I found this video by accident while looking up DVD laser replacement tutorials. Really absorbing, fascinating stuff! I salute your deermination to get your PS2 working again. Definitely worth a like, I think.
I wish I had seen this video before I started my PS2 fix endeavour! I managed to work this out myself fortunately. I was a bit precious about fixing it as it is my launch one from all those years ago. I can confirm that both the wheel fix and the voltage fix worked for me, but eventually the laser burnt out completely. I knew this as the laser simply didn't turn on. A simple sign of this is the disk NOT SPINNING. I assume the console checks an initial laser read before starting the spin cycle. This at first I thought was the motor worn out, but it turned out to be the laser. I ordered a £6 replacement from the US installed it and it worked! Another thing to check is to make sure that the screws attaching the laser rail are tight (the two metal rods). Mine were not and I thought my £6 were wasted. After tightening these it worked first time. Working launch PS2 for the win!
Oooh, so if I understand correctly, the disc will only spin if the laser is working. So before I try adjusting anything, I should take the lid off, and put the relevant type of disc in for the particular laser I'm testing, and only if the disc spins should I try adjusting the laser, if not then it needs to be replaced. This is a very handy diagnostic tip!
I'm not sure if 'll attempt this repair just yet, but this is easily one of the better repair instructional videos I've seen on youtube. Thanks for this
+Zestypanda Nope. You just need a Free McBoot memory card or a PS2 DVD like HD Advance/HD Loader. I got a PS2 with 120GB HDD, Network Adapter, and HD Advance, more then 30 games a running fine without DVDs inclding some of the best games like GT3, GTA San Andreas or Vice City.
Makes playing the expensive retro games null and void though. Which to me is pointless, i'm into playing games off of a hard drive. But not at the cost of the old game discs though. Gaming should include both ways to play your titles via the laser playing drive mechanism or the HDD!
In the nicest way possible, I'm glad it wasn't as simple as cleaning the laser for you. It was extremely intriguing watching you adjust the amount of power the laser was getting. Thank you for the video
spent 2 hours trying other youtube videos until I found this one. this video had all the right advice and got our system back to reading CDs again. thank you.
I've watched your repair guide on GameCube laser adjustment and I learned a lot. Now, I already repaired 4 GameCube consoles. What I like about your tutorials, is that you really explained it very well and so simple for us to be able to do it by ourselves. Also I liked that you tell us the default voltage or ohms or whatever, of the laser.
This video worked for me, I turned the cog back to the pin and it worked, I recently purchased Manhunt and the video playback was jittery, now it's incredibly smooth and games load as if the unit was brand new.
I fix game consoles on a daily basis and I can tell you that 99% of the time when a PS2 won't read a disc you can repair it simply by cleaning the surface of the lens with a q tip and alcohol as shown in this video... That being said, never jump a head in steps unless you know for certain that is not the issue.
Thanks Colin, i adjusted the white plastic gear that changes the height of the laser, and now my ps2 works again! It now plays everything except dvd's but I can live with that😂
This video was excellent Colin... you've saved my old PS2, which for many years now has just been kept in the loft as a sentimental brick ...or so I thought haha! I'm subscribed and looking forward to what other great videos you come up with :)
You don't have to take out the whole assembly of the laser, just to get access on the potentiometer. Just take out the one screw on the right side rod that's holding the laser. By doing that, you can now lift that rod and adjust the laser.
You are a GOD mister! My PS2 FAT did not readed PS1 CD-s anymore so well, so I decided to open it and try a laser calibration. I was just looking for a video in HD and a clean workspace like your's. The laser calibration worked like a charm with the only differece that my model got two of them to adjust and my upper case had no cables atached from the buttons. In my model the buttons cables was hidden inside what made everything more easy! You really saved my day! Thank you so much and have a blessed life! :)
Thanks for this video! 5 clicks clockwise on the adjustment wheel made all the difference. I believe the plastic laser arm that sets against a worm gear is sagging over time, so this adjustment compensated for that.
i cant thank u enough dude. out of every 10 CDs i bought at least 7 of them didnt load and i only cleaned the dust and the lens and i can play around 10 more of my old and new games thanks to u💚
I’d like to say thank you so much for this breakdown tutorial. My PS2 stopped working a while back, but it has been moved about a bit. Now we are in lockdown, what better time to get fixing. Luckily I had all the tools. I had a rain storm when you said there are two lasers. So I tried ps1 games (CDs) and they worked. Ps2 games (DVD’s) didn’t. I got all the way to the cog part, took ages, but finally managed to get it to work! Amazing, I was losing hope. Be patient with the cog bit.
