Has my saturn died?

[quigglemiester]

Hi
Had my saturn since the dawn of time and recently started playing on that particular console again (I currently have 3 saturns). It worked fine for about 5 plays and then the next time I switched it on it decided not to do a lot.
The Green Power light comes on.
The disk doesn't spin and the screen stays black. Nothing at all apart from the green light.
I have checked the fuse and that is fine.
I have taken it apart and it all looks fine. Using a multimeter I can see that power is going about the place but it's not doing a lot.
Any hints or do you think it is dead?

[locke141]

This is what is happening to mine as well. The green light comes on but nothing is happening on the screen or sound. Any advice?

[Catch22]

The Laser is probably dead. Take the cover off and push the gears near the laser pickup to make the pickup go away from the cd spindle (where you press the cd into). Turn the saturn on, then press the lid button. Don't look directly into the laser from above. If the laser head is driven by the motor, it should go all the way to the cd spindle. It should start bouncing also. Then you can put in a CD and try the same thing. IF the CD spins, the laser is reading the reflection of the CD and pretty much means your laser pickup is starting to crap out. If it doesn't spin, it still could be a dead laser, but it could be other things also.

What I would do is use your other Saturns to do diagnosing. Replace the whole CD board/pickup assembly, which is easy to do. Hopefully, you have the same type Saturns. If not, then I would take a chance and buy a laser.

Just make sure the wire plugs and ribbons are in properly. If it's anything other than the laser or loose wires/ribbons, then you'll need a donor for parts anyway.

[locke141]

Thanks Catch22,

I bought a Rhea (a SD card base replacement for the CD drive) so Im hoping that I'm just not getting the Rabin cable. I'll give this a try when this week.

Thanks again.

[Yart]

I had that happen to me once... the tragic solution was to remove the battery and put it back in again. Of course you lose all your save files doing so...

I'd recommend it as the last resort mind you. It sucks losing all your save data though... but it worked for me.

[quigglemiester]

It did happen when I put a new battery in but I've taken it out, tried it, put a new one in, tried it and it hasn't worked. Tried all manner of combinations and it is as dead as a dodo. Don't know what it is

[buckoa51]

I bought a pre-modded system that developed this fault and the shop just swapped it for a new one and scrapped it in the end.

[locke141]

I have been away for a year (we are expats). Could it be as simple as the battery is dead?

If I have to buy a new one is there any way to tell if the CD drive uses a 20 pin cable? That is what the Rhea requires.

[buckoa51]

You will need one of the rarer model 1 units with the oval power buttons and unfortunately there are some Saturn's like this that use 21 pin cables too.

[locke141]

Whats a good price for a model one?

[locke141]

So I ordered a new SS and when it arrived it was not a model one like the one in the photo. Any one want to trade? I just need a 20pin model CD drive does not need to be working as long as the rest of the system is working 100%.