NEC TurboGraFX-16 / CD drive not working!

[82-T/A]

Hey guys,

 

I'm back to selling more of my stuff. I have a ton of NEC Turbo GraFX-16 stuff, along with the CD, drive... but the CD drive doesn't seem to work anymore. It's frustrating because it worked JUST FINE the last time I played it about 3 years ago. The system itself works, but the CD drive doesn't "engage" so to speak. It just doesn't initialize.

 

I can't tell if it's a problem with the drive, or maybe the CD enable system Hu-Card.

 

Anyway that I can test it or maybe fix it? Is this a common problem with these things? I don't have a Turbo-Duo. I just have the original NEC Turbo Graphics with the docking station, and the CD drive that mounts on top of it.

 

 

Thanks guys!!!

[eightbit]

When in doubt, take it apart! I had one that would not initialize/spin some time ago, so I opened it and merely moved the gears a bit. Lo and behold, that fixed it and it started spinning again! Not sure what happened there, but something in those gears just locked or froze up due to not being used for years. Just be careful not to actually damage anything when you fiddle around. Worse case scenario, you still have a broken TG16 CD unit, right?

[Eltigro]

Does the CD player work when not attached to the TG-16? I mean, if it will play regular CD's, then that might mean the problem is in the card or the docking station instead of the player. I think the CD drive is more likely the problem though simply because it has more moving parts.

[82-T/A]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it. I'll give it a try and take it apart. I have some white lithium grease, so I'll try that on the gears.

 

The drive doesn't work off the docking station either. :/

[eightbit]

As far as I recall it was pretty easy to take it apart, but you just have to be careful not to break any cable connection when you open it. Go very slowly and you'll be fine

[Ace_1]

NOTE: The TurboGrafx CD will eventually just stop working, and all TurboGrafx CDs out there will suffer the same fate. One of the gears in there does just like a Super NES: it discolors, becomes fragile and breaks. If that gear breaks, your TurboGrafx CD becomes a doorstop. Also, be advised that the gears in TurboGrafx CDs, well, mine at least, have a tendency to get stuck again after just a few minutes of inactivity. If I want to use my TurboGrafx CD, I have to fight with the damn thing for 15 minutes before the gears start moving again. And the gear in question that causes all these problems is the gear that disintegrates, the one you would typically see that's discolored. The worst part is that there exists no replacement for said gear, so if your TurboGrafx CD's gear breaks, you can't fix it. You COULD fix it if you replace the entire CD-ROM mechanism, but in order to get it to fit, you need to cut a lot of plastic from the case, remove some plugs and relocate about 5 capacitors. I don't know the exact details, but it's a rather tedious process. And that's why I got myself a PC Engine Duo-R. After I got that, I now use it to play any PC Engine CD-ROM and TurboGrafx CD game and I will never go back to the TurboGrafx CD ever again.

[NBC]

Go to PCEngineFX.Com. They will know what the problem is. They have fixed a bunch of them. If they can not get it working then it is dead.

 

 

[csgx1]

Most likely stuck gears that others have already mentioned. If stripped, there are no replacements. Could also be the drive motor too but that is more uncommon to go out.

 

I had a few CD player units with the gears stuck. Easy to get to and lube up. The laser went bad soon after on one.

 

Not meant to last.

[Hatta]

Most likely stuck gears that others have already mentioned. If stripped, there are no replacements.

 

 

You know, with these reasonably priced 3d printers out now, you'd think it would be fairly simple to get some new gears molded.