Dreamcast flip fix?

[null1024]

So, I decided to fire up Triggerheart Exelica on my DC tonight [it's a burned copy]. Gets to the Sega screen, and then kicks me back to the menu. A few other games I tried run for a bit [both real and burned], and then eventually boot me back to the menu.

I flip my DC upside down, and lo and behold, no problems.
So I have 2 questions:
1: What could I do to fix this?
2: Why does flipping the thing even work?

[matrigs]

cold solder joints, maybe a loose ribbon cable.

eventually - check the laser pot if it needs some adjustment.

[fagin]

Classic signs of a worn laser.

[neorichieb1971]

Flipping generally works when the laser rails are worn. By turning it upside down your essentially making the upside down bit the rails which are even. Therefore it reads the disc better.

Thats the logic from the Ps1 era I got. If it reads at all, the laser is fine.

My model is the mk1 which is built like a tank.

[shmuppyLove]

It sounds to me more like the lid switch.

Instead of flipping it, try putting something heavy-ish on top and see if that also does it.

The switch actuator is very flimsy and prone to failure -- I had exactly the same problem and luckily solved it just by cleaning and a little silicone grease.

In the worst case, you can replace it by wiring a SPDT switch and using that to "open" and "close" the lid manually.

[null1024]

The lid switch was my first thought, but it only does this on certain games, now that I've done more testing. The only games it 100% does it without fail are Triggerheart Exelica and Virtua Fighter 3 [and only if I let the attract sequence run]. The rest are hit or miss, and I did play a couple rounds of Crazy Taxi [GD-ROM, not burned] without it booting out or having the music skip [which is another problem game my DC has had issues running, before I tuned the laser pot a month or so ago].
This could still be the issue though [it's 2am as I type this, so I can't go check this minute this second], might be the way the laser bit moves that's jiggling the switch?

@neorichieb1971
Hrm, that might be the case here. I dunno.


EDIT:
I'm almost certain it's the lid switch now. Put a 5lb weight on top of my Dreamcast, no issues after that. Taking the weight off after hasn't had a negative effect, but that's probably just from having the weight on it for all that time I was playing [played a credit of Triggerheart, and then played a spot of Rayman 2].