Help needed: PS3 drive not spinning, making buzzing sound

[DanAdamKOF]

I have a PS3 drive with a KES-400A laser, that's not reading discs. The laser doesn't turn on.

I replaced it with a known-good KES-410A laser (I saw the blue laser turn on and the disc spin right up, in its original drive, so it definitely works), and with that in place, the drive is not spinning the disc. After you insert a game, the disc drive makes a buzzing noise, the disc stays in place, and the laser oes not turn on. If you leave off the magnetic part, the buzzing is not as loud. Also, the disc spins freely on the spindle. I've tested this drive in two PS3s using each PS3's matching drive logic board, and have gotten the same result in each.

If anyone has any advice, please share.

[Spyhop]

AFAIK the KES-400A and the 410A are not interchangeable. You put in the wrong laser.

Edit: Here's a compatibility chart:
http://www.rockfordpcrepair.com/ps3l...tiblechart.htm

[DanAdamKOF]

Yeah, I think I read some misinformation last night. I'll probably sell the KES-410A drives I have, I guess I won't need them.

After reassembling the KES-400A with the original laser, I did in fact see it light up red at some points. I guess it does work. Currently a friend is inspecting the drive to see if the motor is siezed or something.

[Spyhop]

The laser should light up blue. If it doesn't then it's probably dead.
If it's dead and not reading the disc, then the disc won't spin.

Dead motor is very very rare. Dead laser is very very common.

[DanAdamKOF]

Thanks for the info. We were thinking that it would at least read CDRs or DVDs if it lit up red, but that's not the case.

I'll write up more details later, but thank you for your input. I want to exhaust my options with the parts I have on-hand before I get a new laser.

[Spyhop]

I'll write up more details later, but thank you for your input. I want to exhaust my options with the parts I have on-hand before I get a new laser.

Understood, but I just went through this exact rigamarole last month with my KES-400A. I talked with a buddy-of-a-buddy who's the go-to guy in this city for console repair and he said it's almost always the laser. He's got a stack of 300 dead 400a's (he told me because I tried to give him my dead one in case he could do something with it lol)