3DO FZ-10 won't read games...

[josekortez]

Hi, I recently acquired a 3DO FZ-10 system (aka the 3DO model that's supposed to be the most reliable). Anyway, it had obviously been neglected for years. Once I opened it up, I found dried leaves and craft glitter inside it, cleaned it out and wiped it down thoroughly.

Anyway, the system powers up but it never gets past the startup or "check memory" screens. The games never boot. I Googled to see if there was a repair FAQ for the FZ-10, but the only one I found was the FZ-1 although it did have pictures.

I've consulted a few people who asked if the laser moves along the track properly, and it doesn't move at all. The spindle and the spindle motor seem to be fine because discs spin. However, the laser won't move along the track so I'm trying to figure out if there's a motor that makes the laser move that needs to be replaced or if the laser itself needs to be replaced.

Also, according to Google, Panasonic won't service a 3DO machine as evidenced by one site that said a service person at Panasonic didn't even know what a 3DO was.

Hopefully, someone can help me by offering a solution. I'm not a technical guy but I would hate to ditch this system since it's quite obscure and hard to obtain if you're not shopping on Ebay. And no, the FZ-10 hasn't been discussed in this forum before so I'm not sure if it uses the same parts as the FZ-1 and Goldstars which have been discussed before.

[Hobie-wan]

I'm not familiar with 3D0s myself, but it sounds like it is failing the power on self test with bad memory or another hardware failure. It probably isn't even making it to the point where it would check for a disc in the drive. The board probably needs to be inspected for damaged components. I think someone who's more familiar with system boards probably needs to look at it or it might need a donor board from a system with drive issues.

[CRTGAMER]

It seems like you console as Hobie-wan pointed out doesn't seem to be getting to the point of trying to load a game disc. But since the drive is spinning, be sure discs are clean, try couple different games discs, even a non-CDR music disc. If no luck maybe pop off the top and give that laser a good clean with alcohol Q-tip.

Searched out a couple other members who own a 3DO. Maybe PM them?
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 19#p239619
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... &hilit=3do
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... &hilit=3do
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... &hilit=3do

[josekortez]

I'm not familiar with 3D0s myself, but it sounds like it is failing the power on self test with bad memory or another hardware failure. It probably isn't even making it to the point where it would check for a disc in the drive. The board probably needs to be inspected for damaged components. I think someone who's more familiar with system boards probably needs to look at it or it might need a donor board from a system with drive issues.

I never thought about that. The spindle does cycle through when you turn the system on with a game inserted. It's like it's waiting for the laser to move, but it doesn't. Someone else on another board suggested that the problem is most likely with the laser mechanism itself. I didn't know that it was supposed to self test upon start up. I wasn't even sure that it was supposed to boot the game from the beginning if a game was in it when it's turned on until somebody told me. The system was kind of dirty when I got it, likely stowed in a garage or attic...or under a pile of leaves.

[josekortez]

It seems like you console as Hobie-wan pointed out doesn't seem to be getting to the point of trying to load a game disc. But since the drive is spinning, be sure discs are clean, try couple different games discs, even a non-CDR music disc. If no luck maybe pop off the top and give that laser a good clean with alcohol Q-tip.

Searched out a couple other members who own a 3DO. Maybe PM them?
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 19#p239619
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... &hilit=3do
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... &hilit=3do
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... &hilit=3do

Yeah, I already cleaned the lens with an alcohol Q-tip and I tried some music CDs, and neither provided a fix. I also have 12 different 3DO games and none of them worked. The laser doesn't move at all, which I assume it would need to "catch" at the far end of the CD to start reading a game. I also cleaned the tracks on both sides with an alcohol Q-tip and dried them with the other dry side of the same Q-tip. They were gunked up with stuff from years of neglect, and I'm sure I'll need to apply some WD-40 to a Q-tip to relubricate them once I figure out why the laser isn't moving and get that going again.

