Wont read my game discs - Sega Saturn

Hi,

I own a saturn that gradually have become worse at starting up game discs. Before it worked most times, but now, when firing up the saturn with a game disc 9 times of ten it spins quite fast like 10 times then it present the audio-cd screen.

- The laser is moving when starting up
- I have cleaned the laser
- I have calibrated the yellow screw as good as I can
- I havent tried with an audio cd (cant find one at home..)
- I have tried adjusting the spindle gap (but I dont think I actually succeding in moving it) but I dont know the perfect gap size (see picture).
- The games are original and worked before.

Its a PAL version 2.

What to do? =)

Regards, Per
 

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Are the discs scratched?. The only thing you can really do is adjust the pot in tiny tiny increments to see if it has any effect, the impression i'm given is that it's currently in a weak/bad position.
 
Are the discs scratched?. The only thing you can really do is adjust the pot in tiny tiny increments to see if it has any effect, the impression i'm given is that it's currently in a weak/bad position.

Best to use a multimeter while making the adjustments. First before you move anything, measure it at its original position and write it down, that way, if things get worse, you can at least bring it back to its original position. Measure the amount of ohms of the pot at each incremental change (very tedious I know, but if you drop the resistance too much and too quickly you will permanently fry the laser lens). You want to very carefully drop the resistance by adjusting that screw, this will cause the current and voltage to increase forcing your laser lens to work harder, but this is pretty much the only thing left you can try. Its a great way to squeeze some extra life out of a failing laser. If successful, this fix "should" last a while. I don't recommend dropping the ohms more than a couple hundred from whatever its original measurement is to avoid cooking it.

If all else fails, I imagine you can get a new laser assembly fairly cheap on ebay (likely a refurb pulled from a donor machine, but hey w/e works lol).
 
The discs have no scratches, at least some of them.

So, you think the yellow screw is of then? It has nothing to do with the spindle gap?
When I fiddled with the screw (I moved it a maximum of 1/4 of a turn) counter clockwise, the disc stopped turning, that normal?

Thanks for your help!
 
I don't think we're talking about the same screw. I'd have to take my Saturn apart to look and find the potentiometer screw to be sure.
 
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