I got a free broken PS2!

Clemenceau

Clemenceau

CAGiversary!
I need to know how much this is gonna cost me, or if there is a way I could fix this at home for free. The person who gave it to me said there was something wrong with the laser reading thingy. Any help would be greatly appreciated (as well as suggestions for budget titles. Shadow of Colossus and Okami are at the top of my list.)
 
Quite the score there, OP. I scour dumpsters for achievements like that, yet never come up with something as encouraging as a broken system.
 
TC - The fact that you live in Southern California is encouraging. You could possibly find a game shop type place in a Chinatown area (or anywhere I suppose, that's where I'd look) and see if they can fix it.

Sony fixes them too but I have no idea what it would cost, probably more than it's worth.
 
Depending on what the problem is, it could be free if you do it yourself. Pop in a cd/dvd and see what it does. If it attempts to read it but can't, you can try opening it up and cleaning the laser. If that doesn't work adjust the laser voltage to try and get a little more life out of it.

IRC - I've seen craigslist ads where they'll do this for $25, if the laser needs to be replaced it's like $75. I'm in SF but I'm sure Southern Cal is similar.
 
PS2 repair thread is stickied at the top of this forum. Not too hard to try out. Based on your tastes I recommend Beyond Good and Evil (Zeldaish, like Okami; critically touted, like Okami; woefully undersold, like Okami) and Ico (I liked it more than prequel SotC *ducks*).
 
Its really very easy to do. Do a search from yahoo on DRE. which is disc read error. couple screws out twist a knob and you all set. Ive done it my ps2 which had stopped reading the old blue disks. Then I found a ps2 and didn't read any thing. Worked great after that. Let me know if you can't get it. I have step by step directions somewhere around here. You will need a small philips head scre driver. I would clean the laser lens when your in there too. Use 100% rubing alcahol and a qtip, Clean out the front grill air in take as well.
 
[quote name='Halo05']Sony fixes them too but I have no idea what it would cost, probably more than it's worth.[/quote]

I think it's $75 for repairs or $46 to swap it for a refurbished one with Sony.
 
I have two broken fattys sitting next to my recycle bin that have been there for over a year now. I cant bear to throw them away.
 
[quote name='Puffa469']I have two broken fattys sitting next to my recycle bin that have been there for over a year now. I cant bear to throw them away.[/quote]
I'll take them off your hands. PM me the condition, etc and I'll tell you how much I'll pay.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jhof6WtePyM

Follow the above linked tutorial on YouTube to learn how to clean your PS2's laser, OP. It's the first step(WAYYYY before the 'height adjustment' that Mr. Hockey recommended)to try before trying ANY other methods, since screwing up the height can have detrimental effects on your games.

Namely, if done incorrectly, it CAN cause the laser to scratch your discs in a circular pattern.

Oh and to whoever has broken(as long as they're DRE only) systems, let me know what you might want for them. The going rate usually is $15-20, give or take, which is just system only.

And, I only take systems if the seal is still intact on them and you haven't tried the height adjustment thing. If you've tried that already, then don't bother contacting me, since MANY people screw their systems and games up by doing that FIRST.

Hope the link helps you OP, as I know it helped me. Well, that and watching the one guy who owns a local game shop open about 5-10 PS2s the one day, which is what gave me the rocks to finally open my OWN system up.

Toughest part of the entire opening process is keeping the reset/eject cable from popping out of its slot. This can be prevented by popping the reset/eject button assembly out of the top part of the PS2. You just gently slide a flat screwdriver up under the side of the button assembly(which would be the right side of the system if it were still closed up) and gently push down or up on the screwdriver till the buttons 'pop' out.

This will allow you to set the buttons down on the table and put the top of the PS2 off to the side and just not have to worry about it popping out now.

If it still does though, while you have the case open, unscrew the 1-2 screws holding the controller/memory card ports in place and then lift the system out of the bottom of the plastic case ever so slightly and look under the right side of the system, with the front of it facing you.

You'll need a pair of tweezers to pop the cable back into its small slot.

Other than the reset/eject cable problems MANY people have with their PS2s when they open them, the entire cleaning process should take no more than 20-30 mins.

If you want to get the dust bunnies that sometimes collect in the 'grill' of the PS2 out, use an old toothbrush and simply stick it into the front grill on the PS2, then turn it left or right to 'pop' out the dust in one clump.

Hope this all helps you to get your free PS2 working like new again, but if the system still has trouble reading discs, then you might need a replacement laser($40-50 from many sites).

Go to www.richspsxparts.com if you need replacement parts, since they have a quick and easy guide to tell you which parts to use, since NOT all PS2 lasers are the same.

Again, hope this helps......
 
[quote name='bigboi93']I need a fat ps2 cause my ribbon cable that connects the reset/eject button is broke. If anyone wants to send me one E-Mail Me at [email protected].[/quote]
So you're asking for free PS2 & just registered today?

Get the fuck out
 
[quote name='bigboi93']I need a fat ps2 cause my ribbon cable that connects the reset/eject button is broke. If anyone wants to send me one E-Mail Me at [email protected].[/quote]

$5 plus first class postal shipping(if in the US). If you want anything else for your system, lemme know, as I've got a system with MANY working parts here.

This site may be known as cheapassgamer, but it's not known as stupidassgamer. It costs $$$ to ship items, so you're not going to find someone to just send you a part for free.

