Thanks to your video I repaired one of these units today in less than half an hour. I used super glue on the slipping spur gear. My lathe at the ready, but was not needed as my gear had not split, just moved along the motor shaft. Also the repair was a love job for a relative, so lets hope the glue holds. Subscribed.
Thanks for your video. I had to go in and glue this problematic gear in place for the 2nd time. It's nice that this Bose unit works really well even after 22 years.
Many thanks for taking the time to compose and post this video. My unit also stopped ejecting the magazine, whirring endlessly in its attempts to do so, and reuniting the little cogs in question solved the issue for me too. I chose the quicker option, though, of simply pushing the smaller cog (on the motor) back into position (don't have all the other equipment you do) but this will hopefully suffice for another couple of years to happy listening. Thanks again.
Issue exactly as described in your video. I used 7/32" Brass Hobby Tubing to cut a small collar that fit over the smooth collar on the pinion gear. Secured it to the gear with super glue. Perfect operarion was restored. Total investment $1.58. Thank you so much for this information!
Thank-you so much for the video - this is exactly what was wrong. Thought the CDs stuck in the machine were lost, but we were able to retrieve them and keep the unit working.
Wow…. I’m so glad that you posted this!! You are so awesome!! Had my Bose lifestyle for 20+ yrs…. My gear piece was also cracked, I used epoxy made for plastic (had some already). It works perfectly now!! Thank you so much!! Subscribed!!
Had exactly the same failure on my unit - the eject motor running continually in my case - until I can fix the loose cog I have unplugged the CD player as don’t really use it. Thank you as I guess you have saved me a lot of money getting it sorted
Thank you very much for this excellent video. I have the same problem as your Irish friend/customer. I followed your instruction but super-glued the little plastic gear to the motor's shaft. It works!!! hurrah!!
Great video. I love my lifestyle 30 and experienced the same problem. Fixed with the end of a disposable syringe (teeth whitening solution) as mentioned by another viewer. However, I then found that the laser would not read the discs. Back to RU-vid and looked up adjusting the laser potentiometer slightly (anti-clockwise). Now have the CD player all back to normal! Many thanks again!
@@Sutojl In this video Magic Smoke turns a collet on his lathe to fit over the cracked end of the plastic gear. I don't have a watchmaker's lathe so cut off a piece from the plastic nozzle of a syringe and, with a little "fettling" with a craft knife and a tiny file, fitted it over the cracked shaft instead of the metal collet. I didn't even use and superglue as the fit was so tight. Hope that helps?
Thank you very much for posting the video. I'd been struggling with my 1997 Lifestyle20 and your video pointed me to the exact same issue. Solved now. I probably wouldn't have found it otherwise. Many thanks
Very entertaininng and informative, thank-you. It was of immediate help. After watching closely several times, I got mine working again with minimal corrective action and will have to do it again and correctly at some point but, that is ok. And on to the next. I really liked the "don't add plastic in the oceansor to the landfill" comments, sir. Many of us hope it is not too late. Cheers, md Seattle
I really like your fix, very nicely made compression cap :-D I have seen lots of cracked asetal gears over the years, mostly in video recorders. You are very entertaining. Comedy and naughty comments. And you repair things, blooming amazing lol.
Thank you magic. This was exactly my problem. Obviously a manufacturing fault. Anyway, was a bit tricky reassembling the whole thing and at first couldn’t get the door to stay shut. Spring kept pulling it open but did get there in the end. I’ve also got a problem with the remote which hopefully isn’t something I did when taking the unit apart. It doesn’t seem to connect to it. Tried new AA’s which had no effect (cheap Panasonic batteries?). In fairness I don’t use the system that way now. With the way tech’s moved on I now have a Bose link connected to it and use an app to stream music to the speakers along with other S20’s and 30’s throughout the house. Which as you will probably appreciate keeps every room filled with synced music. Anyway, I digress, thank you for your very informative and easy to follow vid. Keep the music playing. Andy. Southampton 😊
Bravo apparently there are quite a few videos which talk about this problem.... The trick is to have the equipment to be able to do the same thing which is not at all obvious, would you have by chance put set up a small business selling aluminum washers MDR in any case well done !!! Bravo apparemment il y a pas mal de vidéos qui parlent de ce problème.... Le truc et d'avoir le matériel pour pouvoir faire la même chose ce qui n'est pas du tout évident est-ce que par hasard vous auriez mis en place un petit commerce de vente de rondelles d'aluminium MDR en tout cas bravo !!!
