Just a quick video showing my lazy repair of a good quality piece of audio equipment. The diagnosis became clear when I saw the lack of a focusing lens on the laser rail.
Within the last couple of days I fixed a Pioneer PD-M410 with exactly the same problem! I turned it over, as you did, and the lens fell right out. I even had the same cyano around the house to reattach the lens. Thanks for posting the video!
Thank you for an excellent video. My Pioneer 6-disc CD player had the exact same problem. I watched your video and then I shook the whole unit and I heard the lens rattling around just as you described. I glued the lens back in and everything is working fine again. I am sure you have helped many more people just like me. Thanks again.
Good diagnosis of a simple repair. I just picked one of these (vintage?) units up for super cheap because because the previous guy didn't know that the CD's have to be loaded upside down in the cassette. I watched your vid and thought, hmm if the lens is on the top, then the CD label probably needs to face DOWN! It works fine after flipping the CD over.
Thanks for posting this. I just picked up a pd-m400 at Goodwill for $15 in pretty decent shape. Noticed in the store there was something rolling around inside the unit but it powered up so I took a chance. Carefully glued the lens back in with 5 minute epoxy. I just applied a thin layer around the rim of the laser body and pushed down firmly on the flange of the lens. Worked great, thanks again.
I am so glad I found this video. Had the exact same issue and was very easy to fix with your helpful video. So glad my 25 year old Pioneer system works again. Thank you for posting!!
Thank you so much for posting this. My PD-M502 had the same issue but was also making this high-pitched noise when I tried to play a CD and the player just hung up for a minute; the lens may have been loose and flopping around before it finally came off in the chassis. Not only did I save the unit from the trash, I also saved $75 which is the cost of a replacement optical unit (or $400 - $1000 for a new CD changer). I bought this system in 1992 (30 years ago!) and except for this one issue it has been soldiering on all these years.
Same problem with different pioneer model. I was puzzle when couldn't see a lense to clean,but thought cd not spinning was down to no power to motor. I have no idea why no lense would prevent cd spinning,but after finding your video and lense,I have now fixed my cd player. Many thanks.
How did you know which way to put the lens? I tried both sides with clear tape holding it, but nothing either way. It matters too. If you look through the lens, it’s different.
Just got this CD player and it didn’t work. Checked out you video and remembered that 25 years ago I had a single disc version of this player where the lens popped off in transport to college. Like you I glued it back in and it worked ever since. So it took this one apart and found no lens rolling around. So I read the instructions on the cartridge and saw that you must put the discs in “upside down”. Works just fine! Thanks and no thanks! Lol!
That's some damn fine glue, lol. That line of adhesives was developed by a dude that lives down the street here, funny to see it on RU-vid, funny and great. Thanks for the video. Helped me understand a few things better.
This video saved my day, and my player as well. My lens was also lensless, and I did the shaking...Lens fell out exactly as in the video. Clueing that sucker back in place, can I just add the glue and put it back in it's place, or should I be careful with the glue? What is north and south on that lens? Thanks a lot...Michael
I just did it and it works. For those who ask, the easiest way to know how glue the lens is put it back in, and try to play a disc, if the disc spins that's the right position
Hey! I just fixed my Onkyo DX-C310 6 Disc CD Changer! Sounds great! I did have to shake it for awhile to find the lens. I little cleanup and super glue and YES!!! Thank you!!!
Wow, this must be common, judging by the comments and your video. I just bought one of these at a Thrift Store for $3.00 and heard something rolling around like you, took it home and sure enough it was the lense, just like yours! FYI, this is a swing arm mechanism, which means you load your disc in the cartridge label side down.
Testors model cement seems to have done the trick. Let it sit for several hours. We’ll see how long it works! The lens fit was pretty obvious, it seems to be in a little housing that fits into a slot. I put a couple dabs of cement with a toothpick on the rim of the housing. Wore plastic gloves while working with it
Are you frikkin kidding me.. I am not the best electronic guy,, but you've just blown my mind..Super glue..Thanks for showing me this.. This is a nice technique..
