Luxman DZ-111 dead?

[N8Nagel]

So I was given a DZ-111 a year or so ago. Used it occasionally and then fell into a TP-117 tuner/preamp which was fortuitous as the DZ-111 and the cassette deck that I got with it both are directly controllable through the TP-117. Unfortunately, after a while of use, the DZ-111 simply stopped reading discs, as in it would not recognize them at all. I left it with a local tech for a while and he said it was working great, I got it home todayt and slapped in a problem disc to really give it a workout, and it started skipping somewhere in the first track. No big deal, right, I'll just try a good disc - nope, it's now completely dead again.

Quandary: is it worth fixing, or I can get a Luxman RC-503 box for what I think is an extortionate price ($60) but will allow me to use non-Luxman remote controllable components with the TP-117's outputs. I do have an Oppo BDP-95 and an Adcom CDP-700 that I could use instead, and both work fine.

In this situation what would you do? Try again to get the Lux fixed, buy another Lux CDP, or just suck it up and buy the magical box?

On the upside, the ancient (1984ish) Yamaha CDP that I left with him at the same time seems to be working well. I like that one because it is narrow so looks good with my Marantz 1070 or else old Dynaco components.

 

[dr*audio]

Read this:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/troubleshooting-cd-players.440522/

 

[N8Nagel]

Thanks, I may play with it this afternoon as I need to deox a preamp as well.

However I guess an implied part of that question is this unit really worth any significant amount of effort? I never really listened to it critically when it was working, and the DAC chips in it aren't on the list of commonly accepted as excellent, although personally I have a high opinion of Luxman gear in general. The real main appeal of this CDP is a) it matches aesthetically and b) it works seamlessly with the TP-117 with just a mono headphone cable between it and the receiver, and it doesn't require the box mentioned above as would apparently any components made by anyone else.

 

[dr*audio]

Despite what some people will tell you, the DAC makes a lot less difference than the opamps in the output circuitry, which can be easily upgraded for improved sound.

 

[N8Nagel]

So I think I've figured out what the problem is. Rather than take it back I popped the top on it and it appears the laser positioning mechanism is sticky and if I stick my hand under the transport and twiddle the worm gear it will work again for a while. So I guess I will pull the transport and give it a clean and lube and see if that sorts it. Is that white lithium grease? It looks like it.

 

[dr*audio]

Examine the worm gear carefully. The Onkyo DX-330 and DX-130 had a worm gear that would crack, causing the transport to hang up. This might be the same mechanism. Clean off the grease with alcohol and examine the worm gear very carefully. The crack is lengthwise and very thin. Use a light lithium grease to lube it.

 

[N8Nagel]

If it is cracked, what's the fix? Try to glue it? Or are replacements available?

 

[N8Nagel]

Well, it's not cracked. My white lithium grease hardened in the tube (how? I thought that stuff lasted forever) so I didn't clean and lube it but I moved the laser through its full range of motion and everything feels good. However, I put a disc in and it started playing, went to clean up breakfast dishes, and when I turned around and looked at it again it was on track 11. @#$%@#$%@#

 

[N8Nagel]

So I started reading through your link and as I suspected your first recommend for the symptoms I'm having was a bad sled motor, I dripped some tri-flow on the shaft and stood the transport on end for a bit but I'm seeing 1.5V or thereabouts at some points. Motor is RF-130CH. Not sure how to transfer worm gear to new motor though? Also, looking up that motor number seems to be a nominal 6V motor so maybe I'm going the wrong way on this and the >.5V isn't really bad in this app?

 

[N8Nagel]

So. I was monitoring voltage with the transport loose and I could see that somewhere in the middle of track 2 it would start acting up. So since the transport was on its side and I could see the sled motor, I flicked it with my fingernail. Immediately it started stepping at about 0.4v and I'm on track 5 of a CD now with no skips. I can't believe that worked...?

 

[N8Nagel]

And I put it back together and it started skipping again.

