Dvdrom Spindle - Over-magnetized?, Tray won't open Options

[Evil Ryu]

Just wondering if anyone has come across a problem like this. I've got two different dvdrom drives (one Thomson, and one Samsung) that have problems with the tray opening. Upon investigation, it appears as though the dvdrom drive has a tough time pulling the spindle down and away from the plastic magnetic piece on the lid of the dvdrom drive.

If I pull up on the lid of the dvdrom drive just slightly, the tray will open. It seems as though either the spindle itself or the plastic piece on the lid may have become over-magnetized and it seems it's more difficult to separate the two now. Just a guess - as it's kind of hard to prove, but I can't seem to think what else may be causing this (maybe a loose drive belt?).

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks

[themikesssta]

try removing the lid and bending it a little bit so the spindle sits a bit higher, sometimes the lid seems to sag over time.

[henno]

Change the drive belt @ the front of the mech & clean the side rails of the tray & the bits that the tray sldes on/against. T he thompson,samsung & most the pther drives suffer from the same prob's after a few years & depending on dust & usage. cheers .

[Evil Ryu]

Thanks for the replies guys.

themikesssta - I'll give that a whirl and see if it helps.

henno - I've cleaned & lubed the rails and such (pretty much anything that moves), but it didn't help. Maybe I'll try swapping the belt with another one (if I've got one in a spare drive). I could tell if the belt was slipping or not - as the tray is in the way. I don't think there's an easy way to remove the tray on the Samsung drives is there?

[Evil Ryu]

Got it fixed over the weekend. It ended up being the white sliding piece - it was rubbing on the motor as it passed over.

Just thought I would post an update for you guys...