Thanks. I sell the gear motors at cost for anyone who needs one. I sell a few per week. used to sell just the metal pinion gears but it was easy to damage the motor housing whilst pressing the gear on so I got some Mutaba gear motor assemblies made in Taiwan . .
You're welcome! Great to hear that yet another one has been saved by an intrepid owner. Mine is still going strong. Thanks for watching and subscribe if you can.
Thank you very much! I have the same problem. Fixed the little plastic cog. The cd player is working again but it don't start playing any of the cd. Can it be the lins and if how to clean the eye? Can it be ok if i buy a cleaning cd? Qr do you have any ideas what it can be?
Hi - Do you still do repairs on the Lifestyle 20 in your workshop? I have both the magazine cd stuck ( & whirring) Plus the LED display has disappeared?
I have one apart here trying to fix for my mom and noticed the same problem and the solution is exactly the same , surprised no one has sued bose yet to many units to be an accident
Really helpful video, thanks. My CDs had stopped spinning although they would load up and pop in/out of the CD cartridge fine. This trick with the two plastic gears solved it. After 22 years, my Bose will carry on providing good service. Great news as replacements are probably now made in China and we boycott them because of their appalling human rights and environmental records.
Hi, I have a lifestyle 5 model 614810, everything works perfectly, but little by little did you lose the tuning of the radio? Will I have to adjust something inside? Or could it be that I have to replace a chip, I only have a small cable for the antenna, but before that it was heard without problem, now nothing is heard, only the noise as if they were not broadcasting on radio stations.
Sorry, very difficult to diagnose remotely but you can check the basics as they often turn out to the issue . Check the supply voltages are present. Check the antenna connection is good. If you hear the mush then the receiver is probably working. You could change the reference crystal.
Fantastic video sir, thank You for uploading. But what if im not trying to fix it, but just get the cartridge/magazine out? My mom would be very mad if I were to disassemble it, and some of my most favorite cds are stuck inside - parliament funkadelic live, smokers delight… Any help on how to get the cartridge out would be appreciated❤️
make sure all CDS are in the cartridge. then you can turn the gear that the motor pinion with a small screwdriver. If you turning the correct direction then it will start to rise so just keep going..
Great Video. I have same problem with my unit. CD doesn't eject & the display is gone. I have three questions. 1) What if I do not have milling machine? Is there a back up plan to put the same gear? 2) Top cover that you showed to cut it with knife, how do one put it back? 3) The display; Has it come on once the CD eject fixed or any more steps required?
I understand a piece of a syringe needs cover is tapered and can be trimmed to fit as a collar. If you degrease and superglue the gear it will usually hold OK. Stick the cover on with thin double-sided tape.
Hi , brilliant video. I have the same problem. Would you be able to fix mine and if do could you let me have details of how to get it to you please. many thanks
Hi I know this this an old thread as such, but... my very old system has just gone and it's the small pinion gear that's split. will any 9 teeth gear do? I've read that you've asked for sizes from others, can you share what I need to get? many thanks
You can see the time I posted the question and now... It was the problem and the gear was simply shifted out. I pushed it in and it is all good. Took the longest to put the black trim back but it is on... On my way to Lowe's to buy two sided tape to put the top cover back on. Thank you very much for the video! Display is still not working! :( Any suggestions?
