Having an issue with my Saturn. Please Help.

[J-Manic]

I have a Japanese grey & blue HST-3200 model Saturn, which I haven't fired up in a while (probably round 4-5 months), and all of the sudden it doesn't wanna play a couple of my Games (but all of my other games play just fine).

Dodonpachi (SegaSaturn Collection version)
Thunder Force Gold Pack 2

I've tried turning the power on while the game is already in, turning the power on first and then popping the game in, and resetting the console multiple times. My console simply will not read the discs. It goes straight to the system options menu and stays there while it says "empty", meaning there isn't even a game disc in there.

Maybe my lens needs a little cleaning or adjusting? Maybe I need to pop in one of my RAM carts? Maybe I need to change the little battery or something??

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Bee Cool]

Well unless the discs themselves are damaged the most likely thing is that the lens is dirty. I would try to clean it with some rubbing alcohol and a q-tip.

[Korszca]

If you're sure it's not the discs, then try cleaning it like Bee Cool said. If it still doesn't work, you could twist the pot in the back of the laser a tiny bit to see if that helps. But if you have to go that far, it means your laser is dying. FWIW, you can still get brand new replacement lasers and it takes all of 5 minutes to replace (I've done it myself).

But of course try cleaning first, the easier fix is always better.

[Ex-Cyber]

I would recommend 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol rather than "rubbing alcohol" (which is usually a lower concentration and may have skin conditioning additives). Always wipe gently across the lens; never press down on it.

I'd also try ripping the discs on a known good PC drive and see if it has any trouble reading them, just to rule out some kind of obscure damage to the discs themselves.

[gray117]

Might be first signs of age on cds... slightly more mechanical I have noticed some of the center mechanisms to sag a little on some [PAL] units. I actually used a little a spacer made up of a ring [perhaps even two] of card to raise the disc slightly [disc was still able to 'click in' fine] and the unit read cds again.

I never tried it but I suspect this was a similar cause/problem to all those early ps1 turn it upside-down-to-get-it-to-work down situations when some ps1s had some too soft plastic components to the drive.