Sega CD Model 1 is gorgeous, but horribly unreliable

[treepop]

I recently picked up an Sega CD Model 1 from a local retro game retailer. It worked for about 1 hour. I tried putting in a burned game and it started to load then crashed. I tried again and it spit the cd out. I tried the original CD and it spit the cd out. Then it didn't even attempt to read discs and spit them right back out.

I proceeded to research online and found the mechanism that holds up the disc sometimes falls down to far because the gears are a bit off. So I realigned those and VIOLA! It worked I was so happy I shouted YES! and pissed off my wife.

I was so stoked I got the dang thing working I went to show my wife first thing the next morning...lo and behold the game booted Phew! So I went to switch to a burned game to show that those also now worked. And....it spit the damn thing out...so I tried other burned discs thinking I grabbed the wrong one...and eventually tried the legit disc to no avail

I officially am returning this beautiful system. It just pisses me off that I am going to have to get a fugly model 2 now The model 2 cd isn't too ugly paired with a model 2 genesis, but the model 2 genesis sound is just terrabad...and I sure as heck don't want to do the crystal clear audio mod.

Just thought I would share my pain to others considering buying a model 1 sega cd on ebay. Sure it will work for a while, maybe a whole WEEK! but I am convinced that over time the majority (I am sure there are exceptions) of the model 1's will cease working. And you will be stuck like chuck with a pretty paper weight...

[Hobie-wan]

For old tray loading mechanisms, the belt can stretch as well. When this happens there often isn't enough friction for it to crank the spindle up to grab the disc. The belt is there so that it can slip if needed, but it still needs to hold tight enough. If it is right on the edge of not having enough grip, the warming inside may soften the belt just enough that it can't do it anymore after you've been running it for a bit.

[Purkeynator]

I bought one at a thrift store for $5 last year not expecting much. I tried it out and same deal, the disc would spit out and it wouldn't hold the discs close to the laser to read it. I took it apart and was able to get it working a time or two but eventually the gears would slip and it would go back to the same problem. I spent a whole weekend of my life trying to get it to work and eventually gave up. It still sits in my basement unloved to this day.

[treepop]

For old tray loading mechanisms, the belt can stretch as well. When this happens there often isn't enough friction for it to crank the spindle up to grab the disc. The belt is there so that it can slip if needed, but it still needs to hold tight enough. If it is right on the edge of not having enough grip, the warming inside may soften the belt just enough that it can't do it anymore after you've been running it for a bit.

Could I use a rubber band? I wonder?

[Teh Lurv]

If you have an old PC CD or DVD drive, you could try cannibalizing it for parts.

[BurningDoom]

The Sega CD Model 2 isn't a whole lot better. Me and my friend both had to get rid of ours because it eventually started getting really finnicky reading discs. My emulator on the XBox would still read them fine, though. And a lens cleaning didn't help.

[Hobie-wan]

Could I use a rubber band? I wonder?

No, rubber bands are strechy. Belts are much stiffer. As said, you might get one from something else though. I have a few random sized ones scavenged from things. If you open up and check the one inside, then you might find one the same radius/diameter to replace it.

[treepop]

The Sega CD Model 2 isn't a whole lot better. Me and my friend both had to get rid of ours because it eventually started getting really finnicky reading discs. My emulator on the XBox would still read them fine, though. And a lens cleaning didn't help.

Arg...This really irritates me. I love the genuine feel of playing on the original hardware. It sucks that it's so difficult to find a suitable solution.

[G-Darius]

To be honest i have never known a Sega Cd with a lens or cd reading problem,but i have know one or two with no power (blown on board fuse-easy fix).

[BoneSnapDeez]

I don't think either model of Sega CD is particularly "gorgeous".

The JVC X'Eye on the other hand...

But yeah, I can relate. The first Sega CD I had was DOA.