Double dose of dead saturns

bartre

Haomaru's Blade Shiner
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Oct 27, 2009
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So I've got 2 dead saturns that I feel I should get around to fixing.

Saturn #1 - US model 1 (oval buttons, access light)
The system spins the disc, but never quite makes it to the game starting.
All other behavior is normal.

Saturn #2 - JP model 2 (white, circular buttons)
The system clicks, and the laser moves just a bit while the lens moves up and down, but no red glow from the laser.
the disc will not spin.
I popped the cover off the top of the laser assembly and the laser itself says sanyo, Is that bad?
all other behavior is normal.

any clues on either one?
 

ggallegos1

Cholecystectomy Required.,
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Have you tried adjusting the laser calibration on either? There should be a plastic orange screw looking thing on the side of the laser assembly.

Also, lithium grease on the rails helps tremendously
 

bartre

Haomaru's Blade Shiner
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System #1, yeah, I tried that, but only a little bit with no real change, aside from the noises getting a smidge louder.

System #2 has no such pot though.
 

ggallegos1

Cholecystectomy Required.,
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They do sell replacement lasers for the Saturn somewhere, installing them is a simple drop in and go solution. Last one I bought was around $30 ish new.
 

ChuChu Flamingo

We have purposely, trained him wrong, ...as a joke
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another thing to check for is to make sure the cd spindle isnt pushed down too far. Like Sega Cd, this happens to Saturn as well and it won't be the right distance from the laser.
 

bartre

Haomaru's Blade Shiner
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another thing to check for is to make sure the cd spindle isnt pushed down too far. Like Sega Cd, this happens to Saturn as well and it won't be the right distance from the laser.

How would I check this?
And if that's the case, how do I fix it?
 

mirkvid

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Mar 16, 2015
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I fixed a Saturn with that issue by using these little black rubber bands my wife got at a beauty store. They're for your hair, I think. Wrapped them around the stands that hold the laser assembly up. There should be some black rubber feet there too. After a while the feet don't hold the laser assembly up as well as they used to. If I remember correctly, the rubber band is placed above the foot to stiffen it. I did this a few years ago and haven't had any issues since.

Previously, after pressing the disk down, it would sit too low and would touch the disk tray when it spun.
 
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