Check For Dust

[Ron B]

Hello everyone-I thought my Sony DRU 500A was dead and gone. Wouldn't write to DVDs or CDs, but it would play them. Getting "Power Calibration Error" and other bad messages.
I was going to toss it so I decided to take it apart and have a look. The laser lens was coated with dust. I wiped it off with a camera lens tissue, put a bit of silicone grease on the rails and put it in a computer. Flashed the latest firmware. Now it writes DVDs at 4X and burns CDs as well, reads everything too.
I'm glad I had a look before I threw the drive in the trash.

[fmctm1sw]

Very interesting you bring this up. I reported a PX-708A DVD writer that won't read CDs to Plextor a few days ago. The first thing they told me was to get a can of that compressed air stuf and blow into it. I'm going to pick up a can today on my way back from work. I'll see if it works.....

[888888]

Hello everyone-I thought my Sony DRU 500A was dead and gone. Wouldn't write to DVDs or CDs, but it would play them. Getting "Power Calibration Error" and other bad messages.
I was going to toss it so I decided to take it apart and have a look. The laser lens was coated with dust. I wiped it off with a camera lens tissue, put a bit of silicone grease on the rails and put it in a computer. Flashed the latest firmware. Now it writes DVDs at 4X and burns CDs as well, reads everything too.
I'm glad I had a look before I threw the drive in the trash.

I wish somebody would write a guide or something on how to open up and clean your DVDR drive properly. I am too scared to open those things up.

[jimmalenko]

I wish somebody would write a guide or something on how to open up and clean your DVDR drive properly. I am too scared to open those things up.

Good call, although it should be noted that you void your warranty.

My Pioneer 106D started acting up a couple of weeks ago so instead of trying to fix it myself and fooking the drive, I sent it back to Pioneer who cleaned it and reflashed the firmware. All for $0 because the warranty was still intact.

If you can bear to be without your drive for about 6 weeks then this is probably a better option IMO.

[888888]

If you can bear to be without your drive for about 6 weeks then this is probably a better option IMO.

I don't think anybody on this board can bear being without their drive for six hours let alone six weeks! And what about shipping?

[stackner]

If you can bear to be without your drive for about 6 weeks then this is probably a better option IMO.

I don't think anybody on this board can bear being without their drive for six hours let alone six weeks! And what about shipping?

six minutes even i would die LOL.

i say just go with the can of air should do the job well. IF not then most of us would be able to open our drives and clean them.

[jimmalenko]

If you can bear to be without your drive for about 6 weeks then this is probably a better option IMO.

I don't think anybody on this board can bear being without their drive for six hours let alone six weeks! And what about shipping?

I was quite fortunate, for I was building a PC for my brother. I had already purchased his Pioneer 107D so I slotted that into mine while I waited for mine to be fixed. No downtime for me !

I bought my 106D from my local computer shop, so they arranged for freight, etc. with Pioneer directly because it was their problem.

Even if I didn't have another burner available, I still would have preferred to go the warranty route. The price you pay includes warranty so why not use it ?

[barrybear]

Cleaning the lazer lens and re greasing the rails can work wounders for a dvd drive.

Just two things to remember
1. Be very carefull with the suspended lazer lens assembly. JENTLY clean it 2 or 3 times to make sure it is perfectly clean.

2 Use plastic grease for the friction bearing rails as ordinery grease can ingrese into the plastic runners and distort them.

Barrybear

[Ron B]

Hello again-This drive was on it's way to the landfill, that's why I took it apart. Don't disassemble a working drive, this Sony is older and was out of the warranty period.
Pop the front bezel off, remove the four small screws holding the sheet metal case together, pop the metal off and have a look. I'm used to cleaning camera lenses, the uncoated laser lens is easy to clean.
Like I said, I had written off this drive, even bought another DVD-RW(an NEC 2500A, a nice drive). Now it works, burns DVD-Rs at 4X and all I had to do was wipe a little dust off the lens.
I'm going to clean my room now.

[lordsmurf]

I'll put one on my site eventually. It belongs in the hardware ts area.

Anyway, you can find some guides at www.rpc1.org

It's not hard. Just open it up.