3DO FZ-10 Repair: lens/laser issue?

[jasonbar]

[This forum's full of good, helpful, hands-on repair & tinkerer types--let's see if somebody can help me out here!]

Howdy-

I tried to fire up my FZ-10 for the 1st time in a while last night & it wasn't cooperating.

Upon power-up, I get the 3DO logo briefly, then the screen goes black & the disc drive makes awful grinding noises.  I imagine that the laser & lens assembly is whipping back & forth frantically & fruitlessly.

Troubleshooting:
1  - I poked a stick in the switch hole to fool the unit into thinking that the lid was shut & powered up.  The disc spins fine, so the spindle motor seems OK.  Behavior was the same as with the lid closed properly.
2 - I took a clean rag & some ethyl alcohol & wiped the lens.  No change.


Any ideas?  I tried a search on these forums & didn't see this topic addressed--if I've missed an existing thread, my apologies.

I prefer to repair rather than replace (a motto I try to follow in general).  But, if repair isn't an option, what's the going rate for an FZ-1 or FZ-10 console these days?


Thank you,
-Jason

[northerngames]

is it more of a bzz bzzz bzzzz noise or an actual gear grinding popping sound?

it is a flip top correct?

also possible to take the top case off and expose the drive assembly and post some pics.

I never fixed one before but have done plenty on all other console's so I am pretty sure their similiar in most ways.

[jasonbar]

Thanks for the helpful reply.  I wasn't adequately clear in my description, so I took a few videos under different conditions to demonstrate what's happening:

1: Trying to run a disc normally (with lid closed).  Sounds you hear are actually lens zipping back & forth, I think.


2: Trying to run a disc with lid open & screwdriver in lid switch.  Disc spins at different speeds, perhaps b/c system isn't able to read it?


3: Lid open & screwdriver in lid switch, no disc.  Lens pops up & down (focus?).  Spindle doesn't spin, b/c I guess the laser assembly didn't see a disc to spin?



Hopefully this recorded behavior will shed some light on the problem, for those who are experienced w/ disc-based console problems.

Thanks!
-Jason

[gryhnd]

My nephews portable DVD player had a similar sounding problem. I doubt yours is this simple, but it turned out he had somehow gotten a rubber foot/bumper from outside the drive bay, stuck up under the lid. It was very tiny...about 1/8" across...but when the lid was closed it pressed on the disk just enough that it couldn't spin up properly and read.

Then my son's PSP also made a noise. The lens was actually stuck but trying to move. I carefully dragged it to the opposite extreme (cringing at that ratcheting sound as I did so), then tried again. That unstuck it and it has been fine for months now.

[jasonbar]

Thanks for the note & ideas.


I don't think that your DVD player example applies here--I need to confirm that the disc does indeed spin when the lid is shut, but it appears that the drive operates OK w/ the lid open, so I figured I'd get some successful operation w/ the lid open...i.e., the system doesn't seem to rely upon the lid to clamp the disc to the spindle to spin it properly.  I recently messed around w/ my Turbo Duo, and when I tried to run a disc game with the lid open, I got all sorts of slipping between the spindle & disc--the disc wouldn't spin properly.  Not the case w/ the 3DO--the disc snaps on tight w/ detents to the spindle & accelerates fast w/ no slipping sounds.


I've got nothing to lose by applying a little brute force at this point.  The laser/lens is always positioned closest to the spindle whenever I look at it--I'm not sure if that's normal behavior--I kinda figured that I might find it at different locations on its track during my many peeks at it.


The ratcheting you describe sounds like plastic gear teeth being forced to slip past one another--probably not good for longevity!  I think I'll pop open the case & drive the gears by hand & send the laser/lens to another position on its track & see if it goes anywhere.

Thanks,
-Jason

[jasonbar]

Howdy-

I did lots of disassembly & research & testing tonight.  The laser sled was up against its limit switch by the spindle motor & never budged.

After disassembling & pulling the laser sled motor out, upon power up, the 3DO would spin the laser sled motor for a couple of seconds, which normally brings the sled against its limit switch by the spindle motor & it even overspins, popping the clever clutch on the lead screw (I say "normally", since I had the motor detached & it was just spinning air...).

