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Xbox360 Forums => Xbox360 Hardware Forums => Xbox360 General / Hardware Chat => Topic started by: solid13138 on October 03, 2007, 07:40:00 AM

Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: solid13138 on October 03, 2007, 07:40:00 AM
Hello all. I have a problem with my DVD drive in the 360. It frequently makes a grinding noise. This usually happens whenever the drive speed changes, ie. booting a game, getting out of the game int the dashboard etc. I have already checked the magnet on the motor and it doesn't seem to be loose. My drive is a Samsung MS25. Can anybody help me? Thank you in advance.
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: blame canada on October 03, 2007, 02:25:00 PM
I had this exact problem with my ms-28 that made me cringe everytime I booted my backup of Bioshock. This was the only game giving me issues so i cleaned it with some brasso (original game worked fine) and it stopped making the noise *knock on wood*

If it's more than one game, then I'd have to say it's something mechanical inside the drive, possibly the laser assembly or motor.
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: solid13138 on October 03, 2007, 03:17:00 PM
Well for me it's more than one game. At first it happened whenever I was using Datawrite backups, so I switched to Verbatim. Now, the Verbatims are causing the problem as well! It has to do with changing speeds, the discs are never scratched but still, it isn't something pleasant to hear.
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: TrailPimp UK on October 03, 2007, 04:01:00 PM
I have this exact same problem with my MS28, it doesnt do it all the time or with every game though, which confuses me, ive had the problem for about 3 months now and i must say, out of my past 8 games it has probably only done it once, i agree not nice to hear but from what i know of it theres no longterm damage being caused.

Would be nice to find a fix for it though none the less, im thinking it could be to do with the way certain games have being backed up myself but im not 100% sure, Good luck anyway and if you do find a fix please PM me likewise i will if i find one.

Cheers, Tp UK
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: solid13138 on October 04, 2007, 03:47:00 AM
QUOTE(TrailPimp UK @ Oct 4 2007, 01:37 AM) View Post

I have this exact same problem with my MS28, it doesnt do it all the time or with every game though, which confuses me, ive had the problem for about 3 months now and i must say, out of my past 8 games it has probably only done it once, i agree not nice to hear but from what i know of it theres no longterm damage being caused.

Would be nice to find a fix for it though none the less, im thinking it could be to do with the way certain games have being backed up myself but im not 100% sure, Good luck anyway and if you do find a fix please PM me likewise i will if i find one.

Cheers, Tp UK


I really appreciate that and I will be sure to inform you of any progress.
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: scuba156 on October 04, 2007, 06:16:00 AM
more than likely it is a dirty spindle inside the DVD drive, very easy to clean. its also more likely to make the noise if your console is standing vertically. try placing it horizontally
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: solid13138 on October 04, 2007, 06:14:00 PM
QUOTE(scuba156 @ Oct 4 2007, 03:52 PM) *

more than likely it is a dirty spindle inside the DVD drive, very easy to clean. its also more likely to make the noise if your console is standing vertically. try placing it horizontally


Well I have it lying horizontally at the moment. As for the spindle, is it the part that runs through the disc hole right over the motor, the magnetic part? How is that cleaned?
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: scuba156 on October 04, 2007, 08:29:00 PM
i mean the part that goes through the hole in the disc from underneath it. it should have a black rubber ring on it that can be cleaned with a lighty damp lint free cloth
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: TrailPimp UK on October 05, 2007, 03:52:00 AM
already given the inside of the drive a thorough clean, still no joy.

Cheers anyway fellas
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: solid13138 on October 05, 2007, 05:30:00 AM
QUOTE(solid13138 @ Oct 5 2007, 03:14 AM) View Post

Well I have it lying horizontally at the moment. As for the spindle, is it the part that runs through the disc hole right over the motor, the magnetic part? How is that cleaned?