Worked like a charm for me. The white gear you recommended to turn is what fixed it for me. Had to go counter clockwise one notch. But for some reason mine gear was different then yours. Mine had a Phillips head screw on the top but I just adjust the notch bye hand instead and it fixed my blue disc issue. Thanks a lot. Liked and subbed.
When I tried doing all this when I was younger, I ended up breaking the plastic bit that locks the controller ribbons in place. Let's just say I never tried again after all that happened.
I recently did this. I used thick paper (the type used in business cards) to push it against the contact and then used a hot glue gun to secure the connection. controllers and memcards work perfectly now.
oh my god... i totally fixed the DVD playback using your vid. the factory dvd pot on my scph-39001 was set to 1.373 ohms. i tried the hex adjustment first. it was way off. the hole did not line up with the notch from factory. bringing them in line did nothing. i adjusted the pot 1.246 then adjusted the notches.. nothing. second pot tweak to 1.014 then suddenly it started seeing the disc. i moved the notch one tooth at a time while turn the ps2 back on.. more success.. finally, 6 teeth off clockwise from "my factory setting" was the magic formula. Damn. thank you so much for your work on this. you really helped me out! :)
Thanks a lot!! My PS2 was reading DVDs and DVD games fine, but nothing CD related worked until I did the "Wheel adjustment", and now every CD i put in works fine
thanks for the vid! you emphasizing the white cap has a metal piece to stay on made me find the issue a lot quicker so I used the head of a small nail and works perfect!
Worked like a charm. The only confusing bit was related to the replacement laser I purchased from Amazon. The seller stated that there was a piece of solder they used for ESD protection and it needed to be removed before the laser would work. However, they didn't explicitly identify the location of the solder. I compared my old laser to the new laser and was able to identify where I needed to remove the solder.
My compliments to Colin for this video, as this helped me fix my own PS2. Before, it worked fine with most DVDs and even PS1 games without a CD audio soundtrack, while most of the time it didn't like PS1 CDs with a CDDA soundtrack, PS2 CDs, and audio CDs. Before, if I try a bunch of times, use the Diagnosis mode, and with sheer luck, I could get it to work, but a lot of the time, it doesn't. Now, thanks to this video, it now consistently reads those CD formats. So, thank you for this video. 👍
Thanks TDNC Man. I opened her up, and cleaned the lens with a alcohol pad and a baby Q-tip. My PS-2 works great now. Even found my old copy of San Andreas. today was a good day. Putting the top cover on, the power buttons ribbon cable can be a pain though.
That's what I did during the prime of PS1 before PS2 was launch by measuring the ohms of potentiometer like you did before I adjust it. My PS1 was already picky and after I adjusted it, the disc that don't work works again but some disc that still works don't work anymore so I adjusted the potentiometer back to its original resistance. Tilting the PS1 system 45 degrees helps read the disc. My PS2 still okay, though.
That almost sounds like the carriage mechanism that moves the laser is encountering to much resistance, cause a laser that is dying generally wont start working just cause you tilted the machine, but if the rails were gummed up tilting and letting gravity help would do the trick, it could also be a weak motor that just doesnt have the balls to move the sled when the machine is level, though from hearing the PS1 is known for failing disc drives, mine still seems to work, but maybe thats cause i tend to just use my PS2 to run PS1 games and my PS1 is a more of a show piece now, since both my PS1 and 2 are both first generation models that ive had since they were new.
You are a hero among men for posting this, gonna try it I have 6 ps2's with 5 of them being inoperable don't need that many paperweights. I just wish I could've had your warning about the power supply when I was a kid, instead I learned about that the hard way.
Thank you. I got a PS2 from a bin, that wouldn't read game discs or DVD's, so I thought the drive was toast, but because of your video I found out that it was only the DVD laser that wasn't working. I'll try tweking it, and if that doesn't work, I guess I'll get a new laser. In any event, your video was very helpful!
Why didn't you try to take the plastic cover off of the top laser unscrew the bolt, pry under the glue, remove it, and clean the bottom lens? Instead of tweaking voltages and risking detonation. I see alot of people with problems and it is usually due to dust being over the bottom lens.
Emanuel Pereira I fucked up my PS2 already. I'm buying a new laser lol. Thanks for the tips, I didn't know about the alcohol and the q-tips (I used both of them to clean the lens...Fuck me, right?)
Emanuel Pereira I don't think the cotton bud usage is as much of a problem as you think it is. It doesn't scratch the laser to the point where it doesn't read the disc, and it will always help rather than destroy the laser if you clean it with cotton buds. Yeah, I agree, it probably scratches the lens, but should anybody worry about it, the answer is no.
