I have a Pioneer CLD95 Laser Disc that seems to do everything but spin the disc (any disc). It moves the laser and I can see the red dot but using a IR tester shows no output from the laser. The ribbon cable is in good shape. I do not have the service manual for it. Is there any way to determine what might be the problem?
The laser is visible, not IR. That's why you see the red dot! It's not strong enough to do damage to your eyes when you look at it for a moment from inches away, because it is focused on where the disc sits. However staring at the laser for a long period of time is not advisable.
Have you cleaned the lens and checked that the sled assemble moves freely? Checked home position sensor? A bad optical pickup will usually still give a visible red dot, but may be defective for one of several reasons - The laser output may have weakened so the reflection is too weak to be reliably used. The sensor portion may have failed, leading to the same thing - no reflection is detected from the disc. The optics within the optical pickup may be dirty - cigarette smoke, cooking smoke or dust can easily migrate under the top focusing lens and coat the internal optics. This cannot be disassembled and cleaned. The focusing coils could have failed. Even if the ribbon cable appears OK and the laser emits a red dot, there could be a failed copper trace in the sensor or focus wiring.
I would look for a service manual so you can do the correct diagnostics before purchasing a new laser (if it's available.)
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