Help please

Mike Gibson

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I have a Sony CDP X111ES that I really like the sound of. Only problem is it skips back and forth. Sometimes it does it repeatedly and sometimes it'll play almost all of a CD before it skips. Usually within the first two-three tracks. I've cleaned the lens with isopropyl alcohol and that seemed to help slightly. I couldn't get at the mirror without a major operation. Should I take it apart and go after the mirror or is there some other culprit to look for. All I have for equipment is a VOM. Armed with that and not much knowledge I go forth :) Thank you for your help.
 
Well, if you didn't drop it, it would work fine. :D
I bet it could be a bunch of different things, transport problems, motor, etc. I think I'll tag along on this thread to learn some more myself.
 
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VintageNut said:
I think I'll tag along on this thread to learn some more myself.

Me too, I know enough to clean the dust out and IPA the lens, but that's about it.
 
Mr. Know-it-all chiming in here (J/K)
1. Lubing slide rails may help cure this as the laser may be sticking.
2. Laser may be intermittent or dying due to age.
3. If it skips on CD-R's more than commercially pressed CD's, then the lower reflectivity of CD-R's can indeed be an issue.

Tom
 
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I think most of these problems are caused by the laser's being unable to slide smoothly, and would be cured by lubrication.

That being said... NOBODY will ever divulge what the proper lubricant is! :-(

Maybe someone will take pity on us and share the big secret.

I wouldn't be too cavalier in using just any lubricant -- I am thinking maybe white lithium grease, but I just don't know.

Sorry for the semi-hijack!
 
I'll add what little additional information I have. I have only played commercial CD's on it so far. I would think grease would harden in time and I don't think the motor that powers the lazer slide has much oomph to it. What do I know though :D I've read the article on fixing CD players and it's hard to remember all that stuff by the time I get out to the shop :) If I print it I need a magnifying glass to read the print. It's like smaller than 1/8". I imported the article into Word but then I lose the index ability and it's 200+ pages to wade through :)
 
I've read WLG, so that is what I used.
What I've seen on mine, which apparently came from the factory or done by service tech before I ended up with them, looks like silicone grease.
 
What I've used in the past with success is a very fine film of Vaseline (and I mean fine!) or something called LPS, a very fine, light oil. Barely a drop on each rail did it for me. I myself would also try 3-in-1, but someone had said it was vegetable based, so I can't say if it's appropriate or not.
Tom
 
EW, thanks for the help on the lube. I finally found where I could buy a small amount from them. First it looked like I had to buy a case of the stuff :) Thanks again for your help.
Mike
 
mhardy6647 said:
I think most of these problems are caused by the laser's being unable to slide smoothly, and would be cured by lubrication.

That being said... NOBODY will ever divulge what the proper lubricant is! :-(

Maybe someone will take pity on us and share the big secret.

I wouldn't be too cavalier in using just any lubricant -- I am thinking maybe white lithium grease, but I just don't know.

Sorry for the semi-hijack!

I think Sony uses a White lithium grease. I have compared it to my I have and can tell no difference. Its commonly found in spray cans, I use a acid brush works great. You should clean first then re grease. I used it alot does a great job.
 
fotno said:
Me too, I know enough to clean the dust out and IPA the lens, but that's about it.
Careful...some lenses are plastic and IPA will ruin them. Use Windex.
 
EchoWars said:
Careful...some lenses are plastic and IPA will ruin them. Use Windex.
Glenn, I believe Windex has alcohol in it. Not sure if it's Methanol or Isopropyl. AFAIK all CD pickup lenses are polycarbonate, and I think IPA may cloud it. I use Ethanol. Vodka works fine. Really unless you get your finger on the lens, distilled water should be good enough to clean the dust off.
Now to the problem at hand:
If your cd mech has a linear motor to move the laser pickup back and forth, rather than a motor and gears, the pickup slides back and forth on machined posts. These posts must be meticulously cleaned and then lubricated, especially if you have a cat or dog, or lots of dust in the environment. If you have a rack gear attached to the pickup and other round gears driving the rack gear, you don't have a linear motor and cleaning isn't that crucial on these types of mechanisms.
If you have a linear motor, clean the posts with q tips and IPA while sliding the pickup back and forth. Then after the IPA dries, put a very thin coat of white lithium grease (the kind I use has Teflon in it) on each post.
Another important lubrication point is the spindle motor bearing. This is the motor that turns the CD. This bearing gets dried up and can cause skipping, especially on the first track. Use a light oil on the bearing, like sewing machine oil.
If you do these things and the player still skips, it is probably time for a new laser. You need an oscilloscope to align the player after the pickup is replaced, so this is something you shouldn't do yourself.
 
The small amount of alcohol in Windex is OK when applied with the end of a Q-Tip. Straight IPA is bad.

If you're paranoid, use Glass Plus (no alcohol, no ammonia).
 
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