Panasonic DVD-S35 stops working suddenly while on

sp7 · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 2

Hello Everyone,

I just found this forum and hope someone can give me info or help.

In Oct. 2003 I bought a Panasonic DVD/CD player model DVD-S35 machine. It was working fine 'til last night when the first episode of a 2 episode DVD ended. As soon as the 1st episode ended, the machine suddenly turned itself off-- of course I had expected it to just continue to the 2nd episode. When I turned on the machine with the DVD still inside, it was on for ~ 2 seconds and then shut itself off. Same pattern over and over even when I was able to get the DVD out and try another DVD--> same problem: machine just turns itself off.

Today I called Panasonic. The man helping me told me to push 3 buttons at the same time to initialize the unit. That didn't work. Then he wanted me to check the sleep mode. [Perhaps I had turned it on with the poorly designed, too-much-in-such-a-tiny-area remote control.] But checking that didn't help either.

The owner's manual trouble shooting section has nothing about this problem and no error codes appear on the machine's display window.

Has anyone else had this same problem? I'm no electronics expert, but if I open the case up and look around, is there anything not-so-complicated that I should inspect or test?

I read a brief webpage report about some problem similar to this one and a guy said he fixed the same unit as mine by opening up the case and pushing on or fooling with some white spindle. Does the problem of my machine seem to be serious or something simply fixed by pushing on a spindle? If something else is indicated by the symptom, what could be wrong?

If I can't fix this myself, does this sound like a costly commercial repair?

Thanks

vtech · Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 1264 Location: USA

Sounds like the typical spindle motor problem. More than likely motor has developed an internal short & causing the immediate shut down--may even be the drive IC that controls it.

If the motor, you just MAY be able to dislodge it by loading a disc & try rotating it by hand in both direction a few times (if you heard a clicking sound while doing so, the motor is definitley SHOT)

& if unsuccessful, I can tell you that it is not worth replacing the motor .

sp7 · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 2

vtech · Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 1264 Location: USA

Glad that it worked for you. BUT it may happen again since it is the typical early sign of motor failure.. Some would recommend adding a tiny drop of lube on the bottom of the motor (if it has a tiny round hole on the bottom plate)--NOT thru two the "c" shape openings.

Any case , it's sort of squeezing more operating life out of a dying motor.