I had no idea the optics were so easily accessed, got two of my phat systems (one failed the other marginal) back on line. The tip to try with a DVD and a CD was crucial. Thank you so much for getting me ready for an upcoming summer party with a game room with functional (albeit old) systems. Failed media drives happen so often on 90s era Sun Workstations, I'll have to try this technique my next opportunity.
Aye bro,I’ve had my fat ps2 since my dad got it at launch, tonight my roommate and I got to the part where you had to turn that white gear a notch, now we playing MK Armageddon, thought I lost my relic forever,thank you💪🏻
I have been subscribed to you for a while. Currently I am fighting this with a PS2 I just picked up. Saw your video and smiled because, well, I subscribe to you and love your content. Great video.
Around 6:49. My ribbon cables are different. That white one is actually perpendicular to the smaller cable instead of being parallel. Meaning I can’t pull the laser part out to tweak it. I know there’s different models and stuff
I like it! the keep it simple approach! Start with the most common solution and work your way up. This will come in handy for me soon as my brother has A PS2 that gives disc read error messages with DVD based games.
Hi thanks. Really informative. I purchased a new laser online for $22 a us, but I had mucked around with it so much that I ended up breaking the laser data ribbon. Now I am waiting on that to arrive. Have to admit that yes I could.buy another one cheap but I am having fun with the repair, and at this point I have too much time invested in it, so it's like vendetta now. Really enjoyed your video. Thanks Glen in Australia
Thank you for walking all the way through to the innards with common errors bookmarked! Incredibly helpful! Infuriating sifting through vids w singular problem/solutions
The wheel adjustment is what worked for me. Although my model 50001 had two wheels to adjust. I was having trouble loading a certain part in Mega Man Legends and Okami had choppy audio in the intro. One turn in each wheel to the right did the trick. I would highly recommend against adjusting the potentiometer unless you know what you’re doing.
Thank you for this video it helped me fix my PlayStation too I had to adjust the white gear 2 notches and boom it worked again thank you for the content!
Two hot tips: 1; if you're having trouble taking the reset button out of the top, just leave it there. It doesn't make a difference. 2; if you're testing the laser carriage with the gear adjustment, you don't have to screw or unscrew anything every time you retry. I just held the disc tray in with my finger every time I tried spinning the disc.
Hi Colin how's it going? The same thing happened with my PS2 Slim, the drive does not spin at all. Took it apart and the laser is clean and moved fine. Guess the motor's a gonner?
Sir, you're the tops. Great video! My ps2 partially works, but the CD reader often grinds and freezes games when loading. I think the 1st tracking wheel tweak might do me.
Thanks for the confidence but you didn't mention the little black screw. I noticed the cam adjustment moves the tray one way and the little black screw moves the tray on the other axis. The tip of the screw wears down over time... in theory. So I gave the screw a tiny bump and it's fixed
I don't have the same problem as what is shown here, but the information you give is clear and precise. I have a problem with one of the consoles I have were the disc twitches, so i'm assuming that the ribbon cable that connects the tracking servo to the motherboard may have lost connection. The laser seems to be working fine, and there appears to be no scratches on the lens. I'll find out tomorrow.
Fixed mine (PS2 slim) this way. Here are some tips: - if the disc spins like crazy and PS2 still can't read it then it means you have rotated potentiometer the wrong way and the laser don't get enough power. In my case i need to rotate it COUNTERCLOCKWISE. - when PS2 stars reading discs, rotate it back just a VERY little bit until it stops reading then again. Then rotate it VERY VERY little bit ahead until it reads discs again. This way you will be sure you have minimal power increase and your laser will work longer.
Out of curiosity did you try turning on diagnostics and putting a disk in before disassembly? Supposedly it helps Re-focus the laser but iirc it was for cd based ps2 games.
My PS2 will read some discs and not read others. The disc that it won’t read is in good condition. I tried cleaning the lens and it still won’t work. It makes these intermittent clicking sounds so I am unsure of the issue. Any help possibly with what I might be experiencing?
thanks dude now my ps2 will actually play my cds and dvds and load my games immediately without having to constantly smash that eject button xD awesome sausome broskie!
I bought a new laser for the FAT console. How Much Resistance Should There Be to DVDs and How Much to CDs for the Laser to Read Games Normally? Can I settle in with an unimer?
