CDRW tray won't open without a CD in it.

I've got a Plextor Plexwriter 48/24/48A CDRW drive that doesn't want to open properly. This has been going on for about 2 years now and up until now I've just put up with it. I can continue to do so but curiosity has finally got the best of me and I thought I'd ask you guys if you know what could possibly be the problem.

The problem is simply this. The tray won't open on the drive if there's no CD in it. When I push the button, the light blinks and I can hear it trying to open but it never does. I end up having to use a paper clip or whatever to open it manually. Once the catch is released though, it'll open the rest of the way using the button. If I put a CD in the drive, it'll open first time every time. So, as long as I keep a CD in the drive, it works as it should.

When it first started it was intermittent and was a bit different in the way it acted. If it wouldn't open with the first push of the button, it would with another push or two but it progressed slowly to the point it's at now.

I've taken it apart to check for the possibility of a dust problem of some sort but it was about as clean as it could be. I've updated the firmware. I believe I have the newest version available for the drive.

I'm about 99.9999% sure it's not software related. I can boot to a win9x boot floppy and it acts the same there as in windows. Also, the same computer has a Plextor PX-716A DVD-RW in it and it works as it should. If I boot the computer and press the pause key while the computer is booting, the DVD drive will open while things are paused, the other drive won't (unless there's a CD in it of course) .

So, my question to you guys is; does anybody know what mechanism in the drive could cause this type of thing to happen and what (if anything) can I do about it?

 

LOL Steve. I knew those types of answers would come. I'm to stubborn to buy a new one though. I've put up with it for 2 years, I can do it for another 2 if need be.

I've kind of thought that too but would like to know why a cd being in the tray would have anything to do with it. Why would it even have to check for or sense a cd in order for it to open? Apparently they don't check for the presence of a cd or none of them would open without one in the drive? There has to be a mechanical reason though. Inquiring minds want to know!

 

Maybe a problem with Plextor's Silent mode feature?

http://www.plextor.be/products/px-755a.asp?choice=PX-755A

 

Maybe a burr on the opening mechanism (this would only explain it if there were two means of releasing the tray, one with the disk in, the other with no disk). Anyway, open it again and carefully watch as you insert the paperclip to release the tray manually, see what catches are released and investigate those.

Boot into the BIOS settings and try opening it then, that way you know no OS is loaded.

My Computer -> right-click on the drive and select Eject, same result?

If you need to clean any mechanical parts inside the drive, I suggest Contact Cleaner (I am finding more uses for it every day ). Be careful though, some parts need to be greased and you dont want to splash the lenses. Check if the moving parts may need more grease.

Matt
PS Check at Plextor for a firmware update.
PPS "...life's too short ", Steve, how many hours have you spent banging your head against a Windows problem?? Easy answer in the XP forum...REFORMAT!

 

I've done this also in the past. The result is the same.

Done that also. Same thing happens. I've tried using the eject button in other software also but the result is always the same. If a cd's in the drive, it opens. If no cd, it won't open.

I'll give it a try in the next day or two. I remember seeing the catch inside the last time but I couldn't really see anything that would interfere. Perhaps I can open it up and connect it and see what happens when I use the button to open it. It's been quite a while and I don't really remember if that's possible or not.

Also, I have updated the firmware in the past a couple of times. The first time I did the tray opened correctly for a couple days and I thought I had it beat but then it started again. Flashing the drive didn't do the trick the next time though. This was at the time it was an intermittent problem so it's possible it was coincidence that it worked for a couple days.

As for Whiskeyman's suggestion, I checked it out using Plextools and the drive doesn't support silent mode so I guess that rules that out too.

It's the strangest thing and makes absolutely no sense to me. It acts like it was designed to sense when a cd is in the drive and then and only then open the tray when the button's pressed. I can't imagine what the cd could be doing to cause it to open. Still kind of wonder about the firmware myself but as I said, flashing doesn't change it. Plextools shows the firmware being the correct version so I tend to believe it's getting flashed properly.

I don't expect you guys to search to the end of the internet to find this. No need, I've already done that. I just thought maybe one of you had run into this in the past or maybe knew of some mechanism in a cdrw drive that could cause this to happen. I'll take the drive apart again and have a look. I'll let you know what I find. More than likely that will be nothing but I'll give it a try anyway. If I don't figure it out, like I said before, I'll just put up with it. The drive works flawlessly otherwise. I've burned several hundred cds with it and never had a coaster. It's like the Energizer Bunny. Just keeps going and going. I refuse to part with it.

 

Hi Zander,

I have faced (or rather ducked) this problem too. I couldn't find any reasonable explaination or cure for this. Even my repair man has no answer.

A new Murphy Law of CDROM perhaps

 

Mechanical problem...clean, lubricate, repair or replace.

Electronics problem....check the supply of the correct voltages (you have updated the firmware)

Otherwise you may have to "Live with it"

Matt

 

Forgot to mention guru Sammy's website:
http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_cdfaq.html
He has a few more detailed pages if you want to search from www.repairfaq.org that go into detail about some older models. Looks like you would be lucky if it was only a jammed mechanism, otherwise it would be parts replacement.

Maybe what you do now...have a dummy CD disk that stays in the drive when you are not using it. At least that would allow you to use the button.

Matt

 

Thanks mattman. I'll check it out when I get time here. It just baffles me though, why a cd in the drive would make any difference. There's nothing that I know of mechanically that could cause it. If it was a bad belt, you'd think it would have a harder time opening it when there was something in it then when not. If there's a burr somewhere causing problems, why not when the cd is in the tray? The cd has no contact with any of the opening mechanism as far as I can see.

To me it would point to firmware. I don't know if this is the case or not but I've always surmised that the firmware is what actually opens the drive. Push the button and it sends a signal to the firmware, then the firmware does the actual work of opening the drive. The reason I think this way is, if you right click on a drive in windows explorer that's working properly and choose eject, the tray opens. Seems to me the only way that can happen is for the OS to communicate with the drive and then the firmware do it's thing. I really have no idea if this is correct or not but it seems logical (to me anyway).

Only problem there is that numerous flashes haven't made a difference. Beats me what it is.

 

Here is the more comprehensive FAQ page:
http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/cdfaq.htm

Only other things I see may be to clean electrical contacts and check/reseat connections.

See if the pickups may be getting a reflection from somewhere and it thinks a disk is not aligned over the drive spindle (??)

Matt

 

Been there, done that.

Now, this is something I've never thought about. It could be a possibility I suppose. I'll check it out and see what I can find. I'll probably not find anything but it's worth a shot. Thanks.

 

mmmm...a BIG maybe and maybe you have already tried.

I am testing my "inventory" of discarded optical drives at the moment and I do not pronounce a drive dead until it is in the bin . I have added a DVD reader that does not read DVDs (CDs OK) on a system with a CD burner. It is causing tray opening problems with the burner.

Try swapping the drives as master/slave and also try setting both as CS (Cable Select) if they are on the same cable (which I consider they should be...on the same cable that is). Some drives can dominate the other.

Matt
Edit: it was causing tray opening problems (had to hold the Open button for several seconds), disconnected the DVD reader and now the CD burner opens fine.