Is Hitachi Bricked? Options

[Danny-boy]

Im trying to repair a hitachi ( 46dh) as it constantly shows unplayable disc errors, after following pot tweak fix there is no change. It will not play any media at all, however when trying with top of drive removed It still spins and there are red dots from the lasers, does that mean that lasers still work, ie not burnt out? and its not spindle sticking so Could it be a fw issue?

Stumped

[deadpool66]

Maybe its just old and worn out dump the firmware try a new laser or just replace the drive. I had one that would not play anything I cleaned the lens and it would read 10 percent of the time after tried other fixs and no dice either. These drives are pretty crappy to begin with and like I mentioned above it may just need to die.

[RDC]

The light can be on and still no one at home so to speak, so just because the thing lights up doesn't mean it's working.

The POT tweak isn't a guaranteed fix, it works on some Lasers and on some it doesn't, just depends on the shape it's in.

If this drive has played discs before then it should only need a new Laser to get going again. The only way for the FW to really get messed up is for someone to have tried something with it.

[Danny-boy]

If this drive has played discs before then it should only need a new Laser to get going again. The only way for the FW to really get messed up is for someone to have tried something with it.

Its from an ebay xbox, I have done a successful flash so prob not that, sounds like a new laser may be in order then.

[angusbeef]

Have you tried backing off the 3 screws that hold the spindle in place? I recently found out that this was my problem.

On Hitachi drives, the spindle (thing that spins the discs) shouldn't be screwed all the way tight. For mine, I tightened all three of them, then the outer 2 screws I backed off 1.5 turns, and the middle one I backed of .5 turns.

The drive went from reading nothing, to having no problems at all.

[Danny-boy]

Have you tried backing off the 3 screws that hold the spindle in place? I recently found out that this was my problem.

On Hitachi drives, the spindle (thing that spins the discs) shouldn't be screwed all the way tight. For mine, I tightened all three of them, then the outer 2 screws I backed off 1.5 turns, and the middle one I backed of .5 turns.

The drive went from reading nothing, to having no problems at all.

Do you mean the 3 hex nuts ?

[RDC]

Its from an ebay xbox, I have done a successful flash so prob not that, sounds like a new laser may be in order then.

So you haven't seen it play a a game disc before? I wouldn't trust an eGhey 360 half as far as I could throw it, unless you know the person ya bought it from and that it has read game discs before ya may be wasting your time with it, especially if you don't know the history of the drive. Just because it flashed successfully means nothing, the key could be anything but the one that matches the motherboard. The drive should still play CDs and DVD movies though, so start there with it.

Also only the 2 outside screws are for adjustment, the middle one should be left alone.

[Danny-boy]

Point taken RDC! Is there a way to check the keys from either the drive or the mobo? I know its still risky buying from ebay however I always send the owners a list of questions as long as my arm, and this was sold as having a dead drive, as I'm not in it to make money just 'for the fun of fixing it' (ha ha ) and maybe learning something, if its a nice xbox shaped ashtray then, so be it.

This post has been edited by Danny-boy: Jan 17 2009, 11:00 AM

[RDC]

You can dump the drive FW and look at that key all day long, but with nothing to compare it to that's really pointless. You can only get the key form the motherboard if ya have the correct one on the drive anyway, catch-22, so if ya can't get it to play any games after installing a new laser then it's probably not the right one.

In your case what ya should try to do is get it reading CDs and DVD movies with no issues, then once it reads them fine throw ever single XBOX and 360 game disc ya have at it. Even if the thing only boots 1 out of 100 different game discs you'll know the key is good and it's just some Laser issue or adjustment that needs tweaked.

[Danny-boy]

You can dump the drive FW and look at that key all day long, but with nothing to compare it to that's really pointless. You can only get the key form the motherboard if ya have the correct one on the drive anyway, catch-22, so if ya can't get it to play any games after installing a new laser then it's probably not the right one.

In your case what ya should try to do is get it reading CDs and DVD movies with no issues, then once it reads them fine throw ever single XBOX and 360 game disc ya have at it. Even if the thing only boots 1 out of 100 different game discs you'll know the key is good and it's just some Laser issue or adjustment that needs tweaked.

Will do. Thanks for your time.

[angusbeef]

Do you mean the 3 hex nuts ?

I think it's just 3 screws. If you turn the drive over there should be 3 screws in the spindle motor platform. Mine had the problem that it would only read CDs until I backed off the outside screws 1.5 turns and the middle screw .5 turn.

[Danny-boy]

I think it's just 3 screws. If you turn the drive over there should be 3 screws in the spindle motor platform. Mine had the problem that it would only read CDs until I backed off the outside screws 1.5 turns and the middle screw .5 turn.

do you mean the 3 i've marked??

[angusbeef]

do you mean the 3 i've marked??

Yes those are the ones. I guess you're right they are hex cap, but they are screws not nuts

I don't know what the normal distance they are supposed to be, but what I did seemed to work great on mine. At first I just loosened the two outside screws and it would read correctly about 8 out of 10 times (ejecting and putting the game disc back in). After I backed off the middle half a turn, it read correctly 10/10 tries.

[Danny-boy]

So after a replacement laser, and a pot tweak, it now plays dvd's. But not CD's or xbox games, the retail games or backups. Does the fact it plays dvd's mean its not a bad key/mobo match as Im quite happy to keep tinkering till its revived but dont want to be wasting my time.

[RDC]

If the key is missing or incorrect it'll play everything but XBOX/360 games, so until it boots one or the other of those you'll never really 100% know if it's a key issue (most likely as it came from eGhey and wasn't messed with) or if the drive is just being a stain about reading them.