LITEON DG-16D4S - SLIM Dirty Disc

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TheBugster

Full Member
Nov 16, 2010
26
0
Hi guys,
Wondering if anyone can help/offer some advice.
I've had a slim with a 16D4s for a few years now with LT+3.0 and everything has been running fine for years (originally to flash I had to do the kamikaze drill but all was good).
Recently I started getting dirty disc problems during games (original and backups) and then started to get open tray issues and you could hear the disc just wasn't spinning. Did lots of research and decided it was probably the laser. I swapped it out (guessing it was new as it had the solder blob on) and things looked good! Everything was working as usual.
Pretty quickly though, problems started again - this time just with dirty discs (the disc was spinning fine) - so sometimes games will load and I won't have an issue but when I try another game, they will crash pretty quickly and if I go back to the game I wasn't having any issues with, it would take some time to get it working again (a few ejects and it seems to sort it). At times nothing would load at all, so playing round with the screws that hold the laser in seems to make a massive difference.
So I'm at the point where i don't think the issue is just the laser. I've read lots about the ribbon cable and the worm motor; but before buying any of that, I wanted to hear people's views and my main question is would games work at ALL if the worms gear/ribbon cable was faulty? As at times it works fine...if it can be intermittent, I'd be happy to swap them out!
Any ideas would be great - as I've had the box open for weeks now and the wife is going crazy!!!!
Cheers
 
BL4K3Y

BL4K3Y

VIP Member
Jul 7, 2010
13,721
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Colne, Lancashire (UK)
If you have played with those screws underneath the mechanism, the laser is probably at the "wrong" angle to be reading discs - those screws should only be turned by about 1/8 each time.

If the laser is too far away from the disc, it will cause problems and if the laser is too close to the disc, it will cause problems.
 
T

TheBugster

Full Member
Nov 16, 2010
26
0
Are you talking about the pot tweaking? For the new laser, I haven't touched them; they are in the original position. The screws I am talking about is the screws holding the shaft down and the white plastic bit holding the laser in place.
 
T

TheBugster

Full Member
Nov 16, 2010
26
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Ah ok, sorry, just wanted to check.

I have tried so many positions of all the screws...it's difficult to determine what is best!

Do you think the worm is ok then as it works sometimes? I am guessing if the worm motor has gone it won't work full stop?
 
Martin C

Martin C

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Jan 10, 2004
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It wasn't a good idea to be messing with the alignment screws. They are set at factory. The best advice now is to replace the drive.
 
T

TheBugster

Full Member
Nov 16, 2010
26
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Hi thanks for the reply.

Just to make things quicker, I found a picture on a site. I have circled the 3 screws in blue that I took out for the laser replacement. I believe you really have to fine tune these - when I have done this, certain games have worked, and some not after lots of playing around! As I've swapped the laser out I am guessing that may not be the only issue (unless the screws are so important) - so maybe the worm gear?

360-drive-motor-t800x533.jpg

Thanks!
 
T

TheBugster

Full Member
Nov 16, 2010
26
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No worries at all - thanks for the help.

I've tightened as much as poss, some tight some not, all loose - and still get unpredictable results which makes me think it isn't just the laser that has probs!
 
P

pmiddy

Noob Account
Nov 15, 2010
9
0
Even as you said in your post .

I swapped it out (guessing it was new as it had the solder blob on) and things looked good! Everything was working as usual.

I also had the same trouble with my sons slim and it was behaving the same as yours and i got a new laser which when used gave me dirty disc error so i pot tweaked the laser
and alls working great now so it goes to show its best to fine tune the laser once you have replaced it (new does'nt mean new if bought off ebay as i think that people take lasers out of machines and then put solder ball on and sell as new) it should work fine
 
T

TheBugster

Full Member
Nov 16, 2010
26
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I will give it a pot tweak then - everyone says if it is brand new the pot tweak shouldn't be fiddled with. I did put a volt meter to the pots and they are a lot lower than the recommended (I think Slims always seem to be lower)
 
P

pmiddy

Noob Account
Nov 15, 2010
9
0
The slims do seem to read between 2/3 and phats read between 3/5 and i always find when i replace lasers i have to give em a nudge as sometimes you seem to find they will read originals at the first go but backups you have to tweak a bit hope this solves your problem
 
Martin C

Martin C

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Jan 10, 2004
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Scotland, UK
www.team-xecuter.com
Take the reading from the original one and set the rating on the new one to match. Calibration might be needing the resistance to be higher.
 
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