Sony CD player not tracking properly

[BobW]

I have an old Sony stereo system. Everything except the CD player works fine.

The CD player has a problem with the laser tracking assembly. It works okay for a while but then starts skipping. If I use the forward and reverse track skip buttons to work the tracking back and forth a few times, it seems to fix the problem for a while. So I think it's nothing more than the drive needing some cleaning and lubrication. Wondering what I should use for this.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Sewing machine oil on the sliders should be fine, though I generally use a TINY!! drop of WD40 on them, although you probably need to replace entire laser optical assembly - it's not likely to be down to lubrication.

 

[spec]

One thing you can try is to clean the optics. Over the years they can build up a thin film which is quite hard to remove. I normally use IPA and a medium stiff artists brush.

spec

 

[BobW]

Seems to me that I tried cleaning the optics not too long ago, but I may be thinking of a different CD player. The unit in question is away at the summer cottage, so I won't be able to get at it until the next time I'm out there, which will be a few days.

If it turns out that the laser optical assembly is bad, where does one find a replacement?
I'm wondering if audio CD drives are interchangeable the same way that CD data drives are. If so, the simplest solution might be to replace the entire drive part.