Warning: That $20 PS2 I found at a garage sale almost killed my whole collection

So I picked up a PS2 slim for cheap from a guy in Eugene, said it worked fine. Got it home, plugged it in, and it started making this grinding noise like a blender. I popped it open after about 10 minutes of searching online, and the laser ribbon cable had completely come loose and was getting chewed up by the disc drive gear. I had to carefully reseat it with some tweezers and electrical tape. Now it reads games fine, but I'm wondering if I should just buy a replacement laser module for like $15 or risk it dying again. Has anyone else dealt with a loose ribbon cable on these slims?

3 comments

3 Comments

pat_roberts554d ago

I had the exact same issue with a silver slim I picked up at a Goodwill in Portland a few years back. That ribbon cable is notorious for coming loose because Sony used a pretty weak clamp on those models. I ended up just cleaning the contacts with a q-tip and some isopropyl alcohol, then used a tiny piece of electrical tape to hold the ribbon down tight against the connector. It's been running fine for about two years now with no problems, so I'd say try the tape trick before buying a new laser.

fionam114d ago

@pat_roberts55 nailed it. Tape trick is gold.

the_oliver4d ago

That tape trick works but how long did you let the alcohol dry before you taped it down? I did the same thing with a 30001 model and I think I rushed it because it held for maybe six months then crapped out again. Had to open it back up and this time I left the board out on the counter for a full twenty minutes before reassembling. That did the trick. Also curious what kind of tape you used. I tried regular Scotch tape first and it peeled off after a week. Switched to Kapton tape and that stuff is bulletproof.