I might see if those other members have any ideas. Unfortunately, I don't think the mechanisms in the FZ-10 are exactly like the ones in the FZ-1 and Goldstars if YouTube videos are correct, but I'll see if anyone has any ideas. Because the FZ-10 is supposed to be the most reliable, there don't seem to be a lot of people who have had issues with them.

[CRTGAMER]

Yeah, I already cleaned the lens with an alcohol Q-tip and I tried some music CDs, and neither provided a fix. I also have 12 different 3DO games and none of them worked. The laser doesn't move at all, which I assume it would need to "catch" at the far end of the CD to start reading a game. I also cleaned the tracks on both sides with an alcohol Q-tip and dried them with the other dry side of the same Q-tip. They were gunked up with stuff from years of neglect, and I'm sure I'll need to apply some WD-40 to a Q-tip to relubricate them once I figure out why the laser isn't moving and get that going again.

I might see if those other members have any ideas. Unfortunately, I don't think the mechanisms in the FZ-10 are exactly like the ones in the FZ-1 and Goldstars if YouTube videos are correct, but I'll see if anyone has any ideas. Because the FZ-10 is supposed to be the most reliable, there don't seem to be a lot of people who have had issues with them.

Painful. I'm also leaning towards what Hobie-wan wrote, seems to make the most sense. Bad contacts or a bad capacitor? One of the links above stated a Member running a 3DO with cover off, maybe due to heat? But in your situation won't even boot up.

[CRTGAMER]

I also cleaned the tracks on both sides with an alcohol Q-tip and dried them with the other dry side of the same Q-tip. They were gunked up with stuff from years of neglect, and I'm sure I'll need to apply some WD-40 to a Q-tip to relubricate them once I figure out why the laser isn't moving and get that going again.

Hope you get your machine up and running. Maybe other owners might have had same problem.
A very Light dab of Lithium Grease probably the best for those tracks and rails.

[Hobie-wan]

Try carefully manually cranking the laser assembly to move it away from the starting position near the center by finding and rotating the gears that move it. This way you can see if it is stuck. Sometime long ago I had dropped a portable CD player I had and I swear that opening and cranking it down a little made it reset its position and start working again. Worth a shot, just turn the gears, don't try to force the sled.

[josekortez]

Try carefully manually cranking the laser assembly to move it away from the starting position near the center by finding and rotating the gears that move it. This way you can see if it is stuck. Sometime long ago I had dropped a portable CD player I had and I swear that opening and cranking it down a little made it reset its position and start working again. Worth a shot, just turn the gears, don't try to force the sled.

Yeah, I already moved the sled itself without touching the lens part yesterday. I doubt doing that broke anything that wasn't already broken, but I still haven't been able to see the gears even after lifting that whole section up. I didn't break any of the cables or the connections. Everything is still intact as far as that goes, but I did want to see what was on the tracks and the only way to do that was to move the sled.

Like I said, I don't know where this system was before everything got to this point. The previous owner or whomever he got it from might have broken the gears. There is a repair FAQ about replacing the gears that I found for the FZ-1, but I doubt the gears are the problem. Here's the link with pictures:

http://www.datacentra.net/other/3do/index.html

I would love to return it to the guy I got it from, but I traded it and I believe that he genuinely thought it was fully functional since it turned on and went to the "check memory manager" screen when he tested it. Besides, he got 3 of my Xbox games in the trade that were doubles, so getting them back really isn't going to do much for me at this point.

[josekortez]

I also cleaned the tracks on both sides with an alcohol Q-tip and dried them with the other dry side of the same Q-tip. They were gunked up with stuff from years of neglect, and I'm sure I'll need to apply some WD-40 to a Q-tip to relubricate them once I figure out why the laser isn't moving and get that going again.

Hope you get your machine up and running. Maybe other owners might have had same problem.
A very Light dab of Lithium Grease probably the best for those tracks and rails.

Yeah, I'm going to try the lithium grease assuming everything else gets working. It was advised that WD-40 might also be okay but anything petroleum-based (i.e. Vaseline) is a bad idea.