Get the Fix: Playstation 3

[ArugulaZ]

Long time no see, folks!

So... I was hunting for deals on eBay, and came across a Playstation 3 for an outrageously low ninety bucks. The only issue (and you knew this was coming, admit it!) is that the Blu-Ray player won't read discs. Evidently the previous owner's rambunctious kids jammed a DVD into the unit, screwing up the drive pretty badly. He was able to fish the disc out of the system, but now it won't read anything, leading him to unload his freshly ruined PS3 on the nearest sap. I am that sap.

My question is this. How difficult do you think it will be to fix this machine? What parts of the drive would be affected by pressure from a disc forced into the drive slot? Would it just be the mechanical parts, or could the lens have been damaged too? How much do you think repairing this system will cost? I'd love your input, because I'll be receiving the system in a few days and I could use all the help I can get!

[Aguiluz]

Pictures of the drive internals can help. Anything bent or broken can be seen.

[ArugulaZ]

I'll certainly post pictures when I receive the system.

[ArugulaZ]

The pictures are crappy, but it's the best I can do with what I've got.







The problem I'm having right now seems to be mechanical. As you can see from the pictures, the drive arms will rotate properly, but there's a plastic pin blocking access to the drive, and nothing I've done can make it go down. I've got no idea what the deal is with that. Presumably it locks the disc inside while in use, but all it's doing now is locking discs OUT. I've taken the liberty of cleaning the lens (carefully!) with a cotton swab and isopropyl alcohol, drying off the lens with the other end immediately afterward.

[Helpplease]

Why don't you just replace the drive? Easier that way, found spare ones not to expensive online.

[ArugulaZ]

Got some links? I've searched on eBay but haven't found any really mindblowing deals.

[ArugulaZ]

I think I know what's wrong with the drive... I'm just not sure what to do about it. There's a black bracket on the left hand side of the drive that is supposed to slide up and down, but it only wants to go up... pulling it down is a Herculean effort to say the very least. I don't know if I'm describing this well, but the point is that the mechanics seem to be shot. I'm not sure about the laser, though.

[vskid]

Could you somehow get a disc into the drive while its apart, then put it back together so you can at least test the laser? The laser should be ok.

[ArugulaZ]

That's the way it was shipped, actually. There was a copy of Sleeping Beauty in the drive, and it wouldn't eject, nor would it play. The previous owner said that the drive was working fine before his kids crammed in the disc, so there's some hope that the lens(es) are still functional. I don't know; the only way I'll know for sure is if I swap the laser with a drive whose mechanical parts still work properly. That drive, by the way, is on order and should arrive by next week... cross your fingers!

[ArugulaZ]

I've got the system fixed! Hoohah! Only problem is that I don't have a suitable joypad for it; just a Playstation 2 to Playstation 3 controller adapter. It works fine in most cases but there doesn't seem to be an equivalent for the Guide/Home button. Holding down analog yields no results.