JVC X'Eye troubles

[Ed Oscuro]

Got this hooked up via composite. It goes directly to an animated "put disc in tray" screen (with sound), and discs don't seem to sit snugly on the spindle. Closing the tray works, but it still reports the door is open. Only a few buttons on the controller register anything - I can hit Start to go to the CD player interface, but the d-pad won't switch selections and the cursor is stuck at the bottom right. I think at this point I can hit B to bring up a battery RAM menu, which can be exited but that's it. Tried with both 3 and 6 button controllers (I believe the system came standard with a 6 button controller, though I didn't get a JVC branded one).

So, am I looking at a failed tray open detection point (maybe broken plastic?) and a spindle possibly needing replacement? Does this sound about right for X'Eye behavior when the disc tray is open?

[ApolloBoy]

The X'Eye has a reputation for having bad door pinswitches, my old one had a really wonky one and I wound up fixing it by adding a felt pad. Much better to outright replace it though.

[Ed Oscuro]

Oho, many thanks!

This page describes it:
http://www.classicplastic.net/dvgi/feat ... witch.html

Just searching for X'Eye motherboard took me right there. I shoulda done some homework first

I'll have to see if I can figure out a part number to replace it - does anybody know a source (i.e. Mouser, Digikey, or similar, or even eBay)?

[Ed Oscuro]

Small update: Still trying to figure out how to get the motherboard detached from the "go-between" daughterboard that connects to the dampened optical drive...I've never seen that type of fabric-backed connectors before. Edit: Same source linked earlier covers this as well, of course. Yay!

I checked the pin switch - there's a switch there, and when I push it down, it goes down; when I let go, it returns. It doesn't seem broken there. I might go ahead with a little rubber tab or something (carefully fitted of course). Would be nice to find a sturdier replacement, but I would be happy not to have to prolong the fix longer for soldering supplies.

Edit #2: Bah, that plastic tape / metal shield. Horrible. Can't really get it off because of the power / reset buttons (which I don't want to break, by continuing to attempt to pull them off the switches). Anyway, I went ahead and washed down everything - it needed it. Gonna add a tiny bit of lubricant to the gear spindles (not the gears themselves, but the circular shafts they turn on) and a bit of grease to a sled surface the laser travels on.

Overall things seem to be in pretty good shape, just a few (mostly small) rust spots on the shield here and there, and a tiny bit of grime in some of the laser's gears.

The plastic post that presses into the pinswitch seems a bit dinged or chipped on the one side, but the pinswitch post itself seems fine. Oddness...I might end up opening and closing the system a few times to build up the required thickness of material. I don't want to put in a big wad of stuff that hurts the pinswitch's lifespan further, if it is working that is. My first test will be done with the top cover off and the pinswitch depressed.

[Ed Oscuro]

Whoops, not documenting things gets me again. I've got two black screws but need three screws for the big black metal shield of the laser assembly. Strangely, pictures show brass-colored screws in these positions...I'm pretty sure I didn't use the wrong screws here, but time to quadruple-check.

Progress on cleaning the laser (Just Because):
I got the metal shaft the laser rides on regreased, as well as the side track, and put a bit of silicone lubricant under the nylon gears. There appears to be a little bit of dust on the mirror / prism in the laser assembly but I can't do anything about it. To even lift out the laser you'd need a Torx (?) screwdriver in sub-Torx 7 size.
Getting the shaft out so that you can replace or clean the laser sled is easy - near the spindle there's a couple plastic tabs, and you just need to push one off to the side a little so the rod can slide out.