Has anybody managed to get to the laser in a 901 so as to give it a clean? My problem is that it only reads CDs when it wants to (which isn't very often lately!). This includes my lense cleaner CD. I was hoping that cleaning it manually would be the solution rather than fork out the equivalent of a mortgage of a small bungalow on a new/recon'd head unit.
Think someone on here has said how to do it, but can't remember who it was (sorry). You could just get an extra 6cd changer, they are pretty cheap.
Someone posted how in my thread :) http://www.vpcuk.org/forums/showthread.php?t=32198
Cheers. I'll give that a try tonight if I get chance. I've already got the 6 disc changer in the boot, but I get annoyed if something isn't working that should be! I'll let you know how I get on...
Yay!! I followed the advice given by BlackC70 (BIG thanks mate) and it now works a treat! *touching wood as I type* I actually used vodka instead of cleaning spirit, so if Jason Mraz starts singing all slurred like Shane MacGowan (Pogues) at least I'll know why! So simple to do too. It now means I can go back to being lazy by not having to walk round to the boot to swap CDs!!
It's all good fella :) I just licked a cotton bud when I did mine - I'll probably give it a good going over again when I can be bothered - it got to a stage on mine where it wouldn't read any CDs at all!!
I had already actually bought a second 901 off fleabay before I tried youe suggestion which will ahrdly play anything. I am trying to repair it using the same method but it's not going as well! I recontacted the guy I bought it off and he is going down the lines of "It must have been damaged in transit". That old chestnut. I'm not a happy bunny.
What's it doing (or not doing) - does it read the TOC of the CDs or does it just eject through the cartridge before ejecting it? Might need more than a cotton bud clean if the laser is out of focus or if the sled is gummed up with muck - that'll be a case of stripping the top inner cover off the mech and going from there.
It's skipping across the surface, picking up some tracks and not others. Strangely, there is one cd which plays each time every time! Stripping the top inner cover off looks virtually impossible! You ever done that?
no unfortunately not - I've had other ones apart and usually it's a load of springs that are pretty much almost impossible to refit. sounds like the laser might just be dirty though, I'd try giving it a good clean out with lens cleaning solution, however nothing ventured - nothing gained. If you're gonna attempt to strip it, take plenty of photos so you know where everything goes :)