Replace Vaio combo drive laser unit

Hi,

A client will bring me later her 3 years old p4 2.0 ghz vaio, I don't recall exact model, but it seems that her hard drive fail to boot.
i saw this laptop few months ago, And noticed that it does not reads some discs in the combo drive.
Tried to clean it with alcohol, but it didn't helped much.
I couldn't find a similiar drive like this in Israel or on Ebay (only saw 1 computer for parts).
Is there a way to only replace the laser unit in this laptop combo drives ?
links will be helpful.
Thank you

Well depending... One do you want to invest the time to find the lens mount and emitter? Two is it really that important for them that they are willing to pay you for the time it will take to find and install said parts? Three it's been a while since I've ripped an Optical Drive apart but if you're lucky you won't have to do any soldering. In the event you would have to you will need micro soldering tools and experience in handling of such. (In my life travels I met a retired Navy certified electronics technician that would as a hobby repair such things along with cell phones, radios, etc.) IF it's imperative I'm sure I could find his mailing information. I will post later if I can find parts. I am in possession of a generic electronics parts catalogue somewhere in the office.

Thank you Niclo.
First I'll get her laptop later this evening and will try to look for compatible drives. And I think her hard drive need to be replaced. If she will be willing to spend some money for the hard drive AND the DVD drive, I might ask for your help with this.
Thanks again for your good will

Model is PCG-V505BX.
Ok, Didn't manage to get the DVD drive out of this laptop. Even downloaded service manual, Which have picture of all the parts but it didn't helped.There is interwaving of the plastic parts and i am afraid to break/tear something.
Will leave DVD as is and only replace Hard drive.
Thanks

All the screws shown here I believe:

http://home.comcast.net/~jttar/PCGV505BX.pdf

It is the 'hidden' bottom ones that are the problem apparently. Sony likes to hide them near the USB port and under hard-to-remove speaker covers.


Also:

http://www.fencepost.net/projects/vaio/

Thanks for the Links CCT. I've downloaded the service manual, But I don't feel confident enough to open it as I need. I tried to open it as best as I could, Which help me easily replace the HD, But couldn't get to get the DVD drive out. You got to face your own limitations...
I bet that someone with more Vaio experience can do it easily, And since it's kind of a old computer, i am not sure the client will be willing to spend 200$+ for the replacement of the drive, So I've decided to offer her only the HD replacement solution.
I would be happy to make few more bucks, But in this case it takes too much energy....
P.S. The other link is not relevant since it is differently another model, But thanks for the help

Yes - the second link was more for showing 'hidden' screw placement. I should have been clearer.

:)

And the plot thickens....

Finally was brave enough to disassemble laptop, To find out that cpu fan stopped working....Seems that it need to be replaced with original part and can't replace the fan with similiar one (It kind of turbine shaped).
Notified my client, She is looing for a new computer, And then I might trade her the Vaio for the work I'll put into her new one, And then I can disassemble it completely and buy parts on ebay to make it work.
It is strong and light computer (2ghz p4), So I guess investing in a hard drive (70$) + used fan (40$) and combo drive (80$) is worth the invest, Since a working computer like that can be easily sold for about 400$...
So maybe in the end it will be worth all the hassle...

If nothing else, you will get to learn about the innards of Sony laptops!

Yes, But if it'll happend, I'll play smart, First I'll take the computer apart and ONLY THEN invite the parts....So the lesson will be cheaper in the (laptop)case I can't figure out what I'm doing...... :O)

BTW - good chance the fan failure caused cpu shut-down so the hard drive may be recoverable.

