PS2 Console issues: Possible Fix?

[Mini Van Dan]

Hi I recently have been buying a lot of PS2 games again recently but have been having issues and wondering if anyone may know how or have a fix? Basically what's going on is I have at least 3 disc doing this. The games have no scratches have been buffed only once that I know of and are totally clear. The problem is even with no scratches or anything on it it doesn't read. I have several playstation and ps2 games that do this and I have run out of options on how to fix this. Does anyone happen to know of another way to maybe get these games to read? I've tried using cleaner just to make sure there's nothing on the surface and that didn't seem to do anything. I am willing to take apart my PS2 but I guess I'd like to know what I'm looking for when it comes to this specific issue.

[AlwaysFSX]

The Blu-Ray head gives out on the PS2 after reading disks for years. You might be able to replace the disk drive in it if you can find one.

 

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Sony+PlayStation+2+Teardown/1250

[PlayStation 2]

If it's an SCPH-3x00x unit, they had notorious problems involving the laser not functioning very well, to the point where Sony got sued for it.

[johnny5c]

My wife's slim was doing the same thing, wouldn't read any dual-layer games and a few others.  I  picked up a replacement laser off Amazon for like $15 and now it's working like new.

[Mini Van Dan]

Thanks any links for replacement lazers? I have the PS2 thick however not the slim.

[Zodiark1593]

I had an original PS2 that did the same thing. No amount of cleaning would fix it. This was 11-12 years ago. Scrounging whatever money I could (I sold my Pokémon Ruby -_-) I got a used Slim that lives to this day.

 

Needs a new ribbon cable now though, it's been making very neat, circular scratches on my disks recently. May as well replace the optical reader too. I believe Amazon has some parts, though they are model specific.

[B16CXHatch]

Honestly, I'd just track down a reasonably priced used Slim. They seem to have a better track record for reliability. To a degree anyway. I've had 3. Though my latest one (ironically, the oldest one) has been great. I think I got it in 2010 and it was made around 2004-2005. It's an SHCP-70001 model. I do know the 750XX models had some read problems themselves. I had one and it worked fine for the most part except dual-layer discs gave it problems. Supposedly, they had trouble reading certain PS1 games as well though I never experienced it.

 

6 hours ago, Zodiark1593 said:

I had an original PS2 that did the same thing. No amount of cleaning would fix it. This was 11-12 years ago. Scrounging whatever money I could (I sold my Pokémon Ruby -_-) I got a used Slim that lives to this day.

 

Needs a new ribbon cable now though, it's been making very neat, circular scratches on my disks recently. May as well replace the optical reader too. I believe Amazon has some parts, though they are model specific.

 

Mine was scratching discs a few years ago. Turns out if the read eye gets out of its default position (moving it, particularly in any position other than flat, can cause it) and is left that way for too long, it basically kinks the cable. It causes the cable to poke out of the eye's track and scratch discs. I was able to fix mine without replacing the cable though I don't remember how. I just remember it being surprisingly easy. It was a "huh, that actually worked" kinda thing. I wanna say I just picked a spot to put the eye in and pressed down on the cable to kink it another way. I don't think I took it apart but the warranty sticker has been damaged so maybe I did.