Sony CDP-CX255 200 CD changer problems

[Zev Berkovich]

I have a question that I hope someone might be able to help me with.

I recently received a Sony CDP-CX255 200 CD changer from an
acquaintance.

He had this CD player hooked up to a second 200 CD changer, along with
a complete Sony system.

He told me that he had been using the player through his Sony system
remote control, which I'm sure you are aware hooks up with cables to
the back of every Sony stereo component.

My stereo system is a Kenwood, so obviously Sony system controls will
not work with it. Nonetheless, I have attempted to use it with both a
Sony remote control (it has an infrared receiver), and using the front
panel controls. Neither of them seem to have much effect.

The symptoms are:

The changer always stay "on", however the power light over the power
button does not light up.

The changer will load up CDs, and rotating the turtable control knob
will rotate the turntable.

I have opened the unit up, and found that when you close the front
loading door on the unit, the turntable will rotate and then load up a
CD into the player. However, the CD does not spin at all in the
player, and pressing play does not seem to have an effect on playing
the CD.

The other symptom that it had is that the "System Link" selector
switch didn't seem to function properly. It would show CD2,
regardless of the switch position, and occasionally would switch to
CD1, and then back to CD2 on its own. I managed to clean the switch,
and now the display matches the switch setting.


Note: While writing this message, I tried a few things.

after this cleaning and a bit of other fiddling around, there seems to
be some response from the actual CD player unit. If I move the laser
pickup away from the centre of the CD (with the power off of course)
the pickup motor will actually move the head back to the centre when
it loads a CD. So that part seems to be functioning. As well,
instead of the CD staying loaded as it did before, the changer will
move on to the next CD in a few seconds, as if it didn't recognize the
disc. This will keep on going for each CD on the turntable.

The power button now works as well.

Anyways, if anyone has ideas on how to repair this problem, I would
certainly like to hear them.

Thanks,

Zev Berkovich
Toronto Canada

 

[Mark D. Zacharias]

The most likely item would be a bad pickup. Once the machine has decided
there is "no disc" in a particular slot, it won't try again on that one at
least until the door has been opened.
You haven't said if you're a tech type - it's a pretty big job doing a
pickup on one of these.


Mark Z.

 

[Zev Berkovich]

Mark,

I would have no trouble changing a pickup, if I was sure that was the
problem.

For some reason, I am doubting that's what it is. This lens doesn't
even attempt to make a move, leading me to believe that it is
something in the control electronics rather than the pickup.

I do have some tech experience, having repaired numerous CD players,
VCRs, televisions, monitors, tape decks, etc. I don't have any
professional training however, mostly I just pick it up as I go along.

Zev

 

[Zev Berkovich]

The CD doesn't spin up either. I guess it wouldn't until the player
decides that there is a disc available to spin up. Anyways, if I have
to change the whole pickup, chances are it is too expensive to bother
with.

I was told that about two years ago, the unit was playing CDs. The
only problem was that it wouldn't operate from the front panel
controls. I have since fixed the problem, but I am thinking perhaps
something may have jolted loose in the shipping. It was sent about
500 miles through the US Postal Service, and travelled another 100
miles by car.