Dreamcast disc reading issues

[chriswy27]

Hey,
So being 10+ years old my Dreamcast is now having disc reading issues. I am trying to play through Grandia II however every once in a while the dreamcast will fail to load the next area/battle/screen... It will make a different sound along with the usual "dreamcast grinding" that almost sounds like when a cassette tape comes undone and jams up while playing. It will do this for a while, stop spinning, spin up again and then repeat. The screen will stay black a the entire time. A few times it actually loaded after its ordeal.

To temporarily fix it I use a cd/dvd drive cleaner disc which will correct the problem for an hour or so before I have to use it again.

Any ideas on whats wrong? Why this is happening? How to fix this?

Or is it time for a new Dreamcast?

[pankakes123]

Ok, so as crazy as this sounds, I had the same problem and here was my solution. I opened up the Dreamcast, cleaned off every little bit of dust, then I just wiggled the laser, put it back together, and voila! Trust me, it works almost every time, I've done it to multiple Dreamcasts.

If not, just buy a replacement system. You can find those for 5 dollars or less on Ebay.

[ExedExes]

I can't tell exactly what's wrong with your DC but I had to replace my DC of 10 years earlier *this* year because it would no longer spin discs and I opened it up, blew out all the dust and dirt, and made sure the gears were not frozen and I saw no issue with the drive mechanism whatsoever. I am concluding the motor possibly died. I found a good one on eBay with a few extra accessories I needed as well as an additional VMU. But the ones who know disc-based systems here I hope will come along and possibly offer up a solution for you.

[Reprise]

I had a Dreamcast for nearly ten years and it had the same problem until it just fucked up mid way through a cut scene on D2, and that was it... It wouldn't load anything. I gave it a dust and clean inside, checked it out and everything, but I'm no expert on mechanics/electronics. I tried the pot tweaking trick as a last resort, but it didn't help. So I just bought a new Dreamcast. And then another as a back up...

That's probably not what you wanted to hear though sorry. There must be something about Dreamcasts only lasting ten years though lol.

[Cronozilla]

Honestly ... considering you can find a Dreamcast for like $10 ... It might make sense to start stocking up.

[harper]

Where the hell are you guys finding them for 5 and 10 dollars? haha

[cookie monster]

I have a bunch of dc if you need one.

[flojocabron]

I always find dreamcast and acessories every week I go to the fleamarkets.

Honestly, I can put one together for about $25 bucks.

But pristine they are not. Scratches, scuffs, dirt and grime do make their way into the console. But they still work.

You cant really tell if some of these dreamcasts were used heavily or constantly with burned discs. That is an unknown factor when buying them at the fleamarket.

But when they are cheap, $10 bucks for a base console is a risk you can take.

You can frankenstein them if you want. If your case is still good, just move it over to the other one.

I have three dreamcasts right now. And I'm sure I can get another If I wanted to.

Switch them around, use one for a while and use the others too.

[Cronozilla]

Goodwill, They don't care.

Sadly now they sell GameCubes for $30 .. BUT last year they were selling them for $6!

PS1s and Genesis' also get sold for stupid low cheap. I picked up a Genesis Model 2 from one with 2 IR 6-button controllers AND 2 normal controllers and Sonic 2 complete for $15 from one of my local GoodWill stores.

Honestly, the trick to getting good game deals is to not get the stuff at game stores.

[chriswy27]

I will try the trick in the first post. Other than that no one thinks adjusting the laser will help?

I do actually have a factory sealed backup dreamcast in my closet but I was hoping to leave that in there for at least a few more years. If the trick doesn't work it may be time to break it out any buy another factory sealed one as a backup