PS3 won't read disks - argh

[Gunslinger08]

Well, it finally happened. I have a 60gig PS3 from about a month after launch. I haven't had any problems with it until tonight. I went to watch a movie and it wouldn't read the disk. Pulled it out, wiped it off, and tried again. Rebooted and tried again. Tried another movie. Tried a DVD. Reformatted. It won't read anything. The disk image in the top right corner just spins and spins. Sounds like my drive is probably dead. Awesome. How much is this going to cost me and how long is it going to take? Am I going to get my actual system back, or are they going to send me a refurb?

 

[Gunslinger08]

Anybody used Videogame 911 for repairs? Saw someone recommending them, saying they were faster and cheaper than Sony.

http://www.videogame911.com/

 

[mindcycle]

If you're gonna void the warranty by using a repair shop you might as well just replace the drive yourself. I replaced the drive in my 20GB launch PS3 and it took about an hour after I read through some tutorials on opening the system. Got a replacement drive off ebay for around $90.

All you have to do is make sure you get the same model drive and then swap the controller card on the bottom of the drive with the controller card from the drive in your system. Then you just hook it back up again.

 

[mmntech]

My Sega Genesis is what, 17 years old now, and got heavy play yet it still works like new. I guess that's the price we pay for all the moving parts and hot hot processors.

 

[Blayze]

Well, it finally happened. I have a 60gig PS3 from about a month after launch. I haven't had any problems with it until tonight. I went to watch a movie and it wouldn't read the disk. Pulled it out, wiped it off, and tried again. Rebooted and tried again. Tried another movie. Tried a DVD. Reformatted. It won't read anything. The disk image in the top right corner just spins and spins. Sounds like my drive is probably dead. Awesome. How much is this going to cost me and how long is it going to take? Am I going to get my actual system back, or are they going to send me a refurb?

Its $150 for a repair. You get a 90 day warranty after you get your system back. However you could get your system back, or a refurb. I'm not sure how they are doing repairs now, but my friend got his 60GB system back last year with a new Blu-ray drive. I think it took about 2 weeks from the time he called to when he got the system back.

 

[blackdogdeek]

this won't be much consolation but i know your pain to some degree. i bought a slim ps3 in september. at the end of december i bought AC2. i went to insert the disk into the drive but it wouldn't take it. it was as if something was blocking the slot. i called support and it is a known issue. they sent me a box via ups to pack up my ps3 and provided a pre-paid label to send it to texas for repair. it's supposed to take 8 to 12 days from receipt of my console before they ship it back to me.

it didn't cost me anything but AC2 is just sitting there gathering dust. it's also annoying that it's practically new and already has a failed optical drive. i hardly even played it. i had 1 game that i rarely played and 1 movie that i watched once. for the rest of the time it just sat unused, gathering the dust blowing out of my overheated 360. come on, sony. really?

 

[blackdogdeek]

this won't be much consolation but i know your pain to some degree. i bought a slim ps3 in september. at the end of december i bought AC2. i went to insert the disk into the drive but it wouldn't take it. it was as if something was blocking the slot. i called support and it is a known issue. they sent me a box via ups to pack up my ps3 and provided a pre-paid label to send it to texas for repair. it's supposed to take 8 to 12 days from receipt of my console before they ship it back to me.

it didn't cost me anything but AC2 is just sitting there gathering dust. it's also annoying that it's practically new and already has a failed optical drive. i hardly even played it. i had 1 game that i rarely played and 1 movie that i watched once. for the rest of the time it just sat unused, gathering the dust blowing out of my overheated 360. come on, sony. really?

 

[Gunslinger08]

If you're gonna void the warranty by using a repair shop you might as well just replace the drive yourself. I replaced the drive in my 20GB launch PS3 and it took about an hour after I read through some tutorials on opening the system. Got a replacement drive off ebay for around $90.

All you have to do is make sure you get the same model drive and then swap the controller card on the bottom of the drive with the controller card from the drive in your system. Then you just hook it back up again.

What warranty? It's over 3 years old. PS3 warranty is 1 year.

 

[mindcycle]

What warranty? It's over 3 years old. PS3 warranty is 1 year.

You're right. Warranty isn't the correct terminology. But breaking the seal essentially means Sony won't touch the console after that.. or am I wrong there?

 

[DivideBYZero]

You're right. Warranty isn't the correct terminology. But breaking the seal essentially means Sony won't touch the console after that.. or am I wrong there?

AFAIK that is just a warranty seal. If it's broken then the warranty is void. You have no warranty to void, so buy the part on ebay and follow one of the copious repair videos on Youtube to fix it yourself. I did it on my 40Gb unit and had it repaired in 30 minutes.

 

[Gunslinger08]

Some people are saying it's sometimes caused by a dirty lens. Maybe I'll try taking it apart and cleaning it this weekend. If that doesn't work, I'll order the laser and try to install it.

 

[zerocool84]

Some people are saying it's sometimes caused by a dirty lens. Maybe I'll try taking it apart and cleaning it this weekend. If that doesn't work, I'll order the laser and try to install it.

Maybe try one of those lens cleaners that has a brush on the disk?

 

[DivideBYZero]

Some people are saying it's sometimes caused by a dirty lens. Maybe I'll try taking it apart and cleaning it this weekend. If that doesn't work, I'll order the laser and try to install it.

Yeah, I heard that too, but mine stayed busted after I tried that. D:

 

[Gunslinger08]

Can anyone recommend where to buy the replacement laser assembly?

 

[Gunslinger08]

Nevermind, I found one and ordered it.

Cleaning the lens didn't fix the problem. Taking it apart was pretty easy though, once I found my Torx and precision screwdriver.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Josh, my original 60GB PS3 failed two years four months after purchase. Its failure was a complete anomaly when I searched to see if others had my problem. Essentially, my HDMI output stopped working. Aside from the HDMI output, everything else worked just fine.

I even followed Sony's recommendation of resetting the unit to search for the HDMI display. Guess what? It detected it, but that made no differences at all in the end. No video signal reached the various HDMI displays in my home including a brand new plasma and a 1 year old plasma.

For Sony's final answer: "Give us $149 and we'll repair it" but it ain't no repair, they simply given you a refurbished unit (as folks using this option have said). My unit was flawless otherwise and its just sitting there on the floor now. What a brick.

Good luck on fixing your problem. It seems like it was a much easier identified issue. I wouldn't know where to begin a component-level board repair on my own. BTW, I only watched BD movies on this unit. Never played a single game. What a wonderful 1st impression Sony's gaming console has made on me.

And yes, I will not be buying any more Sony products.