes with old fist-gen CD equipment I guess. Thank you all very much for your time and advice, especially Tatsujin. Here are a couple of action shots.

[Tatsujin]