Note: if you do end up buying a new laser assembly for your PlayStation 2, try and get the same one as the one you are replacing. You can find out how to identify them online. If you can't find the same kind, you can use a different one but you will need to run a piece of homebrew software called "Lenschanger" so that the PlayStation 2 will agree to use it.
Unfortunately when I disconnect the first flat cable from the assembly the second one on the left bottom side instantly blocks the attempt to move and tilt the assembly, so I cannot get to the potis at all. Model SCPH-30004.
+cutemimi25 It's my original one, purchased new back in 2002. I bought the one in the pickups video with the intention of using it for parts, but it was in too good of condition to part out.
Olá João, pelo nome suponho que sejas português, eu tenho uma PS2 que fazia isso, o problema é que a parte onde o CD pousa (spindle) não sei como se diz em português perde a aderência e patina fazendo esse ruído. A solução que arranjei foi abrir a consola, fiz um anel com fita isoladora e coloquei nessa peça. A aderência aumentou e começou a ler perfeitamente, o problema é que esses CDs azuis requerem mais velocidade, o motor começa a rodar rápido e começa o CD a patinar, como o CD não acompanha a velocidade a consola não consegue ler, experimenta e diz alguma coisa. ;)
I have a couple ps2's, one of them will play silver backed ps2 games and black ps1 games, but it wont play blue ps2 games or silver ps1 games, I heard some of the ps2's will have that failure over time, I wonder if any of these tricks could fix it.
Thx this was very useful.. but I do have a question: me and my dad were lookin at my old ps2 that I haven’t touched in ages and we have came to the conclusion that the capacitor is bad. Where can I buy one
I've tried adjusting the lens angle and I can get it to work for DVD or I can adjust it some more and get it to work for CD. I can't find a sweet spot where it will work for both. There is a fairly large gap between the two points where it functions. Is this the point that you want to mess with potentiometers?
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
I found this video by accident while looking up DVD laser replacement tutorials. Really absorbing, fascinating stuff! I salute your deermination to get your PS2 working again. Definitely worth a like, I think.
it's possible to clean lens up and down, just move black plastic and little linguee
sometime it s important to clean back (slowly)
I wish I had seen this video before I started my PS2 fix endeavour! I managed to work this out myself fortunately.
I was a bit precious about fixing it as it is my launch one from all those years ago. I can confirm that both the wheel fix and the voltage fix worked for me, but eventually the laser burnt out completely. I knew this as the laser simply didn't turn on. A simple sign of this is the disk NOT SPINNING. I assume the console checks an initial laser read before starting the spin cycle. This at first I thought was the motor worn out, but it turned out to be the laser. I ordered a £6 replacement from the US installed it and it worked!
Another thing to check is to make sure that the screws attaching the laser rail are tight (the two metal rods). Mine were not and I thought my £6 were wasted. After tightening these it worked first time.
Working launch PS2 for the win!
Hey
Oooh, so if I understand correctly, the disc will only spin if the laser is working.
So before I try adjusting anything, I should take the lid off, and put the relevant type of disc in for the particular laser I'm testing, and only if the disc spins should I try adjusting the laser, if not then it needs to be replaced. This is a very handy diagnostic tip!
I'm not sure if 'll attempt this repair just yet, but this is easily one of the better repair instructional videos I've seen on youtube. Thanks for this
even if the ps2 stops reading games you can always just get a network adapter and a HDD and play your games off a HDD with much faster loading times
You need a mod chip still.
+Zestypanda Nope. You just need a Free McBoot memory card or a PS2 DVD like HD Advance/HD Loader. I got a PS2 with 120GB HDD, Network Adapter, and HD Advance, more then 30 games a running fine without DVDs inclding some of the best games like GT3, GTA San Andreas or Vice City.
@Gabi
Sounds neat. Hard Drives (PS2, Xbox) and SD cards (Dreamcast etc) are great when it comes to extending the lives of consoles.
or FreeMCBoot method
Makes playing the expensive retro games null and void though. Which to me is pointless, i'm into playing games off of a hard drive. But not at the cost of the old game discs though. Gaming should include both ways to play your titles via the laser playing drive mechanism or the HDD!
In the nicest way possible, I'm glad it wasn't as simple as cleaning the laser for you. It was extremely intriguing watching you adjust the amount of power the laser was getting. Thank you for the video
One of the fixes worked for me! I cleaned the laser, and adjusted that disc drive gear by 1 click. Thank you!
spent 2 hours trying other youtube videos until I found this one. this video had all the right advice and got our system back to reading CDs again. thank you.
