Question: Where can I find a DMR-ES25 replacement drive

Hi Fellow Panas,

On Sunday the DvD drive on my DMR-ES25 stopped reading disks

Does anyone know where I can find a replacement drive unit. ???

Thanks,

EdiRol

If your drive is making clunking noises the laser lens may be dirty or have failed.

If your drive is making grinding or scrubbing noises the hub/spindle may need cleaning. The rubber hub that grips the DVD collects dust, debris and oily residue causing the DVD to slip, resulting in read, write and finalizing failures. Regular hub/spindle/lens cleaning is needed more often in dusty, smoking or warm environments, especially when discs are handled with a finger through the center hole.

On a DMR-ES25 the hub/spindle/lens cleaning procedure takes about 15 minutes. Here is detailed information:

http://club.cdfreaks.com/f106/fixing...t-help-210507/

Be sure to disconnect the power cord before opening the case cover. The DVD drive lid has four small Phillips screws at the corners. Remove the drive lid. Before closing up and securing the drive lid the roller/slider mechanism at the rear of the disc tray must be positioned to the far left in order to correctly align with the guide rail on the underside of the drive lid. Do not reconnect the power cord until the DVD drive lid has been correctly secured and the Panasonic case has been closed.

The attached photo shows the correct positioning of the roller/slider mechanism. The cotton swab partly obscures our view of the lens. The black rubber hub has just been cleaned. The interior view of your DMR-ES25 DVD drive should appear much the same as the later model seen in the photo.

If your DVD drive has actually failed you may need to swap out the drive with a known good drive. Sometimes parts machines with good DVD drives may be found at reasonable prices. Your DMR-ES25 is a 2006 model. DVD drives from other Panasonic 2006 models (DMR-ES15, DMR-ES35V, DMR-ES45V and DMR-ES46V) may work in your machine. I have successfully swapped DVD drives between DMR-ES35V and DMR-ES15 models.

Replacement lens assemblies may be purchased from an online seller in Scotland. Your lens assembly is probably model number 3331A. These should be replaced only by technicians qualified to handle laser devices.

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Last edited by DigaDo; 29-10-2008 at 18:52. Reason: adding photo

Hi DigaDo, and thanx 4 the comeback.

I'll take a look - tomorrow if I have time - and see if that works..