My Panasonic 3DO Broke, So I Fixed It

Over the weekend my friend and I were playing some epic RoadRash on my classic Panasonic 3DO console.  A few minutes in we noticed that some of the textures weren’t loading.  Then, all of a sudden, the machine froze and then ejected the disc.  Afterwards, it wouldn’t play any games but it would boot fine and the CD tray would open and close like normal.  I tried using a CD lens cleaner but it wouldn’t play that either. 

So I did what any of you would do: I TOOK IT APART AND FIXED IT.

To make this easier on myself, I set the system up on my desk and then set my GameCube-with-built-on-LCD-screen next to it.  I disconnected video from the GameCube and hooked the screen up to the 3DO.  I thought this looked pretty freaking awesome so I began taking pictures.

Once I had everything set up where I could start to disassemble the 3DO and then easily test it out on the little GameCube-mounted LCD screen, I took off the top piece by removing four annoying screws on the bottom.

Next up was this gigantic metallic shield coving the CD drive. 

I popped it off fairly easily and then had a clean view of the CD tray and lens.  Cleaned the lens and tested again, but no luck.

Every time I’d test, I could tell that the lens’s sliding housing wasn’t moving along its rails.  I used a flathead screw driver to loosen where it seemed to be jammed against one of the rails and it came free, letting me slide it back and forth with ease.  I cleaned the railing as best I could, but I’ll likely have to go back in with a touch of WD-40 at some point.

I hooked everything back up and dropped a game in and guess what!  It worked!

Mission Accomplished.  Oh- and what was the game I tested it with?

Hell yeah.

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