I've watched your repair guide on GameCube laser adjustment and I learned a lot. Now, I already repaired 4 GameCube consoles. What I like about your tutorials, is that you really explained it very well and so simple for us to be able to do it by ourselves. Also I liked that you tell us the default voltage or ohms or whatever, of the laser.
I often wondered what Bob Lazar was up to since quitting Area 51. Now I find him here back engineering PS2's! Thanks ;)
Lmao you're mean
This video worked for me, I turned the cog back to the pin and it worked, I recently purchased Manhunt and the video playback was jittery, now it's incredibly smooth and games load as if the unit was brand new.
I fix game consoles on a daily basis and I can tell you that 99% of the time when a PS2 won't read a disc you can repair it simply by cleaning the surface of the lens with a q tip and alcohol as shown in this video... That being said, never jump a head in steps unless you know for certain that is not the issue.
Mines is the Laser wont read the disc, any solutions to that?
Thanks Colin, i adjusted the white plastic gear that changes the height of the laser, and now my ps2 works again! It now plays everything except dvd's but I can live with that😂
Live with a ps2 that is capable of only playing 3% of its library ....
By far the best PS2 informational video I've ever seen.
horrible editing though, his face appearing every 5 sec after such short clips of the console makes it really unwatchable
This video was excellent Colin... you've saved my old PS2, which for many years now has just been kept in the loft as a sentimental brick ...or so I thought haha! I'm subscribed and looking forward to what other great videos you come up with :)
+Nick Crimmen Awesome, glad you were able to fix it! Thanks for watching!
+This Does Not Compute I did the step where you 🔌 it in and it did not come 🔛 what do I do?
Look at your creepy 😂 face
You don't have to take out the whole assembly of the laser, just to get access on the potentiometer. Just take out the one screw on the right side rod that's holding the laser. By doing that, you can now lift that rod and adjust the laser.
Thanks for this! So much easier!
You are a GOD mister! My PS2 FAT did not readed PS1 CD-s anymore so well, so I decided to open it and try a laser calibration. I was just looking for a video in HD and a clean workspace like your's. The laser calibration worked like a charm with the only differece that my model got two of them to adjust and my upper case had no cables atached from the buttons. In my model the buttons cables was hidden inside what made everything more easy! You really saved my day! Thank you so much and have a blessed life! :)
Absolutely great video. Thank you for the detailed steps, I managed to get my PS2 working again.
Thanks for this video! 5 clicks clockwise on the adjustment wheel made all the difference. I believe the plastic laser arm that sets against a worm gear is sagging over time, so this adjustment compensated for that.
Finally, a very clearly outlined video to troubleshoot disc reading problems on a PS2. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!
i cant thank u enough dude. out of every 10 CDs i bought at least 7 of them didnt load and i only cleaned the dust and the lens and i can play around 10 more of my old and new games thanks to u💚
This video is hands down the best I've seen for a ps2. Not everyone explains it so detailed. Thank you so much you are a life saver.🎉🎉 🎉
I’d like to say thank you so much for this breakdown tutorial. My PS2 stopped working a while back, but it has been moved about a bit. Now we are in lockdown, what better time to get fixing. Luckily I had all the tools. I had a rain storm when you said there are two lasers. So I tried ps1 games (CDs) and they worked. Ps2 games (DVD’s) didn’t. I got all the way to the cog part, took ages, but finally managed to get it to work! Amazing, I was losing hope. Be patient with the cog bit.
Great directions. I will be using this video to repair a few systems I picked up at garage sales and thrift stores over the last few months. Thanks!
I'm really liking this guy and his channel. Almost everything I search games maintenance related his videos pop up.
Worked like a charm for me. The white gear you recommended to turn is what fixed it for me. Had to go counter clockwise one notch. But for some reason mine gear was different then yours. Mine had a Phillips head screw on the top but I just adjust the notch bye hand instead and it fixed my blue disc issue. Thanks a lot. Liked and subbed.
When I tried doing all this when I was younger, I ended up breaking the plastic bit that locks the controller ribbons in place. Let's just say I never tried again after all that happened.
The same thing happend to me but the ribbon cable snapped to turn the ps2 on
I recently did this. I used thick paper (the type used in business cards) to push it against the contact and then used a hot glue gun to secure the connection. controllers and memcards work perfectly now.
Sometimes I watch these videos because the music is BALLER! Love the music he has in his videos and I'm so glad he never changed his intro music.
Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution was by far my favorite PS2 game kudos for that disk.
