DVD-RAM discs causing Panasonic DMR-ES10 recorder to 'fall-over'.

dreamcloud9 · Member Joined: 24 Feb 2008 Location: United Kingdom

My Panasonic DVD recorder DMR-ES10 has started to have trouble with cartridged RAM discs. Its making an awful grinding, bumping noise and then has to go into self-check mode. The on-screen message just says roughly 'error - press return'.

These RAM discs have several small clips on, EG: 4 clips totalling less than 1 or 2 mins in length. Is that the problem?

I've tried them out of the cartridges, but its no better.

It doesn't make the grinding noises with normal DVD-R's or RW's for example though.

Any help would be greatfully appreciated.

russkelp · Member Joined: 27 Mar 2007 Location: United States

Sounds like your drive is starting to fail. There are people who talk about taking the dvd drive top off and cleaning the spindle, which may work in some cases.
Search for methods on cleaning the spindle.

As long as it can read other discs, it shouldn't be broken. Then again, i've had 6 fail on me in the last 4 months.

jjeff · Posted: Feb 24, 2008 17:00

You could try my quick (temporary)fix for grinding discs. I don't know why but some discs are just more prone to the grinding than others. My Panasonic RAM's also did the grinding on me.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=982378

samijubal · Member Joined: 25 Jul 2004

Sooner or later DVD discs start to slip in all drives, burners and players. It's usually fairly easy to open the drive and clean the spindle top and bottom with a q-tip wet with alcohol.

jjeff · Posted: Feb 24, 2008 18:01

Except for us that have our equipment in a glass cabinet all stacked on top of each other

but you're right, once you have the DVDR on the table it's not that big a deal.

dreamcloud9 · Member Joined: 24 Feb 2008 Location: United Kingdom

Thanks for the tips guys. Is it fairly easy to clean the spindle? Is it definitley a sign that my DVD recorder is about to die?

jjeff · Posted: Feb 26, 2008 15:22

I wouldn't say die, but from my experience the grinding will only get worse. To the point that it will start corrupting discs and even making +- R's unusable. Never had it toast RW's or RAM's, but it has lost data on those.
Once the machine is on the table it's not that hard to clean the spindle. Here's a link to how to clean the spindle on various Panny's.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12803681#post12803681

samijubal · Member Joined: 25 Jul 2004

If it's only a dirty spindle, it's in no way a sign the recorder is dying. All players and burners need cleaned periodically. When my DVD player starts to pixellate fairly often, I clean the spindle and clean the old grease off the laser guide rails and traverse shaft and apply new grease and it stops. All burner and DVD player spindles I've seen have rubber on the spindle that can easily cleaned with a q-tip wet with alcohol. Clean the top and bottom both. Most players/burners are pretty easy to get to the spindle, but not all.

orsetto · Member Joined: 31 Oct 2007 Location: NYC

samijubal · Member Joined: 25 Jul 2004

LCSHG · Member Joined: 25 Jan 2005

I ran across a product at a Radio Shack store. --- Called [Lub Gel]

Its a lubricant with Teflon and seems to draw less dirt etc.than most lubricants
I've had very good luck with it in optical drives,printers etc.

PS
Lock tite [avail at most auto stores] has a product used for rear window defroster repairs. Its a conductive paint, That can be very usefully in circuit board repair.

dreamcloud9 · Member Joined: 24 Feb 2008 Location: United Kingdom

Thanks Guys

samijubal · Member Joined: 25 Jul 2004

I use Lube Gel for some stuff, switches mostly. It's not as good as Lubriplate but would probably work.

usually_quiet · Member Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Location: United States

I found this thread to be extremely helpful. My DMR-ES10 has always made a little noise, but in the past week it became much worse, recordings failed, and it began displaying "SELF-CHECK" as well as making a lot of noise.

After cleaning the spindle, it is now quieter than ever, and so far, no recordings have failed, even with a RAM disc that had problems before.

I wish someone who knows how to do this sort of maintenance would create a sticky about simple things one can do to improve the function and lengthen the life of DVD recorders, players, and burners. Seems a shame to throw away something that would work satisfactorily again with a little cleaning or lubrication.