Dvd Drive Problem, hitachi 59dj not reading any media Options

[metal_hed]

Ok i will try my best to describe the problem i am having with my hitachi 59dj.

My dvd drive simply will not read any media that is thrown at it, always ends up at 'unplayable disc'. Here is what i have tried so far...

it is not a firmware problem as this drive used to work with originals and backups and slowly started deteriorating without changing the firmware.

I thought the laser was dead so i ordered a new one and the same problem was happening. I thought perhaps i was sent a faulty laser, so i took the laser of another hitachi (which is also a 59dj) drive which i know is working and the problem persisted.

I put the laser back into the working hitachi and hooked up the board of the broken hitachi to it, and it worked perfect, so that rules out any issues with the board.

so now i am stuck as to what the problem could be, my next guess is the motor for the worm screw is malfunctioning but i am not sure. I am guessing this because when the disc is loading, there is a clicking sound coming from the drive as if the laser cannot move or something or is going back n forth on the same spot.

If anyone has had a similar problem, please send some info over if you were able to fix it or if you have other ideas to what it could be that would be great also

Any info is appreciated!

This post has been edited by metal_hed: Feb 25 2009, 05:27 PM

[RDC]

Can you hear the disc spin up?

The Hitachi drives have issues with the Spindle motor (the one that spins the disc) getting all gunked up and not spinning the disc or spinning it too slowly and the drive 'times out' and doesn't work.

Ya have to be careful cleaning and relubricating it because the screws that hold the Spindle motor in place also adjust the disc tilt/angle in relation to the laser and if they get off by a half turn or so it will have problems reading the disc.

[metal_hed]

hmm i never thought of that, and it does sound like sometime the disc spins and other times it doesn't.

Where is that motor located and how would i access it?

and what method is usually best for cleaning that motor, compressed air? or is there another way