Problem with my cd rom

[NoctisReitop]

This is my Lite-On 20x LH-20A1L optical drive, and it's treating me terribly. I don't use it a lot, being that most of my stuff is images, but when I do use it, it's trouble. When I press the button, it's as though the rom struggles to open the tray. As far as I know, it reads alright. When I'm done with the cd though, every time I eject the disc, the tray jams with the cd caught between the tray and the rest of the encasing. I haven't had it damage any of my discs yet, but I don't really want that to happen.

A few things come to mind:
RMA the thing... I can still have it replaced with the same product.
Try and lube the tray some?
Replace it with a better one? (I'm simply not amused with Lite-on)

[Stormcrow]

I have this problem with one of my older Aopen drives, exactly the same. Pressing the button causes the door to try to open, jam, then attempt to read. Pressing it twice in a row fixes the problem. I believe it's either a weak motor or the door itself is getting caught on the surrounding enclosure.

[NoctisReitop]

The sound my rom makes is indeed as though the motor is straining to open the door. Have you taken any measure to fix it, Stormcrow? When I press my button, the door opens about halfway with the cd phyisically jammed between the tray and the rom, seeming like the cd didn't come all the way down into the tray after reading and before the attempted opening of the tray.

[Stormcrow]

I whacked it with the a screwdriver for a few times, and it slid out just fine. For a couple of minutes, then proceeded to jam again. Is the drive old? This one is about 4 years and my conclusion is the motor is just wearing out, trying to push it out but stopping which starts the drives automatic retraction and reading. It could have a dud motor, or it could be the little plastic gears on the inside are grinding each other and need to be oiled. Honestly, I'm not sure. The drive works fine, but it sounds like a mechanical failure in the drawer motor which seems to be your case as well.

[NoctisReitop]

Nah, mine's barely 6 months old. Never did work well.

[fstroupe]

Possible that the gears inside are misaligned, or have some kind of burr or something that is screwing with them...kind of like when a zipper gets screwed up.

Have you ever pulled the front cover off? My first case had stealthing where you removed the front cover of the drive. I got the gears out of alignment when I removed the cover on one of my Lite-ons. I thought I had killed it, but opened it up and fixed it pretty easily. It, and the other Lite-on I bought at the same time are now over five years old and still work flawlessly.

[stinger608]

Originally Posted by NoctisReitop

Nah, mine's barely 6 months old. Never did work well.

Well damn, I would rma it!!! I have had/have around 5 or 6 Lite-On burners, both DVD, and CD and they have treated me great!!! You may have just got a bad one.