Thank you! Just got a PS2 at Goodwill. The gear thing was the issue. Adjusted it and it lives!
oh my god... i totally fixed the DVD playback using your vid. the factory dvd pot on my scph-39001 was set to 1.373 ohms. i tried the hex adjustment first. it was way off. the hole did not line up with the notch from factory. bringing them in line did nothing. i adjusted the pot 1.246 then adjusted the notches.. nothing. second pot tweak to 1.014 then suddenly it started seeing the disc. i moved the notch one tooth at a time while turn the ps2 back on.. more success.. finally, 6 teeth off clockwise from "my factory setting" was the magic formula. Damn. thank you so much for your work on this. you really helped me out! :)
Thanks a lot!! My PS2 was reading DVDs and DVD games fine, but nothing CD related worked until I did the "Wheel adjustment", and now every CD i put in works fine
I really appreciate this video, it gave me enough confidence to fix my ps2.
thanks for the vid! you emphasizing the white cap has a metal piece to stay on made me find the issue a lot quicker so I used the head of a small nail and works perfect!
Worked like a charm. The only confusing bit was related to the replacement laser I purchased from Amazon. The seller stated that there was a piece of solder they used for ESD protection and it needed to be removed before the laser would work. However, they didn't explicitly identify the location of the solder. I compared my old laser to the new laser and was able to identify where I needed to remove the solder.
My compliments to Colin for this video, as this helped me fix my own PS2. Before, it worked fine with most DVDs and even PS1 games without a CD audio soundtrack, while most of the time it didn't like PS1 CDs with a CDDA soundtrack, PS2 CDs, and audio CDs. Before, if I try a bunch of times, use the Diagnosis mode, and with sheer luck, I could get it to work, but a lot of the time, it doesn't. Now, thanks to this video, it now consistently reads those CD formats. So, thank you for this video. 👍
Thanks TDNC Man. I opened her up, and cleaned the lens with a alcohol pad and a baby Q-tip. My PS-2 works great now. Even found my old copy of San Andreas. today was a good day.
Putting the top cover on, the power buttons ribbon cable can be a pain though.
That's what I did during the prime of PS1 before PS2 was launch by measuring the ohms of potentiometer like you did before I adjust it. My PS1 was already picky and after I adjusted it, the disc that don't work works again but some disc that still works don't work anymore so I adjusted the potentiometer back to its original resistance. Tilting the PS1 system 45 degrees helps read the disc. My PS2 still okay, though.
That almost sounds like the carriage mechanism that moves the laser is encountering to much resistance, cause a laser that is dying generally wont start working just cause you tilted the machine, but if the rails were gummed up tilting and letting gravity help would do the trick, it could also be a weak motor that just doesnt have the balls to move the sled when the machine is level, though from hearing the PS1 is known for failing disc drives, mine still seems to work, but maybe thats cause i tend to just use my PS2 to run PS1 games and my PS1 is a more of a show piece now, since both my PS1 and 2 are both first generation models that ive had since they were new.
You are a hero among men for posting this, gonna try it I have 6 ps2's with 5 of them being inoperable don't need that many paperweights. I just wish I could've had your warning about the power supply when I was a kid, instead I learned about that the hard way.
Thank you. I got a PS2 from a bin, that wouldn't read game discs or DVD's, so I thought the drive was toast, but because of your video I found out that it was only the DVD laser that wasn't working.
I'll try tweking it, and if that doesn't work, I guess I'll get a new laser. In any event, your video was very helpful!
Why didn't you try to take the plastic cover off of the top laser unscrew the bolt, pry under the glue, remove it, and clean the bottom lens? Instead of tweaking voltages and risking detonation. I see alot of people with problems and it is usually due to dust being over the bottom lens.
I guess he didn't know about that.
Eric Mitchell yeah was probably the problem with it lol.
Is it safe?
Emanuel Pereira I fucked up my PS2 already. I'm buying a new laser lol. Thanks for the tips, I didn't know about the alcohol and the q-tips (I used both of them to clean the lens...Fuck me, right?)
Emanuel Pereira I don't think the cotton bud usage is as much of a problem as you think it is. It doesn't scratch the laser to the point where it doesn't read the disc, and it will always help rather than destroy the laser if you clean it with cotton buds. Yeah, I agree, it probably scratches the lens, but should anybody worry about it, the answer is no.
Much thanks dude for. the info. Your video was the only one I could see and understand. My PS2 lives again. Keep up the good work. ✋👊🤘
I had no idea the optics were so easily accessed, got two of my phat systems (one failed the other marginal) back on line. The tip to try with a DVD and a CD was crucial. Thank you so much for getting me ready for an upcoming summer party with a game room with functional (albeit old) systems. Failed media drives happen so often on 90s era Sun Workstations, I'll have to try this technique my next opportunity.
