DVD drive doesn't close, just reopens.

[Cuber]

Recently, my Dad gave me a DVD RAM drive that just stopped opening one day. He'd opened it up before so I don't really know how it would of been before. But it seems 'normal' to me, course not having done this before I dunno. xP

Since having it in my possession I have added a rubber band at the front and it now opens! But.. it doesn't close. It just decides to reopen.

Normally at this point I'd probably go to buy a new one, seeing as they seem cheap now days.. but as I was given it to try work on. I'd really like to see if I can get it working.

If you need more information, or pictures, just ask.

[DaveLembke]

Inside the Drive there is a sensor that tells the drive it has successfully closed. If it does not get this OK signal from the sensor that -- some are optical switches with a plastic flag mechanical flag that moves between the optical photodiodes and others are a mechanical limit switch --- it will assume thatthe drive has jammed and it will open to eject the CD or DVD as a way for you to not lose your CD  or DVD in the drive.

I would start with looking for this drive closed mechnaical gate and see if there is something impeding its ability to function and report back to the main board that the drive is successfully closing.

Only other time I seen this and not the limit switch or photo diodes, it was a damaged eject buttom where someone smashed the eject button  with something and the microswitch was stuck (ON) telling the drive to Eject even if the drive was forcefully shut with pushing the tray in. It would spit it back out.

[Cuber]

So I have to find this limit switch then? Right... any kinds of pictures so I can have a better idea of what to look for?

[Laska]

Look way in the back where the door goes when it is closed and see if you see a micro-switch that the door would hit when it is closed

[Geek-9pm]

I have added a rubber band at the front and it now opens!

Remove the rubber band.

[Cuber]

eh.. no >>

It works. Why must I remove it? With out it, it doesn't open or close at all. There was clearly something smiler to a rubber band before.. probably stronger, but for now.. this seems ok. I can see a black band on my main drive at the front in the same way I put mine. If you'd like to point me to the correct type of band to use I'd be happy to remove it..

Anyway, I think I found what the limit switch would be.. and I can see nothing happens to it when I close the drive.

I'll get this thing going yet..

[Laska]

If there is a piece of spring metal on the micro-switch you may be able to pull it out by a slight degree to get it to make the contact that it needs

[Geek-9pm]

If it is a mechanical limit switch, one the goes click, then you can fix it with an ohmmeter. With power off, put a low=range analog ohmmeter on the micros-switch contacts and twiddle it while watching the ohmmeter. When the Ohmmeter becomes consistent with the click of the smirch, it is now OK. If that fixes it, you are sworn to secrecy not to reveal this, do not post back if that works. Also, do not reveal my secret identity. You have permission to repeat this  up to one year from now, if needed. No change to you.