PD-M551 CD Changer skips all discs

Back in November 2001, I posted a message to this group about my PD- M551 and got the right answer on the first try:

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I acquired and installed that ribbon cab;e and used the CD changer for a couple of more years, but it developed another quirk that I have not taken the time to research until now. When you insert the 6-disc cartridge and press play, it pulls in each disc, rejects it without playing anything and moves to the next disc until it fails all of them.

I was under the impression that the new pickup cable I put in was actually an improved cable over the original. Was I mistaken, and will another cable repair the problem, or do I have a different problem now?

Thanks,

Steve

Reply to
steventhomas42
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There are two very common problems on all of the Pioneer players from that era. First is the spindle motor. When a disc has loaded, does it spin ? If not, does it start if you 'help' it ? Second problem on ones with the deck mounted on top of the mech upside down, is the laser lens having fallen out of its carrier. Try gently shaking the player or tipping it around to see if you can hear anything rolling about. The lens can be re-attached, but it's a bit of a delicate job, and there are a couple of pitfalls to look out for. If it turns out to be either of these problems, post back, and one of us should be able to guide you through the repair process. FWIW, I think it is unlikely that you would have a problem again with the flexiprint cable.

Arfa

Reply to
Arfa Daily

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Also, collapsed rubber insulators allow the disc to scrape while playing. Very common, and causes skipping.

Mark Z.

Reply to
Mark Zacharias

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M551and got the right answer on the first try:

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It's not skipping because it never plays anything. The discs stay in for about 5 seconds before they are returned to the cartridge and the next disc is pulled.

Reply to
steventhomas42

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Oh yeah. Forgot that one, Mark ! :-)

Arfa

Reply to
Arfa Daily

Yes, but what Mark is saying, is that if they collapse badly enough, the disc can 'catch' enough to stop it rotating at all, which gives you the 'no play' condition. It's probably a bit confusing that you use the word "skip" in your post's subject. So now you have the three commonest problems which cause the 'no play' condition, as you describe, defined for you.

So, does the disc spin at all, or is the lens rolling around inside the player ?

Arfa

Reply to
Arfa Daily

M551and got the right answer on the first try:

As another post mentioned, first check to see if the disc is rotating at all. While a disc is in position, you can give it a nudge to see if it is free to spin. If it is free to spin but doesn't could be a bad spindle motor or lack of focus due to a dropped lens (or something else).

A common symptom of the bad spindle motor though is that the disc turns too slowly to be recognized, not that it doesn't spin at all.

More info in the CD Repair FAQ at the Web sites below.

--
    sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/ 
 Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/ 
 Click to see the full signature
Reply to
Samuel M. Goldwasser

I've found both to be about equally the case, Sam. When they run slowly, the Pioneers almost always 'squeal', which is a dead giveaway of spindle motor trouble. But I've also had lots with a dead spot, and which don't spin at all until given a little 'help'. Once they've been got running, some will come up to speed ok enough to read the TOC, but others will run slowly, and do the squealing thing.

Arfa

Reply to
Arfa Daily

I've seen bad pickups squeal (oscillate) before the spindle motor even turns. Also, sometimes a spindle motor can set up a mechanical resonance with the pickup and you can hear it whistle at a rate equal to the disc rotation. You can even see the sine wave imposed on the focus and tracking error waveforms. This seems to happen more on Sony's, though...

Mark Z.

Reply to
Mark Zacharias

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