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View Full Version : Help: advice on fixing/tinkering with a cd player



symon
29-03-2009, 00:44
I recently bought a Pioneer pd s703 player off ebay. The deck is lovely and I'm amazed by the sound it makes. However, the drawer has stopped working properly. When I try to open it, it makes a whirring sound and fails to open. If I jiggle the drawer when it is trying to open it eventually opens.

Now, I have e-mailed the chap I bought it from and he says he has had no problems with it, but he has diagnosed the problem as a common problem with stable platter players. He says the belt which lifts the laser mechanism and opens the drawer is failing and should be replaced. He has given me three options:
1. return it and get a refund
2. return it and he will replace the belt (he has a spare one)
3. he sends me the replacement belt and I do it.

Now, he has said replacing the belt is extremely fiddly and thinks I would struggle if I did it myself - and he's probably right. I really like the player and don't want to replace it, so option 1 is out.

This leaves me with options 2 or 3. The easiest would be to return it to be fixed (the chap has already modified the player so I trust him enough to do a good job). However, I would like to be able to fix and fiddle with stuff, so doing this could be a good place to start.

So, what should I do?

Can I do irreparable damage by trying to fix it myself? I have no experience of tinkering inside a cd player and I am worried that I could break the player for ever. Or, is this a simple but fiddly and frustrating task that I could do myself as the start of learning about fixing/meddling with stuff?

I am in two minds about what to do and woulld appreciate any comments from the knowledgable people here.

Fix it or send it back? What would AOS do (wwaosd!)?

Thanks
Peter

leo
29-03-2009, 01:25
Hi Peter,

My advice would be to send it back to the guy and let him sort the drawer problem.
Transport mechanisms can be quite fragile, small plastic parts like cogs etc can easily break, also if the mechanism gets knocked out of alignment it can be a pain to set back up.

Tinkering can be very rewarding but its best to practice on a cheap old unit, if anything goes wrong you've not really lost anything:)

Leo

Mike
29-03-2009, 14:31
Why not open the player and have a look?

Ask yourself a few questions once you can see it's innards; can I see the belt that needs replacing?... if so, can I get to it?... if so, am I confident enough to have a go?... can it be sorted out if I cock it up?

If the answer to any of them is 'no' then definitely go for option 2. ;)

symon
09-04-2009, 18:42
I sent it back. Turns out that it was teh grease/oil in the mechanism which had spread around and was causing the belt to slip (or something like that). All fixed now and the door opens as it should. I'm happy again!