Apex DVD player has disc tray that keeps opening/closing

[Prethen]

I actually have two (2) Apex DVD players (a 600A and 1201) where I hit the open button, the tray comes out, and then the tray usually goes right back in. Sometimes I get lucky and it stays. Why is it doing this? It's driving me (and my 6-year old daughter!) batty! These units are too old and too cheap to worry about bringing in for repair. But, I don't want to throw them in the trash just yet. Is there an adjustment that I can look into doing? I don't mind opening up the case. What the heck, if I have to throw out the unit anyway, I might as well tinker first!

Thanks!

[budz]

check out the NERD-OUT forum for APEX DVD PLAYERS.
http://www.nerd-out.com/forum/index.php?sid=a20509d953475e3ae1339405db2e0d23

[Prethen]

I couldn't find anything while searching so I reposted my question on the 1201 forum. Thanks for the heads up.

[handyguy]

I have a panasonic that does that sometimes, but if I push the button very fast it only opens once.

ALso unplug from wall for a minute & plug back in as this resets anything.

[ROF]

This is very common. It is caused by those who use that tapping to close the tray rather than the button. There are gears which pull the tray out and in. After quite a few manual pushes these gears become worn due to unequal pressure applied to the tray. Another possibility is tray alignment caused by this same issue.

It can't be stressed enough. There is an Open/Close button for a reason. Use it or you may end up with a tray that can't tell whether it's to be opened or closed.

[Prethen]

I'm guilty of being a tray pusher. I've become conscious of the possibility that I could have inadvertently caused the problem. Is it something that can be easily fixed? Are those gears easy to replace?

[ROF]

Ease of replacement depends on your skill and availability of parts to do so. If the tray is out of alignment replacing the gears will only results in eventually this problem creeping up again. If the gears are an issue you could file down the last tooth on the stationary bit which the gear moves along. This will actually make it so that any amount of pressure will not close the tray. You'd have to use the open/close button. If the tray is out of alignment you may do more harm then good by filing down that tooth. You can usually tell bad tray alignment by the way the tray is supposed to seat when fully closed and the way it currently sits. You may also notice this maligned tray when it begins to hit the casing as it closes. These are usually good indicators but won't always be visible to someone who is used to their DVD player. It may look like it's closing normally because you are used to this misaligned tray.

At the price of current DVD players I'd say it might be cheaper to buy a new one and then either try and fix yours or give it someone who understands this issue and can repair it.

[Prethen]

That's an awesome reply, thanks. I don't mind the possibility with tinkering, knowing full well I might be buying a brand new player.

[ebenton]

Just curious about this: Does the remote have an open/close button? If so, does it do the same thing when the remote is used?

If yes it's probably the gears from being pushed closed too many times.

If no, it might be a defective switch. Sometimes switches, especially pushbutton ones, "bounce" when you push them.

[ROF]

If you've never opened a DVD drive do a search on the web for DVD drive repair. This should give you some pictures of what these gears look like and may help you in identifying your problem and whether the repair is within your skills range.

If you purchase a new player what's the worst you could do to the old one?

[Ronin2]

I had the same problem with a Hiteker (Apex) AD-700 player a couple of years ago. It turned out to be a small toggle switch within the transport which was used to register when the tray was fully open, the contacts in the switch became oxidised. Fortunately the switch could be pulled apart and cleaned, however it meant removing the transport from the chassis and stripping it down.

Best regards.