Or, try here, where the price is $7.95 for the same cable(and shipped free via first class): http://www.richspsxparts.com/reset.html
 
I'm not sure wither or not this technique might work? I never try it. I guess it's worth a shot if your is already damaged.

[media]http://www.metacafe.com/watch/302048/fixing_the_playstation_2_disk_read_errors/[/media]
 
[quote name='ZerotypeX']The vid got removed IAmTheCheapestGamer, is there another vid tutorial?[/quote]

I think I did a search for it and it came up to people doing the height adjustment of the laser as a first resort, which should be the second or third thing you try outside of replacing the laser itself.

But, I could describe how to open the system up and clean the laser. I will try to be as brief as possible, however, it is a lengthy process. Though, it only takes me typically 10-15 mins to do this whole procedure now.

First of all, you'll need the following to open up a PS2 system and clean it:

1) regular sized Phillips head screwdriver
2) eyeglass repair kit sized Phillips head screwdriver
3) lots of patience
4) a pair of tweezers and a light, in the event the reset/eject ribbon cable comes out from its slot(which is a common occurence and source of MUCH frustration for MANY who try this self fix.
5) several q tips
6) capful of rubbing alcohol

First off, unplug the PS2's video and power cables from the back of the system. Next, flip the PS2 upside down and remove the rubber 'feet' and plastic tabs(which are flush with the rest of the system case, you might need a small flathead screwdriver to pick up the edge of these).

Under each of those feet and tabs are Phillips head screws, mark down where each one came out of, as the screws come in two different lengths and putting a longer one back in a short ones hole could damage the system permanently destroying it. If the original factory seal(along the edge of the PS2 near the power switch) is still on the back of the system, remove it before attempting to take off the top part of the case.

Once you have all of those out, firmly hold both parts of the PS2s case and flip it back over with the front facing you. Gently pull up on the top of the PS2's case from back to front, it should slide off easily.

Be very careful when taking the top off of the PS2, as there is a small silver 'ribbon' cable which connects the reset/eject button assembly to the top of the PS2's case. If this is the first time the system is being opened up ever, there may be a white sticker holding the ribbon cable onto the top of the laser assembly lid. Remove the sticker gently. If you do it carefully enough, you CAN pop the button assembly out of the top of the case by sliding a flathead screwdriver up under the side of the button assembly. I should also note that those people with a 50001 model PS2 shouldn't need to worry about the reset/eject cable, as the buttons are now integrated onto the system itself.

If the cable should come out though, it's not that hard to get it back into its proper slot. You would just need to look under the right hand side of the PS2 and find the rectangular slot it popped out of. That's where the tweezers would come into play.

Anyway, once you have the top of the PS2 off, set it aside(if you popped the button assembly out) or prop it up against something solid right next to the PS2. Then, find the disc tray and above that you'll see the lid that covers the laser/tray assembly. There should be 3-4 small black Phillips head screws, which you need to undo before getting at the laser.

Once they're out, gently remove the cover and put it off to the side. Then take the q tips and dampen(not soak) at least one end of them with rubbing alcohol. Then, simply clean the laser eye in a circular motion with the q tip. If you wish, you may dry it with the other end of it.

While you're in there, also clean the spindle that the discs sit on, as it can become quite gunked up with dust and other assorted junk. Simply hold the spindle with one hand and spin it around with your finger, while using one of the dampened q tips on the flat part of the spindle to clean the gunk off of it.

Follow the prior steps in reverse to close the PS2 back up and there you go, you've just cleaned your first PS2 laser. Some mom and pop shops charge as much as Sony for this service($75), so you've just saved enough for one full priced next gen game and a guide for it(maybe) or enough for a buttload of CAG priced games.

Enjoy...

If anyone wishes, I can tell you how to replace the laser, which only requires a few more steps to complete the process once you have the laser housing cover off. Replacing a laser, if you find one cheap enough on the net, is a far cheaper option than sending it to Sony or buying a new PS2.

Oh and if anyone doesn't feel they CANNOT do this procedure, you can call Sony @ 1-800-345-SONY and for $45, they'll swap out your system for a refurbished one of theirs or for $75, they'll attempt to repair yours. That price does NOT include shipping, which could possibly be done via USPS PM Flat Rate box(deeper one) for as little as $10 or so. However, if you have tried to open up the system before calling them, do NOT say the seal is missing or you have opened it up to them, as that has invalidated your warranty and they WILL hang up on you.
 
wow,i got a whole bunch of attitude from people that dont know me, i aint stupidi know i`d have to pay for a ribbon cable. I just wanted to know how much someone would sell it for.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']$5 plus first class postal shipping(if in the US). If you want anything else for your system, lemme know, as I've got a system with MANY working parts here.

This site may be known as cheapassgamer, but it's not known as stupidassgamer. It costs $$$ to ship items, so you're not going to find someone to just send you a part for free.

Or, try here, where the price is $7.95 for the same cable(and shipped free via first class): http://www.richspsxparts.com/reset.html[/quote]

Thank u for letting me know about this. I just bought one from my friend for $5 so everything is all good.
 
[quote name='tangytangerine']So you're asking for free PS2 & just registered today?

Get the fuck out[/quote]

I wasnt asking for a free one, i was asking to see if anyone would sell me one. But w/e.:bomb:
 
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