? Another Tray Won’t Open Thread

[Synetech]

Hi,

For the past few months, my LG 4163B has been giving me problems in the form of the tray not opening. I found a few similar threads which is kind of concerning, although most of them are sort of old and explainable. I’ve got a new spin on the tray-won’t-open problem. Here are the facts:

• It reads/writes discs without problem.
  
• It always closes just fine, only opening is the problem.
  
• It is not a “locked tray issue”: happens under all kinds of software conditions including when an OS is not even loaded (during BIOS, in DOS, etc.)
  
• It happens whether the open-tray command is issued by pushing the eject button or through software.
  
• It usually can be forced open with a paperclip, but has been known to resist even that!
  
• It is not the bezel getting caught since it still happens with he bezel removed.
  
• Usually occurs many times in a row once it starts, but can suddenly work correctly for a while, then fail again later (no discernable pattern-seemingly intermittent).
  
• It happens with or without a disc.
  
• Trying to clean it with blown air does not help.
  
• It is a master on the primary IDE channel, and all cables seem fine (like I said, it reads/writes fine).
  
• PSU is a new upper-medium-end one.

Like I said, it seems to be a particularly bizarre variation on the issue.

Any ideas are of course welcome.

[Synetech]

Oh, and another weird thing is that sometimes when it won’t open properly, it will open if I hold the eject button, but not if I just push it.

[Synetech]

Argh, no edit.

Anyway, I wanted to add that sometimes if I use a software tool (eg cdtools) to issue numerous open-tray commands (eg >cdro & cdro & cdro & cdro…) then eventually, one of them will work, and sometimes holding the eject button will eventually open it after a few failed openings.

The weirdest thing of all however has to be that every now and then (more and more often it seems) it will pause in the middle of opening! It will be about half-way open (not exactly, just somewhere between open and closed), and will suddenly stop for a split second, then finish opening. It is almost like it is alive and it got spooked and then hesitated, considering whether it is safe to finish opening, then decides to go ahead.

[-FT-]

I have your same drive.. and same problem..

today I just took out the drive and opened it..trying to fix it

it happens that if I took out the metal enclousure (here my little english wont help). it opens every single time.. so I started making some test..

first I'll explain the drive process when the tray opens..
1)first.. the lens go back
2)the plastic rail goes down (key part)
3)the tray goes fordward (opens)

and here is my theory:

and it seems that.. when the magnet from the top (inside the metal enclousure)
touches the magnet near the lens (bouth of them.. place the disc in the rigth position).. this force.. doesnt let the lens rail to go down.. stopping the opening process..

I saw this by carefully start to put the top part of the metal enclousure in this original position, and trying to open the drive.. and the exact second the magnets touched, the tray stop to open again.. I made this many times

this is consistent with the fact that.. even if there was a disk inside.. the tray probably wont open any way, the success rate was a little higher.. (because the magnets were a little more separated, by the disk between them, the magnetic force were a little lower, and the mecanism that moved the rail down, was sometimes able to beat the magnetic force)

if this is correct.. does anyone know a way to solve the problem?.

[Synetech]

Originally Posted by -FT-

I have your same drive.. and same problem..

this is consistent with the fact that.. even if there was a disk inside.. the tray probably wont open any way, the success rate was a little higher.. (because the magnets were a little more separated, by the disk between them, the magnetic force were a little lower, and the mecanism that moved the rail down, was sometimes able to beat the magnetic force)

if this is correct.. does anyone know a way to solve the problem?.

Did you manage to fix this? It sounds like the magnets were somehow getting stronger than they were when the drive was new.

I can’t afford to but a new drive, so I just left a safety pin in the hole, and whenever the tray sticks I push the pin in.