Need help repairing DVD player!


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Need help repairing DVD player!

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tycrazyjohn
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Sep 16, 2010, 3:56 AM

Post #1 of 13 (2426 views)
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Need help repairing DVD player!	Can't Post

Okay so a friend of mine gave me a DVD/VCR combo (Zenith XBV343) for free and all he said was the DVD player wouldn't read any discs. Well I've been trying to repair it and I'm a little stuck. I know the spindle/hub motor works fine, and I know the rail motor that moves the optical pick up (lens) along it's tracks works fine, but no matter what every time you put in a DVD it simply won't read it, it will either say disc error or no disc. I also notice the spindle motor "revving up" when it tries to read, it'll go up and down with no success, and when it gives up and stops there's a grinding noise as the disc slows down. However I'm not sure if these are normal noises or what. I've tried cleaning the optical lens and that didn't fix it, so i'm not sure where to look next. I would seriously appreciate any help, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to fix this. Oh and before anyone tries to tell me it's cheaper to buy a new one I already know this. I'm not trying to save money or anything, and I have plenty of DVD players. I just want to fix this one for the satisfaction of it. Thanks a bunch!!

jts1957
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Sep 16, 2010, 4:24 AM

Post #2 of 13 (2424 views)
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Re: [tycrazyjohn] Need help repairing DVD player! [In reply to]	Can't Post

"How" did you clean the optical lens?

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Location: Far, Far Away

tycrazyjohn
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Sep 16, 2010, 4:57 AM

Post #3 of 13 (2422 views)
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Re: [jts1957] Need help repairing DVD player! [In reply to]	Can't Post

I put alcohol on the end of q-tip and cleaned it with that. I don't know of any other way to??

jts1957
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Sep 16, 2010, 5:03 AM

Post #4 of 13 (2420 views)
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Re: [tycrazyjohn] Need help repairing DVD player! [In reply to]	Can't Post

Alcohol sometimes leaves a foggy film. Try "polishing" with a dry Q-Tip. Careful how hard you press down or push laterally.

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Location: Far, Far Away

tycrazyjohn
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Sep 16, 2010, 5:15 AM

Post #5 of 13 (2418 views)
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Re: [jts1957] Need help repairing DVD player! [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks for the tip, I tried it again and used a dry one afterward, still no luck though.

jts1957
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Sep 16, 2010, 5:20 AM

Post #6 of 13 (2417 views)
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Re: [tycrazyjohn] Need help repairing DVD player! [In reply to]	Can't Post

Sometimes the laser just craps out.

Does it play CDs?

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Location: Far, Far Away

tycrazyjohn
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Sep 16, 2010, 5:27 AM

Post #7 of 13 (2415 views)
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Re: [jts1957] Need help repairing DVD player! [In reply to]	Can't Post

Well that's what I'm thinking I'm just wondering if there is a way to know for sure. Oh wow...yes it does play cds. I had no idea. So what does that mean?

jts1957
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Sep 16, 2010, 5:41 AM

Post #8 of 13 (2414 views)
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Re: [tycrazyjohn] Need help repairing DVD player! [In reply to]	Can't Post

DVD portion usually craps out before the CD portion. They may have laser power pots on unit that if tweaked (mark starting point) may give you another up to a year of use. See if there is a KSS number on optical block and Google it to see if available.

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tycrazyjohn
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Sep 16, 2010, 5:47 AM

Post #9 of 13 (2412 views)
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Re: [jts1957] Need help repairing DVD player! [In reply to]	Can't Post

I've searched for that a bunch already and haven't been able to find anything for this model. And I've typed all the numbers on it into google a bunch and haven't been able to come up with anything. If the optical lens is definitely the problem I think I'm just gonna go ahead and order a new one and put it in since I've got the whole thing apart. Partstore.com has one for about $50, which isn't too bad

jts1957
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Sep 16, 2010, 5:55 AM

Post #10 of 13 (2411 views)
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Re: [tycrazyjohn] Need help repairing DVD player! [In reply to]	Can't Post

Have you tried it with the number off the optical block? Partstore is not known as being the cheapest provider. Even MCM electronics should be cheaper if they carry it?

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tycrazyjohn
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Sep 16, 2010, 5:59 AM

Post #11 of 13 (2410 views)
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Re: [jts1957] Need help repairing DVD player! [In reply to]	Can't Post

Yeah I've tried that too, there's two different sets of numbers on the block itself, but both of them don't come up with anything useful. Well I just checked there and they have it for about $5 cheaper. I've never bought this kind of stuff before so I don't know where to look for the cheapest prices

jts1957
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Sep 16, 2010, 6:28 AM

Post #12 of 13 (2409 views)
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Re: [tycrazyjohn] Need help repairing DVD player! [In reply to]	Can't Post

Whichever way you go, most of the time they don't come with instructions.
New optical pickup will have an anti static "clip" or a solder jumper that needs to have the solder removed - compare closely to original.
Mechanically fairly easy to swap - when reassembling it presents a perfect opportunity for relubrication - oil the steel rails and grease the gears.

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Location: Far, Far Away

tycrazyjohn
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Oct 13, 2010, 3:06 AM

Post #13 of 13 (2378 views)
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Re: [jts1957] Need help repairing DVD player! [In reply to]	Can't Post

Well I know it's been about a month but hopefully you can still help me out with this...I ordered the new pick up and swapped them out but now when i turn the dvd player on it says "no disk". The spindle motor spins the disk about a quarter of a turn twice, the optical pick up moves a bit along the rails to a new spot on the disk and the laser lights up but it still won't read anything. I put the old pick up in and that one doesn't work at all now (it used to just read cd's). so i'm assuming I did something wrong when i installed it, but i'm not sure what?? All I had to do was remove the four posts holding the rails in, remove the pick up assembly and unscrew the plastic piece that the gears spin on to move the assembly, and installed the new one. Idk if something has to be adjusted or what but please any help or ideas i can get would be amazing and greatly appreciated!!!

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