This is my first post here. I ran across your forum while doing a web search on my particular problem. I already searched your forums as well as the cd repair faq at repairfaq.org and found some useful info, however, nothing helped and I'd like to get my specifics out there so hopefully someone can provide some insight.
I have an Aiwa CX-NMT70 3 cd system bought in 1998, with a KSS213B, 16x61, AZ446 pickup (label on pickup). It has treated me well all this time for the relatively sporadic times I've used it. Over its life, probably twice in the 9 years, the CD would start skipping sections of songs or not want to read certain tracks of the CD right or start at like 0:15 seconds into a track. Both times I simply opened the case and cleaned the CD lens with alcohol and all was well. This time when this started happening this simple fix did not work. I put in a CD, it spins fine, and I can see the CD lens moving up and down underneath, focusing I assume. It does read the CD info as it shows the total time and number of tracks on the display. However when hitting play, it will just spin and make the choppy/ffwd sound the entire time, i.e. no music. If I hit track advance, the CD pickup will move, but again, never finds any music, and finally gives up and the CD pickup returns back to the home position. The lens appears to be crystal clean. I verified the laser is working using my nightvision scope. I bumped/tapped various things to look for loose wiring and such. I pulled out and reseated the ribbon connectors. Even though it is mentioned to not do it, I adjusted the laser pot, with no noticeable changes. The conclusion I've come to is that it needs some tracking adjustments, not focus since it can read the CD info fine. I looked all around various boards and such for anything mentioning tracking, TG, TO, etc, but found nothing. Plus I could find no mention of how to adjust tracking on the web. So can anyone help me out? How to adjust tracking, what else to look at, etc? TIA.
Chad
I have an Aiwa CX-NMT70 3 cd system bought in 1998, with a KSS213B, 16x61, AZ446 pickup (label on pickup). It has treated me well all this time for the relatively sporadic times I've used it. Over its life, probably twice in the 9 years, the CD would start skipping sections of songs or not want to read certain tracks of the CD right or start at like 0:15 seconds into a track. Both times I simply opened the case and cleaned the CD lens with alcohol and all was well. This time when this started happening this simple fix did not work. I put in a CD, it spins fine, and I can see the CD lens moving up and down underneath, focusing I assume. It does read the CD info as it shows the total time and number of tracks on the display. However when hitting play, it will just spin and make the choppy/ffwd sound the entire time, i.e. no music. If I hit track advance, the CD pickup will move, but again, never finds any music, and finally gives up and the CD pickup returns back to the home position. The lens appears to be crystal clean. I verified the laser is working using my nightvision scope. I bumped/tapped various things to look for loose wiring and such. I pulled out and reseated the ribbon connectors. Even though it is mentioned to not do it, I adjusted the laser pot, with no noticeable changes. The conclusion I've come to is that it needs some tracking adjustments, not focus since it can read the CD info fine. I looked all around various boards and such for anything mentioning tracking, TG, TO, etc, but found nothing. Plus I could find no mention of how to adjust tracking on the web. So can anyone help me out? How to adjust tracking, what else to look at, etc? TIA.
Chad
Hi Chad and welcome,
Just because the laser appears to be working it doesn't necessarily mean that it is strong. Laser power gradually deteriorates over time. There is probably a pot to adjust the laser power to compensate but this is only a temporary fix since it hastens the laser's death. You may have turned the laser power up too high or left it too low when you turned the pots.
Messing with the pots as you've done is not such a good idea if you aren't experienced. I know because I have done it myself
Exercise caution here. A quarter turn is a lot
I'll let other more knowledgable people explain the recalibration process which normally requires an oscilloscope.
There is one simple possibility left:
The laser sled runs along a metal bar and track. These are greased for obvious reasons. Sometimes with age (and dirt and especially tobacco smoke) this grease hardens in some areas (this often relates to different areas of the disc) and prevents the laser from tracking the CD properly. Skipping quickly toward the end of a disk can sometimes get past the icky sticky bit and therefore reveal the cause of your problem but, in this case, I don't think you have anything to lose by trying it anyway. Get some cotton buds (Q-tips) and clean the old grease from the tracks and then regrease them but not too much. Some people recommend specific types but I have been happy with regular 3 - in - one oil.
Did you readjust the pots back to their original settings? Are they marked?
Good luck,
Martin.
Just because the laser appears to be working it doesn't necessarily mean that it is strong. Laser power gradually deteriorates over time. There is probably a pot to adjust the laser power to compensate but this is only a temporary fix since it hastens the laser's death. You may have turned the laser power up too high or left it too low when you turned the pots.