Display is VFD. 1. Check the low voltage DC supply for the kathode wires is working. They are the fine wires that run along the display under the front glass. There should be a few volts potential applied between the ends of each wire to heat up and make it emit a cloud of electrons that can be accelerated toward the anode. If the supply fails then there is no display. If you measure zero volts across the wires then the supply has failed. Look in the supply for brown resistors, bad connections, bad connections in the wiring and a bad smoothing capacitor. 2. Check the HV anode supply voltage is present. Should be between 12 and 30V depending on display.
I’m having this exact problem, only that little plastic gear that popped-off appears beyond repair. Were you able to find a source for ordering this little plastic gear?
No. I forgot to measure the one I had here to get the module and ID of the gear. If you want to send me the broken one I'll measure it. If you want to do it yourself measure the outer diameter and count the number of teeth and you'll know what to order. There are loads of sources on line. Just google 'plastic pinion gear'
Thank you for your help! I’m still having trouble finding a replacement. I count 9 teeth on the pinion, and the diameter is 3/10 inch (about 7.62mm) on the side without teeth, and 2/10 inch (about 5mm) on the side with teeth. I notice many of these go by “T” numbers online... although I can not determine what it is for this one.
I went to a local electronics repair shop today with the measurements of the plastic pinion gear and they said they did not have one. I then went to a 3D printing service, who said they could make one for about $125 dollars. Ouch. Any other ideas? :(
Send me a plan photo of it next to a ruler. I can work out which one you need. They are pretty standard. Take the picture from directly above with the ruler (preferably a steel engineering one) close to the gear. Camera lens needs to be minimum 3 inches from the gear and ruler else spherical distortion might skew the measurement.
Hi, I have 2 CDs in the changer and it won't eject or play. I followed your instructions to remove the magazine etc and found that the little plastic cog had become disconnected from the bigger plastic wheel thingy (I'm not very technical sorry). I pushed it back on, popped the workings back in the case and connected the power. The magazine is trying to load the CD (or at least, it is checking) but one CD is stuck in the CD playing area so the unit doesn't rise up as it check each slot. It was a new CD from Amazon and I noticed it felt thin, I wonder if the CD is the problem. Anyone have any suggestions?
@@razenby Very Bad, tried to fix the gear but split in half, trying to locate the one half that fell in the machine? How much does a complete gear cost?
I followed this very helpful guide and fixed my Bose. But sadly it had the same issue and snapped. Can anyone giver me a hint what I should try to order? I’m not even sure of sizing
Dear sir i have a bose lifestyle 20 audio player and subwoofer but i don't have the 8pin audio cable and unable to find the cable in sri lanka.please give me a idea to make a cable
Thank you so much for your presentation. I have exactly the same problem. I really do want the same part that you have made. How can I get it from you. From Japan. >>>Hi, Magic. I will try to find out a quite similar gear at toy stores. I have found that they are selling a variety of gears. Your video gave me challenge spirit. Thank you so much.
If the gear is just cracked then decrease the motor shaft and pinion gear and apply a little super glue to the shaft and slide the gear into position. It holds well.
@@razenby Thank you so much for your guidance. The hobby shop’s owner made a cover using a portable radio antenna. He saw your video then got that idea. I really thank you very much for your video. If something happens again I will try your instructions.
@@BorisSpark Should do a good enough job. Loctite is good stuff. I remember fitting some steel M3 allen head machine screws with the screw-lock grade into aluminium and couldn't get them out 10 minutes later - they sheared off, Used to stick the capstan drive rollers on document readers no problem. You don't know the outermost diameter of the gear and the number of teeth of the pinion gear? I have a unit here with the gear completely missing. Don't let it get anywhere near polycarbonate plastic - it just crumbles.
I’ll never buy an another Bose product AGAIN EVER, I had problems with this expensive piece of crap for many years . Their crap is all proprietary and as you learned this video, not well made.
I agree with the second assertion. However the Audio and signal processing tech are very well engineered. Sadly the hardware engineers are very inexperienced and prone to schoolboy errors. Very poor technical oversight by management and insufficient product proving/ testing are the order of the day.