What part of that rubber thing needs to be cleaned exactly? Do I have to take the magnet out of it?
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: solid13138 on October 08, 2007, 08:13:00 AM
So the grinding happened again today. It happened 3 time in the middle of a PGR4 game. I was using Imation media which normally works fine. Any suggestions guys?
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: blame canada on October 08, 2007, 08:36:00 AM
I don't know if this is true in your case, but my drive was only doing this with my backup games (all from original and onto the same verbatim +r DL discs), yet my originals worked fine. I'd say just let it be untill it finally goes then get a new drive tongue.gif
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: solid13138 on October 08, 2007, 01:00:00 PM
Well the whole things really got on my nerves today coz the stupid drive managed to make a long scratch across a freshly copied PGR 4! Before this incident I never had one scratched disc.

Oh one more thing. The tray also doesn't open immediately. I have to push it in once every time I power it on, after that it opens normally. Is that relevant at all?


This post has been edited by solid13138: Oct 8 2007, 08:04 PM
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: vacuuum on October 08, 2007, 12:41:00 PM
Well, at least your PGR4 is a backup.
I've never had this problem with my MS-28.
Seems like it's time to replace the DVD drive when it starts scratching your discs though.
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: Navillos on October 08, 2007, 01:31:00 PM
sounds like your whole problem is either a crap burner or your laser is crapping out. verbatims are great disc but it all comes down to the burner.
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: solid13138 on October 08, 2007, 02:26:00 PM
OK guys I think I found out what the problem is. I disassembled the DVD drive and kept it's top off and put  my PGR4 disc in with the white plastic thing on top. It booted up and I started a a race and during the loading screen the grinding ensued! So I looked at the location of the laser at the time of the grinding and it was on the outermost part of the disc making small movements back and forth. I took out the disc  and started looking everywhere inside the drive and just then I noticed on both tracks which the laser unit runs on there was some greasy substance. I cleaned it off and loaded the game again and boom no more grinding! So it looks like that grease was preventing the laser from moving properly when it was at the outer rim of the disc. I hope this finally fixes it and much thanks to all who helped me.
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: solid13138 on October 10, 2007, 07:27:00 AM
Oh one last thing. I discovered today that the scratch on the disc wasn't from the DVD drive but was there before burning. Apparently the whole batch of DVDs I got was scratched with the same scratch.
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: TrailPimp UK on October 10, 2007, 10:47:00 AM
Nice one solid, much appreciated, i will look into it and keep you posted through this thread if you dont mind,

Cheers Tp Uk

oh, you on xbox live? add me if you are man, Trailpimp UK
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: InterestedHacker on October 11, 2007, 06:24:00 AM
Sounds like you need to carry out the llamma mod.  Some drive revisions did not have the foam pads at the top of the drive casing.  When the disc is spinning / changes spin rate instabilities occur and the disc can flip up or down on one side or the other, this results in partial scratches - normally in the middle of the disc, and you can hear it appearing to 'grind'.

I have solved this problem on a few 360s now.  Incidentally, I noticed that cleaning the discs using all known methods seemed to make no difference.   I finally found a method that appears to work well - use one of those polishing cloths you get with LCD panels, press fairly firmly and move in circular motions over the 'scratch', most of them just come straight off (I guess they are plastic marks from the DVD laser carriage).
Title: Dvd Drive Grinding Noise
Post by: solid13138 on October 12, 2007, 01:24:00 PM
QUOTE(InterestedHacker @ Oct 11 2007, 04:00 PM) View Post

Sounds like you need to carry out the llamma mod.  Some drive revisions did not have the foam pads at the top of the drive casing.  When the disc is spinning / changes spin rate instabilities occur and the disc can flip up or down on one side or the other, this results in partial scratches - normally in the middle of the disc, and you can hear it appearing to 'grind'.

I have solved this problem on a few 360s now.  Incidentally, I noticed that cleaning the discs using all known methods seemed to make no difference.   I finally found a method that appears to work well - use one of those polishing cloths you get with LCD panels, press fairly firmly and move in circular motions over the 'scratch', most of them just come straight off (I guess they are plastic marks from the DVD laser carriage).


What is the Llama mod exactly?