Pioneer PD-M6 Issue...HELP?

[EADGBE]

I hope I'm posting this in the right place! (I also posted in the DIY section...Mr./Ms. Adminstrator, please delete if this is not in the appropriate section!)

I have a vintage Pioneer PD-M6 CD player. It uses the standard Pioneer 6-disc magazine.

THE PROBLEM: It can only play Disc 1 (the disc at the top of the magazine).

When you try to play any other disc, the laser mechanism simply goes to the very bottom without ever extracting any of the discs out of the magazine like it should.

I have found at least one other person in an online forum that has this exact same problem with their PD-M6, but so far no solution.

Has anyone experienced this? Any help/tips/info would be much appreciated!

 

[markthefixer]

talk to AK'er tinman

first reseat all connectors

then I would recommend cleaning the mechanism and regreasing it.

 

[White_wolf]

Sounds like the light sensor that reads the position of the assembely is not working right. It is an optical sensor that uses windows cut in a piece of metal. when a certain number of pulses are read the mechanism will stop and the disc will be loaded. If the sensor is not working it will not see the signal and keep going down. Sorry for the bad wording. I hope this helps

 

[EADGBE]

Both of these are excellent suggestions. I will look into both of them.

White_wolf: Where is the sensor located?

 

[White_wolf]

On my PD-M500 it is on top on the right hand side of the mech. on the PD-M6 I am not sure but i would guess that it is in a similar spot. I have posted a picture of a sensor on a PD M900 to show what it looks like. also there is a picture of the inside of a PD-M6 but i am only guessing where the sensor is because it is not visable and i don't own one to take a look at.

 

[EADGBE]

White_wolf:

Yep, that photo of the PD-M6 you have looks exactly like what I have.

I am certain that this PD-M6 has something similar to what you show in the photo of the PD-M900. I just have to roll up my sleeves and start looking for it!

THANKS for this valuable tip! I appreciate it.

 

[Twestby]

Please post up if you find a solution. I have a PD-M6 that just started doing this today. I`d really like to fix this! I`ll be looking also.

 

[Twestby]

I also wonder if this could be as simple as a belt issue. I haven't looked yet but I'll see if it looks logical.

 

[Twestby]

Here is something interesting;

Try a later version cartridge.

The older cartridge with the clear window on top-PRW-163 is the one where my PD-M6 AND my PD-M90X both have troubles. They both use the same transport mechanism so no surprise there.

I switched to a newer cartridge with no window and gray colored cd trays-PRW-1141 and no problems at all on either player.

I tried several examples of each cartridge with different cd`s.
I got the same results no matter what cd`s I used; when I used the PRW-163 I had trouble. When I used the PRW-1141 it works perfect.

I can`t see any difference between cartridges that would make this happen. Maybe as the players age it is harder to read and the newer cartridges are somehow easier?

I`m also curious as to the different versions of cartridges themselves.
I seem to remember something from years ago where some early cartridges had issues?
But that was a long time ago, before the internet was really even mainstream.

 

[Twestby]

I changed the belts. There are only 3 which are all accessable without removing the changer mechanism. 2 gears removed from the top of the mechanism which are held in place with split washers and the third which attached to the pulleys between the threaded rod which drives the laser head and a motor pulley. I also regreased the threaded rod and the rod that the laser head rides on.

Don't know if anybody even looks at this thread anymore but my PD-M6 is now working perfect again.

It also now plays the earlier 163 cartridges no problem.

I got my belts from Marrs and ordered the ones for the PD-M90X since they use the same transport mechanism.

I also changed belts on my PD-M90X but I had fiddled with the adjustment pots before I changed the belts so i goofed it prolly and haven't gotten it back to where it needs to be yet so that is still not as it should be.

 

[markthefixer]

I changed the belts. There are only 3 which are all accessable without removing the changer mechanism. 2 gears removed from the top of the mechanism which are held in place with split washers and the third which attached to the pulleys between the threaded rod which drives the laser head and a motor pulley. I also regreased the threaded rod and the rod that the laser head rides on.

Don't know if anybody even looks at this thread anymore but my PD-M6 is now working perfect again.

It also now plays the earlier 163 cartridges no problem.

I got my belts from Marrs and ordered the ones for the PD-M90X since they use the same transport mechanism.

I also changed belts on my PD-M90X but I had fiddled with the adjustment pots before I changed the belts so i goofed it prolly and haven't gotten it back to where it needs to be yet so that is still not as it should be.

OH, YES, people still look at the thread, and it will serve the future searchers quite well to know there IS a solution, THANK YOU for the follow up!!

 

[EADGBE]

I bet you all thought I had forgotten about you here, didn't you? ;-)

In my case, the light-operated mechanism that senses the position of the laser was faulty. There is an infrared LED that is mounted on the side of the laser assembly. There is a phototransistor that "looks" at the LED through a series of windows. When the laser moves up and down to access different discs at different levels, the windows move between the LED and the phototransistor. The windows cause the LED to "blink", causing the phototransistor to send pulses to the main logic IC chip.

The phototransistor in my player had gone bad. I was able to verify that the LED was still OK.

I recently acquired a Sansui player that had been severely damaged. It turns out that the Sansui was nothing more than a Pioneer in disguise, and it had the exact phototransistor/LED unit that I needed. I installed the unit from the Sansui into the Pioneer, and now my player works perfectly.

 

[ukfan4sure!]

I changed the belts. There are only 3 which are all accessable without removing the changer mechanism. 2 gears removed from the top of the mechanism which are held in place with split washers and the third which attached to the pulleys between the threaded rod which drives the laser head and a motor pulley. I also regreased the threaded rod and the rod that the laser head rides on.

Don't know if anybody even looks at this thread anymore but my PD-M6 is now working perfect again.

It also now plays the earlier 163 cartridges no problem.

I got my belts from Marrs and ordered the ones for the PD-M90X since they use the same transport mechanism.

I also changed belts on my PD-M90X but I had fiddled with the adjustment pots before I changed the belts so i goofed it prolly and haven't gotten it back to where it needs to be yet so that is still not as it should be.

People still would like to fix these marvelous old units years and years later. I have one and it simply will not start. The play arrow flashes, and then stops after several seconds. I can't hear the mechanism working. So I'm no off to try to find belts. Thanks again!