:)

Well...No :O(
I first noticed the fan not working when I've plugged the new hard drive and after few minutes the computer was HOT in the buttom. I haven't noticed it before, Because from my experience Laptop fans doesn't go to work immediatly, But after the cpu get heated a bit.
Secondly, The old drive "clicks" the minute the computer is turned on in an endless loop.
So 1+1=Bad Bad laptop :O)

P.S. I'm having another problem. I'm making some rice and frozen meatballs, And two of the meatballs are stuck together...oops...Wrong forum... :O)

http://www.vaioshutdown.com/overheat.html

edit: note the 'hidden screw' info

edit again: this thread has some pertinent info re overheating - that model is specifically mentioned;

http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/cont...c/5449/?o=1400

Thanks for the links CCT. The models that are mentioned are not the exact models, But there is a tip of soldering the cpu radiator with the fan part in some cases that might be interesting.
The vaioshutdown site name is FUNNY....LOL....I think I'll register cantopenmyvaio.com , Or findvaiohiddenscrew.com :O)

Can someone please tell me how do you call this type of fans that blows air from the side and not from top or buttom ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HipHoper

Can someone please tell me how do you call this type of fans that blows air from the side and not from top or buttom ?

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Could be called tangential fan or crossflow...

Thanks Plat.
I trried the description on ebay, But only found big ones.
I mean fans like this :
http://fish72.googlepages.com/3663_1_b.jpg

notice that the blades are not regular blades, In order to blow the air to the side....

I've also thought of :
Blower fan
Centrifugal fan

But the one's that I found are bigger in size

Is there a part number on the old fan? If you google that, you may get the part description back?

It's Toshiba mcf-505pam05, And from the description I've found it's an custom made 5V fan made specially for this Vaio computer.
If my client will let me have the computer I thoght about 2 cheaper-than-original solution.
1. Open the laptop completely and replace the original fan with a bit smaller one with same voltage properties (There is a tin cover on the original fan, And I believe I can unmount it forcefully
2. Open the back case cover and buy a multi-fan cooler that the laptop will sit on, That way the cooling will be even better than original, But I guess I'll stop calling this computer a laptop...More like a mini desktop....

Or get a refurbished one

Noo....Don't you know i'm cheap ? to pay almost 100$ (including shipping to israel) for a rufurbished fan ?
Thanks anyway for the link.
I am using this vaio as a test to my combination ability more than anything else...I am sure I can get a similiar or even better new fan to work for 10$ If i'll put my time and effort into it.

http://www.teifans.com/

http://www.laptops4me.com/newsdesk_i...sdesk_id/6?SID

Thanks again for the links CCT.
Although the first link contain versatile amount of fans and specs they are 12V :O(
BUT....The second link "woke" an idea....i'll buy some brand name hard disk cooler here in israel for about 14$, which contains 2X50mm slim fans, And I'll have even a spare one. That will be the best solution once I'll get the green light...
On second thought...They are 12V too...
I guess these will fit my needs :

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=019

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=013

The 2nd one seems cheap and reliable, Just hope to fit it in....
So thanks for the ignition...wroom wrooom...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HipHoper

Noo....Don't you know i'm cheap ? to pay almost 100$ (including shipping to israel) for a rufurbished fan ?
Thanks anyway for the link.

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I know you are cheap ;) however, I was just showing you it was possible, I was hoping you would take those numbers and look up sites more local to you. I know there are some good sites where you are, but my hebrew sucks.

Lol @ Noo Hebrew.....
Because of customs and stuff, Parts are usually expensive in israel. I am talking about parts like fans and connectors, Not parts that are sold as OEM (memory, cpu, drives).
I buy from time to time lots of small things like chipset fans and Network plugs from ebay, Since the price is sometimes 1/3-1/4 of the price here...And usually what I bring is of better quality...

Sounds like a business opportunity to me - no one does refurbished parts in Israel?

There was a big company few years ago that dealt with refurb. computers and stuff, but they filed chapter 11 (Good for me that they pay me few bucks they owed me before that...).
Anyway, Now there are the official IBM/Dell/HP/More support, But their prices are quite high when your computer goes out of warranty.
So it's not that you can't fix computers, But it's expensive.
Now, There are a lot of small companies that fix laptops, But I would question most of their professionality.
Some products does not even have an official support (I think Vaio is one of them.....).
I don't know anyone who sells refurbished laptop parts for a reasonable price. I guess that most parts are imported, Therefore explaining their rareability/High price.
As I see it the laptop market is not fully developed here, But as prices drop (you can get a Lenovo C100 for about 600$ + tax), I guess we'll start to see more moshrooms (Who said MARIO ?) after the rain...

Oh well.