Gerry Roberts It should be noted that the super glue method only works for lenses that are glass. If yours is a plastic or acrylic lens then you will need a glue safe for those because super glue will haze them
For the people who are having a problem with how to place the CD into the changer, it tells you with pictures to set the disc with the label side face downward. Also, I am having the exact problem with my CD player, but I'm hesitant to open the CD player even though you guys make it look super simple. Hope I can find the lens.
The lens only goes on one way. Be sure to use magnification to see which is the right way because you could glue in on upside down. He does not mention that in the video. I have repaired two of these for friends in our RV Resort. I would guess that many of those units had the same problem and ended up in the dumpster. This video saved two of them so far.
thanks! my music teacher gave me one of these and I got it to achieve focus lock I got music! Also found the lens shaking around and also a piece of the faceplate haha. Mines also made that slapping noise and would ignore the CD
I had the same thing, lens rattling around. Put it back in and still dead. Possible dirty lens fron my fat fingers? Does the spinning only kick on when the lens confirms there is a disc there?
Just a heads up for anyone else on here, I was having playback issues lots of ticks and found that the 4 rubber grommets suspending the transport were crushed. I shimmed them up so there was no gap from the bottom and it now works perfectly. I guess over time the weight of that transport crushes them flat.
I'm thinking this might be my problem as I too am having lots of ticks. What did you use to shim them up? Have not opened up yet but want to be prepared.
Same here. All 4 rubber grommets had shrounk/compressed 2-3mm and were dryed up. Resulting in the cd scraping in the disc cartridge due to everything was sitting to low.
Can you maybe take a picture of exactly what you are referencing as I did have the lens problem, but still won't spin. I'm taking a chance, as this video and postings are older, but figured I'd give it a shot. : )
@@lindimayfield9885 If you take it apart you will see degraded suspension grommets, use little orings to replace them to give you correct spacing. Its been a long time since I did it. If I did it again I would just cad up some new one and print them in tpu.
Can anyone help?! I have a Pioneer 6 disc changer, a little older than this model but I expect the mechanism works the same. Basically, the mechanism which guides the CD to the lens is leaving little grease spots on the CD, causing them to skip, dependent on where the spot is left. Are there little rubber/felt guiders that come into contact with the CD? It's been doing it for years and now my mate has got one and it does the same thing. I think it is stray grease (that white stuff) which has leaked or melted on the rubber stops which is then imprinting on the cd's even before they get to the lens because sometimes they skip after I put a fresh, clean CD in. I have to clean the marks of each CD everytime they're played or they will skip on other equipment. My mate seems to think it's from the CDs themselves. I disagree with him. HELP!
My Pioneer 6-disc CD player had the exact same problem , but the the lens is in place and laser emission can I see with my camera. Can you help me, please. Thanks Regards
Common issue with these Pioneer six disc magazine changers. The adhesive holding the objective lens in place fails, allowing the lens to fall clear of the optical pickup. Equally simple fix: use low fume plastic cement to affix the lens back into place, such as modeler's glue. I would not recommend using super glue as the cyanoacrylate fumes can deposit a residue that can foul the optics. Just repaired a PD-M801 for a client that exhibited this problem.
bcdhifi Lens orientation shouldn't be a problem, AFAIK, though, even if it is, you don't have much to lose at this point. You would have to make sure the lens rests perfectly flat in its place, though. The 5 min. epoxy sounds like it will work, so long as you use as little as possible to reduce the risk of any excess adhesive getting into the pickup or getting onto the surface of the lens. But, even with fast setting epoxy, I would recommend letting it sit for at least a few hours in an effort to give the adhesive ample time to cure.
Needing some help please ..... mine will start playing the selected cd tray but all it sounds like is a bunch of static. The lap counter runs so I assume it is reading the cd.......thoughts anyone ?
Okay before you start to think that it's not reading discs you have to know that the discs are actually inserted upside down meaning the cd has to be inserted with the label facing down not up and a lot of people don't actually know that the label part of the cd must be facing down
My monkey and duck teddy love oasis cos piggles the postman plays it in the sunshine variety bus! Also useful guide cos I'm trying to fix a pioneer cd changer.
@samer saleh is correct, DON'T use superglue! A quick setting epoxy glue (araldite) or similar is perfect for this. With regard to lens alignment, try to reposition where the old glue marks are. Sit the lens in and apply 3 tiny spots equidistant around the lens applied with a very small tool such as a cocktail stick will suffice. Let it set and you should be good to go. Don't get glue on the lens! @samer saleh pop it back off and clean it up with rubbing alcohol.