Aye bro,I’ve had my fat ps2 since my dad got it at launch, tonight my roommate and I got to the part where you had to turn that white gear a notch, now we playing MK Armageddon, thought I lost my relic forever,thank you💪🏻
I have been subscribed to you for a while. Currently I am fighting this with a PS2 I just picked up. Saw your video and smiled because, well, I subscribe to you and love your content. Great video.
I love your videos, man. I coulda sworn I was already subbed, but now that's fixed. ONWARD, to replacing my PS2 Slim's optical drive!
Turing that calibration gear or whatever it's called REALLY WORKS! I had to turn mine passed 180 degrees clockwise before it worked. BUT IT WORKED!
7 year old video saved me. Great instructions my issue was the Adjustment Wheel.
For years, I thought my PS2 was just a memory. This video changed that! Thanks!
"Just pull the ribbon cable and it should come right out."
Yeah, have fun spending the next three years trying to reconnect it, though.
Around 6:49. My ribbon cables are different. That white one is actually perpendicular to the smaller cable instead of being parallel. Meaning I can’t pull the laser part out to tweak it. I know there’s different models and stuff
Just fixed my PS2. Thank you, sir!
where can I buy Optical Lens replacements for the PS2 model 390001
I like it! the keep it simple approach! Start with the most common solution and work your way up. This will come in handy for me soon as my brother has A PS2 that gives disc read error messages with DVD based games.
Hi thanks. Really informative. I purchased a new laser online for $22 a us, but I had mucked around with it so much that I ended up breaking the laser data ribbon. Now I am waiting on that to arrive. Have to admit that yes I could.buy another one cheap but I am having fun with the repair, and at this point I have too much time invested in it, so it's like vendetta now. Really enjoyed your video. Thanks Glen in Australia
Thank you for walking all the way through to the innards with common errors bookmarked! Incredibly helpful! Infuriating sifting through vids w singular problem/solutions
The wheel adjustment is what worked for me. Although my model 50001 had two wheels to adjust. I was having trouble loading a certain part in Mega Man Legends and Okami had choppy audio in the intro. One turn in each wheel to the right did the trick. I would highly recommend against adjusting the potentiometer unless you know what you’re doing.
I fix the grinding sound and disc error with this review. Thanks man.
Thank you for this video it helped me fix my PlayStation too I had to adjust the white gear 2 notches and boom it worked again thank you for the content!
Please, PLEASE, do a PS2 Slim Optical Disc Replacement video. It would help so many people out.
+d_hyman18 There's already a video on that.
Two hot tips: 1; if you're having trouble taking the reset button out of the top, just leave it there. It doesn't make a difference. 2; if you're testing the laser carriage with the gear adjustment, you don't have to screw or unscrew anything every time you retry. I just held the disc tray in with my finger every time I tried spinning the disc.
Interesting video and offers some ideas even if you weren't able to repair your PS2 here, thanks.
Yup, the laser was just stuck and Think I needed to clean the lens. You Are Awesome! Thanks, teacher!!!!!!
Hi Colin how's it going?
The same thing happened with my PS2 Slim, the drive does not spin at all. Took it apart and the laser is clean and moved fine. Guess the motor's a gonner?
Sir, you're the tops. Great video! My ps2 partially works, but the CD reader often grinds and freezes games when loading. I think the 1st tracking wheel tweak might do me.
Very good video! Thank you for putting this together. My model is an SCP 50004 with an HD7 laser but the concept is the mostly the same.
4:09 "Take notice of that hole in the wheel relative to the pin.." (camera changes back to your face as not to see said pin) haahaa
Thanks for the confidence but you didn't mention the little black screw. I noticed the cam adjustment moves the tray one way and the little black screw moves the tray on the other axis. The tip of the screw wears down over time... in theory. So I gave the screw a tiny bump and it's fixed
Great video. Can you do this tutorial on Wii U console? Thanks.
I don't have the same problem as what is shown here, but the information you give is clear and precise. I have a problem with one of the consoles I have were the disc twitches, so i'm assuming that the ribbon cable that connects the tracking servo to the motherboard may have lost connection. The laser seems to be working fine, and there appears to be no scratches on the lens. I'll find out tomorrow.
Having the same problem right now. I just want to play my Romance of the three kingdoms games!!
Thanks Jeffrey, I'm gonna try some of these tips and hope it works for me
Fixed mine (PS2 slim) this way.
Here are some tips:
- if the disc spins like
crazy and PS2 still can't read it then it means you have rotated potentiometer the wrong way and the laser don't get enough power. In my case i need to rotate it COUNTERCLOCKWISE.
