"dave" nospam wrote in message
. ..
Sam is correct. Let's see, the player does not detect CDs so check the
lense for dust? It could be a bad laser? Not even close! CD changers
generally have sensors to tell them which slots have disks in them. I'd
check those sensors first. Also the change/loading mechanism could have
sensor switch problems.

DaveL


Sam, or indeed you, *may* be correct - it depends on what exactly the OP
means by the player " failing to detect a disc ". In my experience, this is
normal-speak for the player not extracting a TOC from a disc, maybe after a
spin-up, maybe not even getting that far. It is very very rare for a player
that has separate disc detection, to fail to sense that a disc is on the
carousel at any particular position. Many players do not have separate disc
detection sensors, relying on the laser to find something when it initiates
a focus search. This particular player does use separate optical sensors for
both disc and carousel position detection. However, I can't remember ever
having a problem with one failing to sense discs on the carousel.

Having repaired many of these, I would fire the same statement of " not even
close ", back at you. In my experience, the most common playing problem on
these is due to a defective ( or just plain dusty ) KSS240A, and the
liklihood of any sensors being at fault is slim at best. I have had the
laser flexiprint go bad, and that usually results in failure of the focus
motor to operate, as the tracks that normally break are the ones that
connect to there. This is easily spotted by watching to see if the lens goes
up and down ( having first fooled the sensor into thinking that there is a
disc in place, of course ...) Very often, a poke of the flexiprint at that
point in time, will cause the tracks to momentarily remake, and the lens
will move.

And to Sam, yes, I would say that the situation is that bad now. The quality
of the 'standard' Sony KSS series lasers, fitted to many manufacturer's
products, seems to have gone down and down over the years, and I change many
of them - often in kit that's still within the warranty period, which is
often about the only time that it's financially viable to do it. The latest
Sony offering in the laser stakes, is not even replaceable. The flexiprint
is solder-attached at both ends, so the whole assembly has to be replaced,
complete with the servo / amp pcb, which also is not really servicable, as
the IC is one of those calculator style " ball of snot " jobs, that has no
visible pins for measuring on.

Arfa