I adapted the power connector to use the old one so we have power, the laser moves, and the sled sorta moves but there is no red light coming from the laser. The cd motor is also struggling for some reason now. Does the cd data connector also need to be adapted to work? This is an fz-1. I used the generic 92.5 off ebay etc which has the longer ribbon cables and the wrong width power connector.
Alright we have red light and it still will not read nor fire up the cd motor. The laser has to read media being in the drive before the spindle will spin. Next thoughts?
If this is an FZ-1 unit then its most likely the gear in the worm mechanism. Extremely common on those systems. People often jump and replace the laser eye when that is not what's at fault
The worm mechanism works fine. This is purely a laser issue since the proper laser will move the sled whereas the improper one will not.
I was having the same issue, I replaced the laser and it began to move like yours did but it didn't last. I know its wierd, So I finally decided to remove every piece and I found a microscopic hairline crack in the gear and apparently it was causing resistance on the slider and somehow wearing out the laser. So I had to find a similar gear to replace it with because there are no direct replacements anywhere. But once I did, Both laser's began to work but the original was slow and dying out. That was just my experience.
Mine is cracked as well but seems pretty solid so far as not slipping. I found a site that does have gears that are reported working. My busted laser did read a cd once but stopped soon after.
If I'm wrong - then I COMPLETELY apologize : Here's My Theory in a poem (just kidding) - I had a Russian friend, they love unnecessary power - and I'm no genius with circuit boards - but I'd check the draw of electricity for this part and then research the board's normal output - required for the OEM or FZ-1 model. It is likely this part may require MORE output than what the board regulates. If you're a competent soldier' - you may be able to replace the amp-regulator to allow for a slightly higher charge. It's a risk approach because you never know if the board's integrity will hold up. I'd keep the Mobo exposure for a few hours & 'test' its function - assuming you go through with this. Good Luck!!
My guess is that this is a problem with the connections between the photodiodes and the main board. The startup sequence on a lot of those older drives required the focus servo to be locked up before the spindle motor was started, so if it's not getting even that far then the things to check are laser diode/monitor diode (seem to be OK in your case) and then the central photodiodes (ABCD) on the pickup. If it's not the right pickup, it's also possible that it's designed for a different disc height, and the focus actuator simply doesn't have enough range to bring the focus in.
This has been reported as a problem with this replacement method. The spindle head sometimes needs adjustement. Also the Russian document states that the pinout is different for those 92.5 replacements so a cable mod or pcb would be needed to flip the pinout. I'm assuming the OP has done this.
