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Sega Saturn Disc Reader Replacement

Device	Sega Saturn
Difficulty	Moderate
Time	10 minutes
Steps	10

This guide is by Jan Ulloa on iFixit and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0. ByteRot mirrors it for non-commercial preservation: formatting changed and photos resized for old browsers; full-size photos and the text are on the FTP in /DOCS/REPAIR. Original guide >>

If your Sega Saturn fails to read discs properly, use this guide to replace the disc reader.

The disc reader transmits data from a disc to the Saturn itself. A misaligned or damaged disc reader (https://www.ifixit.com/Wiki/Sega_Saturn_Troubleshooting#Section_Disc_is_not_recognized_and_or_spinning) will stop the disc from spinning or cause the Saturn to display a "Drive Empty" message.

Before using this guide, clean the disk reader lens with a cotton ball and rubbing alcohol (https://www.ifixit.com/Wiki/Sega_Saturn_Troubleshooting#Section_Laser_is_not_focused_on_the_CD), as a dirty optical drive may be the cause of a disc reading failure.

Tools: ESD Safe Blunt Nose Tweezers; iFixit Opening Tool; JIS #1; Standoff Screwdriver for iPhones

Parts: CR2032 Lithium Battery

Step 1

• Press on the plastic lever on the back of the Sega Saturn to pop open the battery slot.

Step 2

• Push up the edge of the battery with the iFixit opening tool to get the battery out of its socket.

Step 3

• Use the ESD safe tweezers (https://www.ifixit.com/en-ca/products/tweezers) to pull the battery out of its slot.

Step 4

• Remove the five black 13.5mm JIS#1 screws on the bottom of the device. One might be hidden by a sticker.

Step 5

• Flip the device over so it rests right side up.
• Lift gently across the seam of the Sega Saturn. If parts get stuck, a light shake or prying with the iFixit opening tool should free it up. Do not use any brute force, as this can damage the case so it doesn't close again.

Step 6

• CAUTION: Do not touch the laser reader, as smudges have been reported to ruin it.

Step 7

• Pull firmly on the ribbon cable from the end on the motherboard.
• NOTE: Don't worry about pulling it out of its socket; it can be plugged back in.

Step 8

• Pry the second cable out of its socket on the disk reader with the iFixit opening tool or ESD safe tweezers (https://www.ifixit.com/en-ca/products/tweezers). When the lip of the cable gets enough distance out of the socket, it can be wiggled free.

Step 9

• Lift the laser reader slowly out of its slot hosted by these four pins. There is a screw underneath with a cable attached to the motherboard.

Step 10

• Remove the metallic 12.2mm JIS #1 screw. This will need additional hands in reverse to hold the disk reader steady.
• Remove the yellow tape on the reader strip and gently remove the disc reader without touching the laser reader.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Credit