I actually removed the motor and lubed it again, it's working for now, but I don't see how to get the worm off the motor, so I have no idea how to replace it. The parts manual lists a "motor assembly" with the bracket and worm gear all together, but Pac Parts shows it as "discontinued" with no suggested replacement.

Is this scrap the next time it quits?

 

[dr*audio]

First, clean and lube the worm gear. Gummy grease can cause the same symptoms. You can try to inject dome De-Oxit into any opening in the motor near the connections and hope it gets into the brushes and commutator. Then, with the power off, connect a battery across the motor and run it back and forth a bunch of times, being careful to stop before the end stops so you don't jam it. If the worm gear is cracked there is no replacement part available. If you find a replacement motor and want to get the worm gear off, heat the shaft with a soldering iron and the glue will soften up and you can slide the gear off. 1.5V is probably too high but it could be the gummy grease. DuPont makes some really good Lithium grease with Teflon that comes in an aerosol can. I got it at Lowes or Home Depot.

 

[N8Nagel]

I may just go ahead and buy the Magic Box (RC-503) but I'm going to keep plugging on this guy. I will try what you suggest. Get some fresh grease and clean/lube rails and gears although I don't think that will change anything, and put a AA cell across motor terminals with motor removed in case it's tarnish/corrosion on the commutator. Now this s**t is getting personal, I just want my circa 1990 Luxman stack to work and while the cassette deck (which you'd think would have been the first to fail) works fine the CDP is a pain in the (redacted). Of course I'm also currently anal retentively cataloguing my CDs and making sure my rips are squared away so most digital listening will be through DAC not through CDP but it's the principle.

 

[dr*audio]

The battery across the motor terminals is to work the De-Oxit so it can clean the commutator and brushes. You have to spray that first. If you look carefully at the plastic cap on the end of the motor with the wire terminals, there may be a couple of small holes you can inject the De-Oxit into. If not, try to dribble some where the terminals go in, some will probably get in, as it isn't sealed.

 

[N8Nagel]

So I actually just removed the motor assembly and took the mounting screw out, that made a nice hole for the Deoxit to go in. Then I ran the motor with a AA cell free of the mechanism so it spun up pretty good. It's playing now, but I still have the transport loose so my meter can read it. It's hitting about 0.7V but I've been handling it so much the worm might need some grease, and I haven't had a chance to stop and get any - I had to go grocery shopping today and after that I don't think I could have handled running to the Orange Colored Store.

 

[N8Nagel]

Finally managed to acquire some white lithium, got the spray as it is much thinner than the stuff that comes in a tube, hit the rails and gears with QD and wiped clean then sprayed some grease on a salad plate and dabbed it onto the parts with my finger. I also removed the motor again so I could get the little steel ball that acts as a thrust bearing for the end of it, and also run the sled back and forth easily to distribute the grease. Reassembled, playing. Seems to be working now! Thanks, @dr*audio

Of course as soon as the mailman comes I may not need this CDP anymore as today's mail should have the magic box that will allow me to control non-Luxman components through the remote sensor of my Luxman TP-117 tuner/pre (so I can use my Oppo BDP-95 or another CDP)... but fixing something that doesn't work is always a worthy cause.

 

[N8Nagel]

Now I'm wondering if I should do the same treatment to the Pioneer PD-M910 in the kitchen because it exhibits the same symptoms but only when I don't use it for a while... if it's a matter of fresh grease I can handle that.

 

[dr*audio]

The Pioneer does have a rack gear but I have never seen the grease dry up. Usually it's the sled motor that goes bad. As I recall there are little openings near the wire terminals that you can use to inject De-Oxit. Also the flat flexible cable for the laser sometimes becomes intermittent, and the lasers do fail as well. The Pioneer lasers are no longer available.

 

[N8Nagel]

I already replaced the laser in that one, was a beautiful thrift store pick but didn't work, turns out the laser lens fell out and disappeared

 

[N8Nagel]

Well I'm glad this worked as the magical Luxman RC-503 box does not appear to do anything Tried it on two different TP-117s and it didn't appear to do anything. So I'm stuck using all Luxman components until I can get it repaired.