[mgns]

Hi,

My Xbox DVD Drive (Samsung) won't open - you can hear it trying to but it just doesn't. I've opened it up and nothing seems to be worn out or out of allignment.

Strangely, it does open/close once you manage to put a disc in (after using a paperclip for manual eject).

Any ideas on how to solve this?

Thanks

[Chett]

Its caused by the magnet in the lid not releasing the tray mechanism.

If you take the lid off the DVD Drive and hold it in your hands and put your thumbs on the little white disc in the underside of the lid and apply gentle pressure slightly bending the lid (only slightly, its trial and error, you may need to apply pressure to the top side if you bend it too far) you should find this cures it.

You could also cut a couple of discs of wide insulating tape to cover the white plastic disc decreasing the pull of the magnet.

[mgns]

Thanks Chett, I'll give it a try and report back.

[bonzobanana]

This is a common problem with samsung drives both in the original xbox and the 360. Also effects other samsung drives too. Its caused by the belt stretching slightly that is at the front of the drive.

You need a belt with about a 22mm diameter or 66mm circumference. 1.2mm square section. You can get them on ebay for about £3 odd or from cpc.co.uk but their postage is about £5-6, the belt is about 40p. So ebay is cheaper.

I have a few new ones spare. I can do one for £1.50 delivered.

You can bodge the repair by putting pvc tape over the magnetic holder so it doesn't clamp as strongly but then it won't hold the discs quite as well as before. I've done this myself but wasn't happy so decided to get replacement belts as I had a couple of drives like it. They work perfectly now.

Alternatively you might be able to find a thick elastic band around the house to substitute but probably only a short term fix.

If you have any its often worth putting some ptfe lubricant using a cotton bud on the cogs of the eject tray to make it easier and smoother to eject too for a perfect fix.

[Chett]

I agree thats the best way to solve the eject problem bonzo, but im cheap

[mgns]

Cheers for your advice guys. I tried the insulating tape method and it seems ok at the moment. Thanks for the belt offer Bonzobanana, I may have to get back to you about it though.

Is this DVD Drive problem caused by anything specific? The drive hasn't had a great deal of use but I didn't remove games/dvds when turning off the xbox.

Thanks again Chett/Bonzobanana.

[bonzobanana]

Its just a symptom of the little belt stretching at the front of the drive which controls the ejecting and loading of the tray. Its really just a symptom of the belt drying and ageing. The samsung grips dvds with a magnet assembly quite strongly so the belt needs to be in good nick to function properly otherwise it slips. If you reduce the strength of the magnetism by a thin layer of plastic tape it makes it easier to eject the tray or alternatively always remember to leave a disc in the drive.

[fallenangle]

Fascinating and useful thread.

I've just bought a Crystal Xbox from CEX and was please to see it had the Samsung, allegedly the best Xbox disc drive type. Everything appears to work perfectly except for an intermittent problem with the disc tray drawer opening again after closing and occasionally sticking closed.

Somebody else very helpful on another forum said it could be the 'rubber' ejection/close drive belt, mentioned the magnet trick and lubricating the gears too.

The advice they also gave me was that if the belt was cleaned up ie. had any dust, dirt and particularly grease removed that would increase the friction and may solve the problem at least for the time being.

This thread confirms what he said and gives additional good advice, so thanks.

BTW what is that ptfe lubricant mentioned and is there anything else suitable or recommended for these types of uses?

[bonzobanana]

General ptfe lubricant is fine. Screwfix do a can for about £3 under the no nonsense branding. One can will probably last a lifetime for minor stuff like this. You literally just put a cotton bud end to the spray output for a fraction of a second and then dab it around the gears. Ptfe is a good lubricant for plastic gearing, it creates a very thin film that prevents gears from sticking and wearing. The combination of new belt and lubricant should hopeful mean a once only fix. Obviously don't put ptfe on the belt just the actual gearing, the plastic cog and the underside of the tray that the cog touches.

Same rules apply to the 360 and other samsung drives I'm sure.

[fallenangle]

Thanks.

I was asking about any PTFE lubricant alternatives because I was wondering if WD-40, which I do have, would be suitable. It lubricates as well as cleans and removes moisture but I know it is a petroleum based product and not recommended for some types of plastic.

Anybody know if it's safe for use on the Xbox/disc drive mechanism?

Also looking at the variety and vastly different costs of PTFE lube products I'm a bit confused about which type to buy. THe NoNosense brand sold via Screwfix etc is listed for saw/tools and plumbing application but I can't find confirmation of the ingredients it contains.

On eBay/Amazon/Maplin (UK sites) I've found PTFE sprays for plumbing and other DIY uses which just call themselves PTFE sprays, others though state, like GT85, that they're lubricant oil with PTFE. Some which specifically mention plumbing applications like NoNosense say they contain silicone or silcone grease (Maplins PFTE spray states it as the main ingredient) or Teflon and even graphite or a mix of contents. One I've found even says it contains no silicone as if it's some sort of important selling point.

In short, I'm a bit confused. The plumbing specific ones either mention or should be safe for use with plastic pipes. I guess that means they should be OK with the Xbox but with or without silcone/Teflon/graphite? Does it matter?

NoNonsense from Screwfix look cheap but they charge £5 p&p and it's a similar case on Amazon. Best price is that GT85 lube <£4 on eBay inc. p&p but is it suitable? Otherwise it looks like a can of something called D19 is the best equivalent to NoNonsense at <£5.

Any advice appreciated.

[bonzobanana]

I can't say I'm an expert but I suppose I would say that if it calls itself a ptfe lubricant it should be ok but if it says that ptfe is just one of the ingrediants it probably isn't. As you say oil based lubricants are risky they can soften and dissolve plastics so they are a no no. Ptfe lubricants are fine on metals but the important thing is they are also fine on plastics. Do you not have a screwfix trade counter near to you?

[fallenangle]

Thanks.

Yes after doing a bit of research I think I'll steer clear of G85 and SG85 "lubricant oil + PTFE/Teflon". The latter is sold as "suitable" for nylon and plastics but I can't find confirmation that the oil is a plastic safe synthetic type ie. not petroleum based so better safe than sorry.

I can't image silicone as part of the formula would be any problem though unless it breaks down over time. We don't know exactly what's in that NoNosense brand spray and from what I've read of other tool lubricants/plumbing PTFE/Teflon products I'd be surprised if not a mix of some sort.

But I will look for a 'pure' PTFE/Teflon spray in preference although few I've seen list the ingedients. The PTFE/Teflon itself must be suspended in something and, believe me I've searched, there's precious little information about what this is.

No Screwfix trade counter near me AFAIK. Likeliest (UK) DIY places for me would be Dyas (doubtful) or Homebase. From other experiences I've had looking for specialist products at either place, when they have them, it can be very costly.

Looks like online is my best bet.


Edit: I've just discovered that I have buy a new TORX screwdriver set.

What I'm concerned about is that some of the TORX screwdrivers I've seen either have magnetised tips or, in changeable head ones, hold them in place using magnets. They're often sold for DIY PC and mobile phone repairs but I'm wondering if this is actually a type you should avoid for electrical equipment, at least when working inside things like PCs/consoles.

Advice appreciated.


Edit 2: I started a thread about the lubrication issue on the CD/DVD/BluRay drive board so go there for more information.

In short: after quite a bit of online research I've had confirmation from customer support for two suitable products: Super-Lube with Syncolon (their version of Teflon/PTFE) and Finish Line Ceramic Grease which also contains Teflon/PTFE.