iMac G5 Problem - What to do?

[shuurajou]

Hi All,

For a while now, I have had an iMac G5 with a problem.

When ejecting any media from the slot drive, the media is pushed out the drive and falls out of the case.

The product was bought in Janurary 2005, which means I am outside the Apple Warranty period. However, I purchased this iMac from a retailer called John Lewis who offer a 2 year free warranty on larger electrical goods. I was advised that they would send off my iMac for repair - but it will take 30 days. I cannot go for 30 days without my iMac as I use it for a source of income.

After discussing my situation with John Lewis they advised me that they would allow me to claim the cost of the DIY replacement drive from Apple.

I have purchased DIY drive replacement per Apple's advice. However, the situation is the same as before. The disc still flops out. I have done everything that can be done software wise to resolve the issue.

Where do you guys suggest I go from here?

 

[eji]

Where do you guys suggest I go from here?

I'd just have a hand ready on ejecting.

I find that my iMac G5 tends to do this with CD-Rs, which might be a bit lighter than standard CD-ROMs. A few times the CD-R got spit out and bounced on the floor. Then I just started using my right hand to prevent it.

 

[shuurajou]

I'd just have a hand ready on ejecting.

I find that my iMac G5 tends to do this with CD-Rs, which might be a bit lighter than standard CD-ROMs. A few times the CD-R got spit out and bounced on the floor. Then I just started using my right hand to prevent it.

Yeah that's what I'm doing, but surely an iMac shouldn't do this? I can't do without my iMac. The optical drive is the only component that is replaceable related to the drive. I can't see anything else being able to assist in my issue. Unless maybe the bristles have gotten soft and no longer grip the CD firm enough? Maybe they would reseat my whole mac into a new case?

 

[skubish]

I don't think this is an item that warrants repair.
I call that a feature

 

[mad jew]

It was apparently a pretty common issue with the original iMac G5s but I'm pretty sure Apple just ignores it. Replacing the drive may help if you can be bothered but I doubt it's worth it.

 

[shuurajou]

It was apparently a pretty common issue with the original iMac G5s but I'm pretty sure Apple just ignores it. Replacing the drive may help if you can be bothered but I doubt it's worth it.

Unfortunately I have attempted replacing the drive already. Obviously this is a mechanical fault. There is nothing else phsyically that can cause this, apart from actually replacing everything in the iMac... new shell, the lot.

Apple have had me pay £200 for no reason affectively.

 

[Warbrain]

I've always suspected that the drives in the iMac G5 and the Intel iMac have had to be more powerful to eject the disc as the drive is either vertical or near-vertical. To circumvent the possibility of the disc falling while ejecting, the drive has a bit more power behind it, and that could be why it flies out sometimes.

I've also noticed that the drives on the iMac G5 are a bit more sensitive than other slot-loading drives. I also think that's got something to do with the drive and the fact that it's vertical.

 

[Rapmastac1]

Man that sucks. Anyone every had any problems with the Macbook doing this? That would suck to have to have ur hand there so it dont' scratch when it comes out, but wont be as bad as it falling out of the side of an iMac. What causes this exactly?

 

[gothicx00]

One suggestion, but you may not like it.

You could get a piece of soft felt, no more than 1/4" wide and the length of the drive slot. Affix it to the top edge of the drive, overlapping ever so slightly into the path of the drive slot so that when the CD comes out it might be held there in place so you can grab it. Does that make any sense?

 

[mkrishnan]

One suggestion, but you may not like it.

You could get a piece of soft felt, no more than 1/4" wide and the length of the drive slot. Affix it to the top edge of the drive, overlapping ever so slightly into the path of the drive slot so that when the CD comes out it might be held there in place so you can grab it. Does that make any sense?

I think this is actually a good suggestion. You should actually be able to open up the case and put this on the bezel in such a way that it is not externally visible.

I guess we've had this discussion before, and I may be wrong about this, but my strong impression is that the issue has at least part to do with the drive and part to do with the bezel....

The design on the iMac and the notebooks is like the drive in a car. The properly functional design is not just that it ejects with little enough force to stop, but that it is gripped and held in place in the slot for you to get it. If you look at your car or at a properly functioning iMac or Apple notebook, the disc does not just stop when it gets halfway out -- it is firmly held there for you.

If you take an Apple notebook and orient it so that the drive is vertical, so that gravity would make the disc fall out when you press the eject key, I'm pretty sure that it *still* would not come out of the drive. That's what makes me say it's the bezel more than the drive....

 

[shuurajou]

Whilst these work-a-rounds are great, shouldn't an Apple iMac eject properly, not drop disks out the side? If not then Apple should be able to offer me a repair solution.

 

[mkrishnan]

Whilst these work-a-rounds are great, shouldn't an Apple iMac eject properly, not drop disks out the side? If not then Apple should be able to offer me a repair solution.

Well, of course, Apple should fix it. My iMac doesn't do this (although it is a revision B). But you didn't exactly inform them of the problem during the warranty period, did you?

That being said, you should consider calling them directly anyway. They should at least be able to get your repair person their tech service bulletin or whatever that addresses this issue, so that the repair person will know what to do.

 

[sjpetry]

I call that a feature

I actually don't mind. The disks just plop into my hand.

Apple have had me pay £200 for no reason affectively.

Sorry to hear you spent $376 for nothing. Just get some felt if it really bothers you.

 

[Macky-Mac]

Unfortunately I have attempted replacing the drive already. Obviously this is a mechanical fault. There is nothing else phsyically that can cause this, apart from actually replacing everything in the iMac... new shell, the lot.

Apple have had me pay £200 for no reason affectively.

a friend of mine had this problem.....it turned out that the felt stuff around the slot in the case had come loose. After she replaced that stuff then it worked fine again. They told her that the felt both slows and holds the disk as it comes out and if it isn't positioned properly, then that allows the disk to fly out ......at least it fixed her problem

 

[gothicx00]

Wow, so i guess my suggestion, helped along by mkrishnan's alteration, is actually an OEM fix if you will. Sounds like it's time to take that sucker apart and check it out.

 

[4JNA]

second the felt inspection. have found several now with that problem.

also, have replaced several 'original' optical drives with 'non-apple' upgrade drives. faster, dual-layer, etc and can be had for under $100 here in the states anyway. using patch-burn so that they show up as apple supported.

have noticed that the newer optical drives seem to 'hold' the disc until you actually pull it from the drive. even with out felt.

fix + upgrade =

 

[Warbrain]

second the felt inspection. have found several now with that problem.

also, have replaced several 'original' optical drives with 'non-apple' upgrade drives. faster, dual-layer, etc and can be had for under $100 here in the states anyway. using patch-burn so that they show up as apple supported.

have noticed that the newer optical drives seem to 'hold' the disc until you actually pull it from the drive. even with out felt.

fix + upgrade =

I've also noticed that newer slot-loading drives make you push the disc in a lot farther before it grabs it. It's a much appreciated fix as my iMac G3 slot-loading drive is dead from such an issue.

 

[iAqua]

A few days old, I know (found it via Google), but my rev. A iMac G5 does the same. It just started a few days ago.

And I thought I was the only one.

It's not under warranty and I don't want to bother with something like this, especially if it would cost me about $350.

 

[shuurajou]

Yeah, there's quite a few people with this problem. It wouldn't be so bad if the replacement drives fixed the issue, but they dont, and they cost a rediculous amount.

Friend of mine has a new macbook, the drive sounds horrifically bad - but they're all the same. I think this is an issue apple should address in their products. I wish they would use drives that don't sound like a trash compactor when you use them.

I used to feel confident that mac hardware meant top quality components. No so anymore.