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Tutorial - Replacing the Laser Module in a LG GDI700

Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2005 9:54 pm
by Devin
The LG GDI700 is considered by many to be the best Desktop CD-i Player around:

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This tutorial was undertaken to replace what I considered a faulty laser module in my own LG GDI700. I hope you find it interesting but we do not take responsibility if use of this tutorial results in damage of your player or injury to yourself. Only somebody that has a reasonable understanding of electrical appliances should attempt fixing such equipment.

I started by taking out the 6 retaining screws holding on the cover, which includes 2 on the back and 2 on each side of the player:

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Now that all the screws have been removed the cover can be taken off, turn the player around so the back is facing you. Grip both sides of the player cover and pull them apart slightly then lift the back end up and slide it out towards you. Place the cover to one side so you can now start dealing with the internal parts. For this you really should ground yourself so no charge has built up that could damage the player whilst handling. Either place both hands on a conductive metal object or buy a wrist band used by electricians to discharge electrical static from your body.

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In the next step you need to detach the 3 screws holding the CD Transport mechanism in place. This consists of one small screw towards the rear and two longer screws holding the CD Transport close to the drives door.

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Now this is the part where you have to be extra careful!! Lift the CD Transport up and you'll notice four wires attached to various parts of the mechanism:

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First rest the CD Transport to one side:

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Now we can start detaching wires, take a firm grip of the upper rim on each attachment:

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Taking extra care not to pull from the wires themselves the plastic casing should come loose fairly easily. Don't rush this part and DO NOT use brute force, if it feels really stuck then try swaying the plastic forward and backwards slightly until it comes free. The only wire that you can't detach is the with the white plastic sheath attached to the motherboard. Leave this one where it is the other orange sheathed wires should detach. Now to seperate the laser module from the rest of the CD Transport you simply need to undo one screw located in the picture and circled here:

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The above picture shows an already detached CD Transport from the laser module. After removing the screw just navigate the laser module out of the CD Transport but wiggling it free. This shouldn't be too much of a problem and then leaves you with the laser module to deal with:

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Unplug the two remaining wires from the laser module itself so you can detach it from the remaining CD Transport framwork:

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Now the final stages of disassembly:

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Remove all the screws from each corner of the CD Transport framework. I had trouble removing one so left it in and removed the other three then it was a simple case of sliding the laser module out from under the fouth stubborn screw!! Be careful to save all the springs and rubber attachments with each screw that need to be kept when you attach the new laser module:

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Yes that is a wine glass you can see in the background, i'd like to reiterate I take no responsibility for how you use the tutorial for your own needs :shock: However if everything went according to plan you should have seperated the laser module from the rest of your player and the CD Transport mechanism. It should now be a simple process of getting a brand new laser module then reversing everything you did in order. Whilst taking apart the CD Transport you should make diagrams of where everything goes, it's not really that complicated and to honest there's little room for going wrong. One thing to point out however is to make a note of how the wires are connected from the motherboard to the CD Transport so you don't mix them up following reassembly!!

Details of retailers for the laser module which is a KSS210A shall follow.