Dreamcast problems, please help...

Eirinjas · Post by **Eirinjas** » Fri Dec 06, 2002 2:55 pm

I just bought a *backup* Dreamcast like 2 or 3 weeks ago. You can only buy them refurbished anymore but I figured for $40 it's definitely worth it to have a backup system.

Anyway, I finally got around to testing it today cuz I wanted to put it away in storage. It worked beautifully for 3-5 minutes and then in the middle of loading a stage for a game the screen went black. I waited a minute or two and then I opened up the lid and it sent me to the *setup* screen. Here I closed the lid again and pressed for it to play the game that was in there but it kept asking me to insert a disc. I tried removing the disc, inspecting it for dirt ( it's brand new - no scratches ), reinserting it, and nothing. It keeps asking for a disc. I tried a different disc and the same. I then realized that the CD-lens head wasn't moving. It was stuck right near the CD-spindle. I tried gently pushing it back with a pen. I then turned the system on and it worked again for about a minute or two and then the lens got stuck again.

What can I do to fix this? If I can't fix it I'm gonna be out $40 cuz "Babbages" has a stupid return policy. The system seems fine otherwise.

I appreciate your time,

Jas

MidnightObsidian · Post by **MidnightObsidian** » Fri Dec 06, 2002 5:45 pm

One of two things. It's most likely that the lens's stepping motor is only getting a single polarity of power, so it's only moving in one direction. That's probably because there is something wrong with its wiring, which should be easy enough to fix; just check the four-wire (I think) line coming off of the laser assembly and going onto the GD-ROM controller board.

If everything's insterted correctly, then chances are it's just something physically wrong with the gears. Make sure that they can move in both directions, and lubricate them. That's really all of the advice I can offer with the information given.

Good luck!

Eirinjas · Post by **Eirinjas** » Fri Dec 06, 2002 6:36 pm

I'll try opening the system ( something I've never done with a Dreamcast ) and looking to see if anything is amiss. There was some hesitation when I tried to push the lens head back away from the spindle so maybe it is a gear or something. I just hope I don't make it any worse.

Eirinjas · Post by **Eirinjas** » Fri Dec 06, 2002 10:28 pm

After reading a lot of tutorials and whatnot both on this sight and on many other sites on the web I decided to open it and see what's what.

The system is in great condition - it's not dirty, no dust inside, the gears are clean. Before opening it I read on a PSX repair site that you can sometimes tap the cd-lens mount and that helps loosen things up right. So I tried that. I didn't test run it but went ahead and opened it. I took the modem off, I took the screws out and removed the top half of the case. I lifted the gd-rom taking care not to jostle or mess with the fragile cable running to it. The gd-rom's wires ran down the side and were pinned back by a clip so I couldn't lift it up enough to look under it. I carefully moved the wires with a needle-nose plier and then lifted it. Everything was clean as a whistle. I then tried rolling the cd-lens' drive gears with my fingers. I noted that it easily rolled up and down the poles without any hesitation. It could roll down to the end near the spindle and back out with no problem. Hmmmm.... and that was my whole problem before! It would get stuck near the spindle.

I put the drive back in it's place. Put the case top back on but did not tighten everything up just yet. I popped in UT to see if it would run. Much to my surprise it did! No problems so far! I'm gonna test a few more games and see how it goes though before I screw it back together.

Now, what else could have caused this problem? Besides gunked up drive gears? I'm wary that I might not have this problem licked yet.

I appreciate everyones attention to this. Thanks!

Pong · Post by **Pong** » Mon Dec 09, 2002 1:30 pm

See my post "The Boulevard of Broken Dreamcasts...".

Sounds like you inadvertantly fixed the bad flex-cable connection problem that seems to be an issue with DC's. If the flex cable does not make good connections with the lased transport assembly, then the DC will act just as yours did.

Scott