Yep, sounds like a dust problem, might be that the laser is failing also but it\'s definitely worth trying to clean the dust out of it. A smart idea is to use a can of compressed air on the components and the dust will fly off
. I use it for my pc, keyboard, tv, monitor, you name it.
Cleaning the laser on the ps2: when you have the dvdrom opened up, use som rubbing alcohol and a lint-free cloth on the laser. (i used a q-tip and only water, worked like a charm tho)