Figuring there was binding in that mechanism, I cleaned & regreased the lead screw, the other slide rail, the pillow blocks, & the gearbox (worm gear).

It would work sometimes but not always.  Occasional binding?  Maaaybe...?  When it wasn't moving, I could feel an occasional soft *click!* in the laser sled motor, as if it were trying to slide the sled & failing.  Also, during the times when it wasn't working is when the spindle motor & focus in/out actuator went ape, making nasty noises.  And, if it were binding, a gentle nudge should unbind it the sled--nope.

I measured 5V on the laser sled leads during that short motion upon power-up.  So, I removed the whole assembly & hooked that motor up to the 5V leads on my power supply to be able to run the sled back & forth at will.  It ran back & forth like a champ!  And then it stopped.  Weird.

Further tests w/ the motor alone w/ my power supply reveal that it runs fine for several bursts & then will stop & be forever unresponsive until I twist the motor shaft, & then it's good again.

Good thing I used to be an electric motor designer & also had a short stint as a professional motor abuser (read, BattleBots competitor).

OK, so this motor seems to have a bad commutator segment.  When it happens to stop on that bad commutator segment, it won't start up again unless I manually rotate the motor to the next commutator segment.


So, I'm confident that a swap of this motor will do the trick.

The trick is *finding* the motor...perhaps, when one buys a replacement laser assembly, one gets the whole kit & kaboodle?


Embossed in the assembly frame is PPE+PS.  That seems to the type of plastic used...

Ink-stamped on the assembly frame is S5801.  That P/N doesn't seem to bring up anything good in Google.

Ink-stamped on the spindle motor is LMRD0019 5607, but I don't need that...

Sticker on the laser sled is M43i3FCFE

Ink-stamped on the motor is PPN13KA11C 23495PD.  Hey, the 1st half of that number turns up lots of motor hits on Google!

Yup, looks like a 5V motor & the can & mount bolts look the same.


Ugh, $10?  http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/LG-ELECTRONICS-414-015B-/414-015B

$24???  http://www.partstore.com/Part/Matsushita/JVC/XLMC222BK/Matsushita/JVC/PPN13KA11C/New.aspx



Pics:
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff97/infernolab/forsale/3do/1-lens_assembly_top.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff97/infernolab/forsale/3do/2-lens_assembly_bottom.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff97/infernolab/forsale/3do/3-lens_assembly_engraving.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff97/infernolab/forsale/3do/4-lens_assembly_ink_stamp.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff97/infernolab/forsale/3do/5-lens_assembly_laser_sled_motor.jpg

Interesting--I came across this site (http://www.datacentra.net/other/3do/3do1.html) & from what I can see (not the whole thing, unfortunately...), the FZ-1 & FZ-10 have the same laser mechanism!

Getting closer!

Thanks,
-Jason

PS--should I be able to see the laser light up when the machine is running?

[northerngames]

usually the laser will lite up for a second and then go out if there is no disk in there.

once a disk is in there spinning and reading though the light should be visible on the bottom of the disk.

eitherway though never look straight down on the laser eye when it is on becuase it could be harmfull to your eye's a side or angled view is fine but never look straight down into the actuall laser eye while it is on.

here's a couple parts console's off ebay for $9.99 plus shipping.

I did not look into them but you may want to check them out and see if they will do that way you can swap the parts and still have some left over of something else goes goofy.

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=3do+parts&_sacat=0&_dmpt=US_Vintage_Video_Games&_odkw=3do+laser&_osacat=0&bkBtn=&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313

[jasonbar]

Thanks for the info.  Try as I might, I couldn't see the laser lighting up.  So, I hooked up the machine & fired up a game & it played fine for a good half hour or so.  Either I was getting lucky, or the laser sled motor is acting better.

Either way, I think I'll pick up a $10 replacement motor to have on hand--can't hurt.

Thanks for the eBay links--I saw those consoles but I think a little motor will be my 1st repair attempt before getting a whole extra console.

Thanks,
-Jason