Expert: Octane - 12/5/2010

Question
I got the game midnight club 3 dub edition remix the other day. I had my brother put it in the system and it would not read the disk. Then i had the ps2 cleaned and then tryed it again and that didn't work. After i cleanded it my older brother tryed it on his ps2 and it worked. He has an older one and i have a newer one. Then i cleaned the disk and tryed a second time it didn't work. I have had the game before and it worked on the ps2 that i have know.
But then i looked at the disk and near the center there are two rings and they both have some sort of code and multiple lines. But all of my other games have one ring with a code and multiple lines.

Answer
Gday Adason,

The problem is with your PS2 laser head it is beginning to fail.  Because the fact you Midnight Club 3 Dub Edition Remix is a DVD9 standard game.  (Dual layered Game)  There is about only 20 DVD9 games released http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PlayStation_2_DVD-9_games for the PS2 if you have problems with one of these game then you will have problems with all these.  This usually points to a laser  intensity problem or maybe a dirty laser head.  The DVD9 Standard games have a duel layer of information on them and when your laser head begins to go out this is the first type of disk it will refuse to read.  After a while it may begin to fail on DVD standard disks (Most Silver or Gold based Disks) then eventually CD based disks (Blue or Black disks)  It going to work fine with CD or DVD games just when it attempts to read the DVD9 Dual layered disks it has a problem.

I would also still check and clean the laser. Your slim you can do it with a qtip and some cleaning alcohol while.  Maybe your lens is dirty or cloudy.  This usually helps, I know I had a problem with the exact same game on my slimline until I cleaned the lens.

Unfortunately if after a cleaning is done and there is no improvement it is a Laser head problem with your PS2 which would mean adjustment or replacement.  With a PS2 Slim replacement is the way to go.  All you need is the laser head model (Usually stamped on the circuit board) and you can order another one thru Ebay for about $10-$15 and replace it.  There a heap of Youtube videos out there on how to do it.

Hope this helps.

Octane