Messing with the pots as you've done is not such a good idea if you aren't experienced. I know because I have done it myself
Exercise caution here. A quarter turn is a lot
I'll let other more knowledgable people explain the recalibration process which normally requires an oscilloscope. There is one simple possibility left:
The laser sled runs along a metal bar and track. These are greased for obvious reasons. Sometimes with age (and dirt and especially tobacco smoke) this grease hardens in some areas (this often relates to different areas of the disc) and prevents the laser from tracking the CD properly. Skipping quickly toward the end of a disk can sometimes get past the icky sticky bit and therefore reveal the cause of your problem but, in this case, I don't think you have anything to lose by trying it anyway. Get some cotton buds (Q-tips) and clean the old grease from the tracks and then regrease them but not too much. Some people recommend specific types but I have been happy with regular 3 - in - one oil.
Did you readjust the pots back to their original settings? Are they marked?
Good luck,
Martin.
I knew the cautions of adjusting the laser, but I figured, why not give it a try. If I remember, I don't think that pot allowed me to adjust more than a quarter turn in total anyway. I am pretty sure I got it back to close to where it was to begin with, as it had a paint spot "glueing" it to its original spot, and I matched that up.
Oh, before I forget, I did try various CD's, various makes, various CDR's, etc, with no difference, and all are clean and work on my other CD players.
As for the metal bar and track of the laser sled/pickup, it appears to be very clean and lubed and runs smoothly, both from when I advance tracks, to also me manually moving the sled from end to end of its travel. Unfortunately I don't think that's the problem.
Thanks. Please continue with suggestions.
Chad
Oh, before I forget, I did try various CD's, various makes, various CDR's, etc, with no difference, and all are clean and work on my other CD players.
As for the metal bar and track of the laser sled/pickup, it appears to be very clean and lubed and runs smoothly, both from when I advance tracks, to also me manually moving the sled from end to end of its travel. Unfortunately I don't think that's the problem.
Thanks. Please continue with suggestions.
Chad
chadgt said:
I'm not saying that this is definitely the problem but in my experience you just can't tell without cleaning and regreasing. Think of the limited strength of the motor and the extremely high accuracy required to follow the disc.
The point here is: This is a process of elimination. Do it properly and then rule it out.
The "tracking" as you put it is a little more complicated than it sounds. It's pretty hard to get right once it's messed with. You might be lucky though. You have just introduced another variable. I know how it's done but lack the equipment and experience to do so. The KSS units I have seen have always been a pain for me but this is only MY limited experience.
The sticky sled thing seems to fit the profile: Hardly played in a long time. A faulty spindle or sled motor springs to mind also. I.E. it appears to spin but actually vibrates causing skipping.
I've seen plenty of worn out lasers but I have no idea whether a laser is likely to deteriorate from age and under-use? I've never had to repair a player that has not been in regular use.
You could always buy a new laser but this would be a gamble.
You could remove the motors and power them from a battery (of the correct voltage) to determine they are operating smoothly.
Fixing CD players is a process of elimination I'm afraid.
It's an Aiwa. Do you really want to go to the trouble?
Anyone else have an opinion?
Ok, I'll give the clean and grease a try, in the next couple days or this weekend. Yeah, I know, it's an Aiwa, but I am not afraid to take any various electronics or appliances apart regardless of age/price/brand and fix them myself if possible, with many successes in the past. I obviously will not take it anywhere to be fixed/looked at, but would rather not have to buy a new system for our limited use situation.
As for the possibility of a worn out laser, if it was worn out, would it still be able to read the total time and tracks of a cd, but then not read the music? That's just the kicker for me saying the laser works fine since it can read them, but I'm not a cd laser expert.
Chad
As for the possibility of a worn out laser, if it was worn out, would it still be able to read the total time and tracks of a cd, but then not read the music? That's just the kicker for me saying the laser works fine since it can read them, but I'm not a cd laser expert.
Chad
chadgt said:
Yes. A worn out laser can often read the Table of contents (track listings/total time) and even, sometimes, play a whole song without skipping. It all depends on exactly what state it's in. Lasers are peculiar things!!
I have a player at the moment awaiting a new laser. It reads the T.O.C 80% of the time and skips just enough to be annoying irrespective of disc type or length. Sometimes they just refuse to play at all.
As I said before buying a new laser would be a gamble but it's entirely up to you. Eliminate the motor and sled lubrication problems first since these cost no money for you to check.
Cheers,
Martin.
Even though I had posted several months ago, and time went by without me doing anything with my cd player, and trying a couple different things, lubing rails did nothing, I finally fixed it this past weekend. I ended up buying a new KSS213B pickup from electronix.com for $8, swapped it out, and it works fine now. Excellent. Although I must say, I was stumped and angered for awhile (and even had electronix send me another pickup for free thinking the first was defective) for awhile not realizing that you need to remove the little dot of solder that acts as a static charge protector. And I lucked upon this information doing some web searches. I really don't understand why there wouldn't be a note on or in the pickup box saying to do that. Regardless, the cd is back to working, so I'm happy.
Chad
Chad
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