- when PS2 stars reading discs, rotate it back just a VERY little bit until it stops reading then again. Then rotate it VERY VERY little bit ahead until it reads discs again. This way you will be sure you have minimal power increase and your laser will work longer.
A small circular magnet fell out from somewhere. Do you know where it goes?
Out of curiosity did you try turning on diagnostics and putting a disk in before disassembly? Supposedly it helps Re-focus the laser but iirc it was for cd based ps2 games.
hey Colin, it's going good man thanks for asking as always,
awesome video !
Dude, the dial fixed it, thanks a lot!
Repaired mine years ago. Drive was ratteling when it went open/close. Mechanism needed cleaning and some grease.
My PS2 will read some discs and not read others. The disc that it won’t read is in good condition. I tried cleaning the lens and it still won’t work. It makes these intermittent clicking sounds so I am unsure of the issue. Any help possibly with what I might be experiencing?
thanks dude now my ps2 will actually play my cds and dvds and load my games immediately without having to constantly smash that eject button xD awesome sausome broskie!
Good video.I like how you explain in your video, why something doesn't work properly,and what it takes to fix it.☺👍
Is the laser supposed to move back and forth when opening/closing the disc drive? Mine doesn't.
Hey thanks for the video! Was able to clear the error by cleaning the laser.
I bought a new laser for the FAT console. How Much Resistance Should There Be to DVDs and How Much to CDs for the Laser to Read Games Normally? Can I settle in with an unimer?
Hey ! I tried adjusting the gears with a hexagonnal screw, two clicks clockwise and now my ps2 read my disc very fast. Thank you !!!!
Thanks for the video it's great advice and help but do u have a website to purchase disc drives? I can't find them anywhere
Note: if you do end up buying a new laser assembly for your PlayStation 2, try and get the same one as the one you are replacing. You can find out how to identify them online. If you can't find the same kind, you can use a different one but you will need to run a piece of homebrew software called "Lenschanger" so that the PlayStation 2 will agree to use it.
Unfortunately when I disconnect the first flat cable from the assembly the second one on the left bottom side instantly blocks the attempt to move and tilt the assembly, so I cannot get to the potis at all. Model SCPH-30004.
Is that the same PS2 from your pickups video from 2014 or is this your original original PS2 from storage?
+cutemimi25 It's my original one, purchased new back in 2002. I bought the one in the pickups video with the intention of using it for parts, but it was in too good of condition to part out.
This Does Not Compute Thanks for the info, kinda got a little confused at 1st.
Olá João, pelo nome suponho que sejas português, eu tenho uma PS2 que fazia isso, o problema é que a parte onde o CD pousa (spindle) não sei como se diz em português perde a aderência e patina fazendo esse ruído. A solução que arranjei foi abrir a consola, fiz um anel com fita isoladora e coloquei nessa peça. A aderência aumentou e começou a ler perfeitamente, o problema é que esses CDs azuis requerem mais velocidade, o motor começa a rodar rápido e começa o CD a patinar, como o CD não acompanha a velocidade a consola não consegue ler, experimenta e diz alguma coisa. ;)
I have to install a new laser in my system, ribbon cable cracked. Can I just set the new pot meters to match ohms on the original laser?
I have a couple ps2's, one of them will play silver backed ps2 games and black ps1 games, but it wont play blue ps2 games or silver ps1 games, I heard some of the ps2's will have that failure over time, I wonder if any of these tricks could fix it.
That blue cable towards the front isn’t long enough on mine and I can’t lift it to try and adjust the pot what do I do
thanks for whole step-wise amazing instruction, My PS2 oddly works great for movies DVD but fails to run games.
I have exhausted all these options already. I just received a new laser in the mail, but I can't find any videos showing what to do with it.
Thx this was very useful.. but I do have a question: me and my dad were lookin at my old ps2 that I haven’t touched in ages and we have came to the conclusion that the capacitor is bad. Where can I buy one
Cleaning the laser did the job for me. I was surprised, I expected it to be dead.
very clear instruction dude, double thumbs up for you
I've tried adjusting the lens angle and I can get it to work for DVD or I can adjust it some more and get it to work for CD. I can't find a sweet spot where it will work for both. There is a fairly large gap between the two points where it functions. Is this the point that you want to mess with potentiometers?
Great job with this video! Just got yourself another sub.
I hope you measured the potentiometer once it was disconnected from the rest of the circuit
nice tutorial my friend
so what did you do?
do you buy a new laser lens ?