Aiwa Cd Player problemo

[alyam]

hello,
i have an aiwa cd stereo system (model xr-em50) that works great - except the cd player. it plays a cd then wont be able to read the cd with a message " no disk." if i buy a new cd, it will play it off and on. when it's playing, it sounds really good. it's just a question of getting it to read all cd's. i have tried cleaning the laser disk, etc - but doesn't make a difference.
any ideas?
alyam

 

[Resqueline]

Did you try to clean the lens? Another test is to tilt the player 30-60 degrees (forward, backward, sideways).

 

[alyam]

Resqueline ,
thanks for your reply. i did try cleaning the lens...nada
i just tipped it to the side, front and back like you advised and it seemed to read the cd - although it makes a high pitched sound while spinning - question is how to eliminate that sound. and how often to tip it...
alyam

 

[alyam]

it has seemed to go off again and doesn't repond to tipping it any direction now. that's the problem- it's inconsistent. don't know what else to try. perhaps the lazer lens is bad?

 

[Resqueline]

The tilt test is supposed to be done while attempting to play to see if it will play reliably in any position other than horizontal.
It's a test that will reveal possibly worn-out spindle bearings, as well as possible tracking offset errors.
I have no idea why it should start to make a high pitched sound after being tilted and not before.
The sound may be emitted by an overly "nervous" tracking system.

 

[alyam]

it does play when tilted with the cd's it can read. could this be a matter of replacing the laser lens? and if so, what are the costs involved?

 

[Resqueline]

Ok, if it always plays while tilted (any way) then the spindle motor bearings are shot. Replace the spindle motor, it should be quite cheap.

 

[alyam]

here's the thing...it doesn't always play while tilted. it can read only a few new cds and not most others. i have tried the cd laser lens cleaner and it remains the same. if the unit is on for a while it will not be able to read a cd...unless i turn it off for a while.

 

[MattyMatt]

I will be honest... I don't know a lot about laser reading... but I have fixed a couple of PS2's with similar errors... could it be a laser lens misalignment?

 

[alyam]

might that be why it is inconsistent in reading cd's? and if it is a case of misalignment, is that an easy correction to fix?

 

[MattyMatt]

well, as far as alignment goes, I am honestly not too sure, it very greatly depends on the actual player itself... I have honestly not done any of these kinds of alignments I have only done the ones on a PS2... and those are very time consuming due to how it is supposed to be tested.

I know there are repair shops that can still do that kind of stuff... I don't know exactly what is required, but I am pretty sure something specialized is required, the way I did it with a PS2 can be found here:

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/guides/2003/11/ps2-repair-guide.ars/

Keep in mind, this general issue with PS2's is only ONE level of alignment, I believe it would be the "z axis adjustment" IE: how close the lens is to the disc.

but honestly not many things look even REMOTELY close to this, and the reason why its time consuming is that I never had anything really precision enough to do this job correctly.... is was like taking a machete and trying to clear an acre of brush.... you may be able to do it, but it probably won't be worth your time.

Either way, I wish you good luck in your ventures!

 

[alyam]

thanks for your guidance - let's hope it's back up and running soon!
alyam

 

[annmarie]

I have a 3 cd changer, and a 5 cd changer neither one will play a cd. radio and casette are fine. How to find a repair shop near San Francisco, Oakland or East Bay California
Ann