Saturn CD drive dying...

[Vyse of Arcadia]

So, my Saturn's CD drive is apparently dying. The first thing I noticed was an increase in load times. The next thing I noticed was an extreme lag in loading times. As in, in Sonic Jam, the music would take so long to load that I could get about half way through Emerald Hill Zone Act 1 before the music would come on. It's gotten to the point that most of the time I try to play a game, it tries to load it for about five minutes, then gives up and goes to the Saturn's built in config/CD player.

Anyway, back on topic, does anyone know a DIY fix for this? I remember reading about someone modding a Saturn by putting in a 4x drive for a performance increase over its 2x drive. No real performance increase, but it didn't brick the Saturn either.

And if no one knows a DIY fix, how about a reputable repair place? Online or otherwise?

[Joe Redifer]

Make sure the spindle of the drive is clean. There should be what looks like a flat little flat rubber ring or something around/on the spindle itself. Wipe that clean with your thumb. This will help it grip the CD. Be careful not to touch the lens.