I HAVE A PIONEER PDM450....WORKED FOR EVER,,,,STOPPED SUDDENLY. I FOUND THE LENS AS YOU NOTED IN THE CASE, PUT THE LENS BACK ....BUT THE UNIT DOES NOT WORK,,,, GOES THROUGH ALL THE DISKS BUT NEVER SPINS....ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS ? I AM WILLING TO PAY IF YOU FIX MY CD PLAYER
+samuel kauffman Possibly you glued it on upside down. eBay time. I bought a used unit because the IR on mine stopped working. I swapped out the laser assembly on mine for the used unit. Anyway, good luck.
@@ridgerunner4943 I messaged a couple suppliers on Alibaba. Then I was putting the case back on the player and the lens popped out from who knows where! I got lucky this time lol If those suppliers message me back, though, I’ll let you know if they’re a good source.
@@ridgerunner4943 Update on the Alibaba suppliers: They all want drawings and dimensions so not as easy to get as I thought it’d be. I was hoping someone would have them already made and in stock. If someone was able to get the exact dimensions of a lens it would probably be a good option for someone.
You're not wrong, if I could remake this video I'd change it to some sort of epoxy based glue instead, cyanoacrylate glue will haze the lens in some cases
speedytech7 I guess your one of the lucky ones. I glued mine back on, and it makes the CD’s spin, but it just skips around the same spots on a song over and over....UNLESS, I hold the front of the unit up on a 70 degree angle....even then, not a guarantee but an improvement...ugh!
Andrew Battersby I was told by the ONLY Pioneer service guy left in my area that the 4 rubber grommets that support the laser assembly are shot from 20 years of attic heat and cold and gravity.
Pioneer had terrible reputation for their CD player losing the focusing lens and the very high end expensive models where also effected and you had to buy a super expensive new laser assembly to repair the unit if you lost the lens, I remember many customer complaining that the less than 2 year old top end machine no longer worked and the lens could not be bought separately...............
You will get the same symptom if the laser dies. The spindle won't start up until it gets an initial 'bounce' from the laser off of the disc. If the laser is dead, it won't start spinning and it will just cycle through all of the CD's, and will likely give a 'no disc' message.
@@CapnCody1622 ohhh yeah I did...like he said, it was in the player cabinet and when I shook it out...it went bye bye. I searched my whole living room carpet, inch by inch and finally found it..Crazy glued it in and now good as new. I doubt you be able to purchase any repair parts for it.
MUST READ, DO NOT USE SUPER GLUe (cyanoacrylate) this video shows the correct fix for most of these machines but the super glue will attack the lens and fog it up. Use a water based glue (even elmers would work here). You just need it to stick in there but super glue will mess it up...don’t make my mistake
Why is it when you go on RU-vid and you ask it a question on how to repair something and you give name brand model number and never shows you what you need to know
Hope this works with mine which has also stopped working, however, you could have made the video about 2 minutes long, tops.We don't need to see you plugging it in, we don't need to see what's written on the CD, or listen to you describing the display panel on the unit (or your lack of understanding of the functions within it) etc. ffs. What would have been much more useful (for many) would have been to watch you dismantle the unit, and remove the laser lens housing rather than just skipping past that with your inane drivel. Thanks anyway, hope this works.
If you didn't like it no one is forcing you to watch it, it is 4 years old and I have no intention of remaking it. It was such a simple problem there was no reason to edit the video down. RU-vid has this built in bar that pops up whenever you hover your mouse over the video and that bar lets you skip to a different time in the video, amazing right. I made the video in the style of UXWBill and Vwestlife, where I say what I know and try to be personable in between. I just figured I'd clue you in. Perhaps if you have such an amazing insight into how a 90s CD player works you should consider making a video about it, just make sure you edit out any part of it where you may not be 100% on topic. Also here is a little tip I learned when trying to sound smart, you'll be tempted to use words outside of your normal vocabulary like say drivel or inane, don't use a $5 word when a .50 cent one will do the job. For what it's worth I hope this fixes your problem still, not that a CD player is of much use anymore.
