Cleaning your PS3 laser
Well, it's been about six months now that I've had the Playstation 3 in hand, and the same-old same-old problem crops up; because I'm a smoker, the lens has become dirtied and all of a sudden it stopped picking up discs (except after, say the 20th try).
Unlike the PS2, it's not very easy to get to the laser in the PS3, so you're going to have to go with the standard methods of cleaning. In other words, get a laser lens cleaner CD. I recommend the Scotch-3M model; it worked the best for me.
Now, I ran that CD through the PS3 a few times and it began to pick up the discs a bit more quickly -- but still not on the first try. However, I was eventually able to get the PS3 to recognize Blu-ray discs (those are the first to go in terms of the machine picking up the disc) by adding one extra step. Here it is.
The CD will have, if you turn it over, a few very small brushes poking up. What I recommend is taking a paper towel or cloth of some sort, and soaking it with rubbing alcohol. Then take the cloth and dab as much rubbing alcohol on the brush area as you can. Then put the disc in and run the cleaning track.
This got the PS3 back to (for the time being) recognizing discs on the first try. I also recommend just returning the PS3 if your warranty is still good; chances are the newer models have more sturdy lasers.
Anyway, I hope this helps a few people...
posted by Kip Lange @ 4:26 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
thanks for your post... im a smoker aswell and so is my brother.. so it can get quite smokey in my room... i have recently had this problem of ps3 stopped picking up bluray discs reads cds and ps2 games... im asuming its a differnt laser?... anyway.. i was considering dismantling the whole console to clean the lens with a qtip and alcohol.... but your fix seems less risky... you used a regualr dvd cleaning disc?.. or was it blu ray specified?.. thanks again for posting this.. its been hard rummaging through forums of nonsence until i found this.. its excactly what i need to hear..
Yep, I used a regular DVD cleaning disc. I'd love to take the thing apart and go at it regularly with a Q-tip and alcohol like the PS2, but that laser is hidden away...and yes, it's a different laser, it's a Blu-ray laser, much more sensitive.
The *bad* news I have for you is this fix only worked for me for about two months. Then I had to sell the PS3 to a friend, and went out and got a new one with a no-worry product replacement warranty.
Also, don't overdo the cleaning. Once you have it recognizing discs "pretty much", stop cleaning it. It can actually get worse.
The moral of the story is that while this method may get your PS3 running again for a little while -- if you're a smoker, get one with a product replacement warranty. Circuit City has a good one that you can renew after five years for $50.
Here's another tip: Cover the front of the disc-loading area with some kind of cloth. I do that with mine. Make sure you're not blocking the fan on the side of the PS3, though. But I credit the cloth with extending the life of my second PS3...and I also credit Sony for making latter-made PS3s that seem to have stronger lasers.
Incidentally, this problem partly arises from Sony's penchant to *undertune* lasers so they will last longer. If you remember the "POTS" screw on the PS2, you could tune the laser up a fair degree if it got so dirty it would no longer read discs (and if you were very, very careful), and get it to read discs again.
I haven't read anything specifically about the *PS3* laser being undertuned, but I assume it is. It insures longevity of laser life -- as long as you're not a smoker.
Hope this helps a little. I feel your pain, bro. When I first started asking around about tips regarding smoking and Playstations, all that happened was I'd get insulted about being stupid enough to smoke. Like us smokers don't know it's bad for us. These days, anytime someone on the street says, "Hey, you know, smoking's bad for you!", I throw my cigarette on the ground, stomp it out, turn to the person in mock awe, and say, "Oh my God. You just saved my life. I thought they were full of vitamins!"
That shuts 'em up pretty quick. Try it sometime. :-)
Oh, I forgot, remember, opening either the PS2 or PS3 to get at the laser to clean it voids the warranty!
If you did this with your PS2, then you know that. Just have to make sure you know it'll also void the PS3 warranty.
Good luck
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