soulgrind just made it clearer. I wasn\'t sure what the cause was until you said it were the sled and the mount wearing out. learn something new there.
I remember using that link a couple of years ago to adjust the gear for the laser mount and still couldn\'t get it to properly read both the cd and dvd. when i adjust the gear to a specific spot, it could read just cds only, but not dvds or i could get it to read the dvd discs but not the cds disc. so i just adjust the gear back to its original location. I guess after years of using the ps2, the mount and sled wore out that it couldn\'t go back to the original alignment even after adjustment.
Beside the alignment problem, i thiink the ps2 has mediocre reading and error corrections quality back in it early years. Later models should have better laser mount and better reading and error corrections. Same thing with newer cd and dvd players, they are more tolerant of reading bad condition discs than early generation players.
for what its worth, most laser have a life span of 70,000 hours. If assuming you use it an average of 4 hours a day, it should last about 48 years before it wears out. So, the mechanical parts break down before the laser even die out. But by then, you probably be upgrading to something better in 5 to 10 years life span of your current player.
