BenQ DW1655 no longer burns, but still reads

[evident]

[qanda]This thread is about the BenQ DW1655. Click here to see full specs[/qanda]Hi everyone, First post here, please don't bash me!

I have an IDE Benq DW1655 DVD burner firmware BCIB. I've been using it for two years very minimally, mainly as a dvd player in my HTPC. After i sold my HTPC i decided to replace the dvd burner i had in my main desktop with the BenQ. At first, it didn't have any problems burning DVD images, but gradually i would get a coaster every 3rd burn, then the rate would increase and now i can't burn anything without gettin an error in the first two minutes of starting the burn process.

i've been trying to burn an audio cd but i keep getting coasters. i don't know if it's just a bad batch of CD-R's or if my dvd drive is taking a dump.

the sad part is, i barely ever used it for burning purposes. the reading part of my dvd/cd is fine. I installed windows xp with it and tons of software. if this problem occured earlier i could have contacted benq. but it's been two years and i think benq's warranty is only good for a year :sad:

the drive is able to detect burnable media and such, but once it starts burning, i get an error code and it locks up. does this mean my burning capabilities are shot? i tried recording at a slower burn rate but no luck. I am using Taiyo Yuden DVD-Rs and sony cd-r's.

e8400
ip35-pro
xp sp3 tried using nero, alcohol 120, dvd decrypter and media monkey.

any help trying to troubleshoot this problem would be greatly appreciated.

[negritude]

1. Alcohol is a major cause of a lot of DVD problems. Uninstall or disable it.

2. Make sure you’re using an 80-pin IDE cable.

3. Downgrade your firmware to BCDB.

[evident]

1. Alcohol is a major cause of a lot of DVD problems. Uninstall or disable it.

2. Make sure you’re using an 80-pin IDE cable.

3. Downgrade your firmware to BCDB.

done the bcdb. been using 80 pin cable. still problems

gonna try hooking up to usb enclosure to laptop.

[evident]

I shot off an email to Benq customer support. the drive was manufactured in may 2006 though and purchased in late 2006… dont know what they can do for me but it won’t hurt. guess i’m going to shell out some cash and get a pioneer 216D

[negritude]

Since the original Philips/BenQ company no longer exists (it was bought by Lite-On), I doubt you can get any support for the drive.

[evident]

yup. they pretty much told me im SOL and to go get a liteON.

i’m goin for the pioneer 216D though due to the great reviews from here!

[alan1476]

Good choice.

[Dartman]

You might as well pop it open at this point and try gently cleaning the laser lens. I’ve salvaged old cdrw drives this way before. From not working at all to just like new by cleaning the pickup, it was so dirty it was cloudy gray.
After we cleaned it it was shiny new looking and burned and read like new again. It was probably at least 3 to 5 years old at that point.

[evident]

[QUOTE=Dartman;2111411]You might as well pop it open at this point and try gently cleaning the laser lens. I’ve salvaged old cdrw drives this way before. From not working at all to just like new by cleaning the pickup, it was so dirty it was cloudy gray.
After we cleaned it it was shiny new looking and burned and read like new again. It was probably at least 3 to 5 years old at that point.[/QUOTE]

for a cd drive in a machine that was sitting in a dust filled room this was pretty clean. I opened it up and gently wiped some alcohol swabs on the lens. it seems to be intact still and i don’t see any physical reason why it won’t read/write. im gonna put it back together and give it a shot

thanks for the tip

in the meantime. the 216D is in my machine and its burning great. i flashed it to the 1.06 firmware w/o issues.

[Bob]

[QUOTE=evident;2112311]for a cd drive in a machine that was sitting in a dust filled room this was pretty clean. I opened it up and gently wiped some alcohol swabs on the lens. it seems to be intact still and i don’t see any physical reason why it won’t read/write. im gonna put it back together and give it a shot

thanks for the tip

in the meantime. the 216D is in my machine and its burning great. i flashed it to the 1.06 firmware w/o issues.[/QUOTE]yup i saved my Plextor 760A cleaning it not long ago. It’s always worth trying.

[Dartman]

If it’s all ready headed for the bin ya can’t hurt it much more so always worth a shot, That’s why we tried doing his years ago. There are a few problems that it probably isn’t going to help that these things get but I’ll be interested in how it works out for you.

[alan1476]

If it’s all ready headed for the bin ya can’t hurt it much more so always worth a shot, That’s why we tried doing his years ago. There are a few problems that it probably isn’t going to help that these things get but I’ll be interested in how it works out for you.

Great advice Dartman , I have saved a few myself like that. Just opening up a computer case can show you what can accumulate in a computer, even inside a DVD drive if its opened and closed enough times.

[Dartman]

I do what I can when it looks like it’ll do some good:bigsmile: I’ve had a few drives that lost the spindle motors or logic and so they were pretty much done. It’s just not worth trying to fix most of them unless they are exceptional irreplaceable burners, like a 1655
I have 2 1620’s a 1640, and 2 1655’s myself. My first one was one of the very first 1600 drives that later got upgraded all the way to 1620 pro. Those things originally were minus only and I think DL, then they upgraded to a full multi writer that did plus, minus, and DL. I sure miss the aggressive way they added features and kept improving a great drive, model by model. The 1655 really got shorted when LiteOn bought them out, I think it could have just gotten better with a few more updates.
All my BenQ’s still work, though my first 1655 has the sticky door problem now.