Is the pulley those two white wheels connected by a black belt? They seem to move the side switcher thing up and down like a see-saw

For taking the tray out, If I were to just rip it out, what should I expect to be broken?

That's the right pulley! They do move the slider up and down and move the laser assembly up and down as well, but also move the disc tray in and out.

I think Kurtis answered previously what you might expect to have broken, but again you will not be worse off if you try to move the tray out while rotating the gears to see if you can free it up enough to get it out. You don't lose anything by trying and you can still force out the tray as a last resort.

I couldn't get that gear to also move the tray, so I figured it was just plain jammed and went ahead with ripping it out, which sort of worked.
With my hands, I can open the tray fully and almost all the way closed(it stops about an inch too early), but the tray still doesn't respond to front panel commands.

You have to completely remove the tray from the machine and let the machine take itself to open mode by pressing open or manually turning the gears to open position with the tray removed. Then reinstall the tray.

So, if I manually move the laser so that it must readjust itself upon power on, all the gears will work fine, but if I let it turn off properly then power it back on, the gears won't move.

I've put the tray back in (though it could be incorrectly, but I'm assuming there's only one way it can be put in), but when the player does work, it only opens the CD tray, I don't have DIRECT CD pressed either.

Also, there's a cut on the orange wire thing that connects the laser to the side changer, don't know if that could/would also cause problems...

If only the CD tray opens then either the white piece on the tray bottom is broke in the CD mode, it should have two white pins coming down from it. Or on the mechanical assembly on the right around the area of the spindle motor is a black piece that moved toward the spindle motor or away. If that does not move toward the center during the load process it has the player in CD mode.

For now try to play a CD as that is where the cut in the cable will come in play, it has nothing to do with CD/LD tray modes.

Now for the bad part, if the orange cable is cut then that is not sold separately. You need an entire pickup replacement and complete alignment.

Here are pictures of what I think I'm supposed to be looking for



Also, whenever I try to put the tray in, I can't get it so that it smoothly comes in and out, it's always rough and with lots of resistance.

I'd play a CD, but I took the tray out to take the picture, then put it back in, and I can't get the bottom part with the clamp and laser to come back up now.

And I'm assuming a laser replacement and alignment is something I'd have to send the player away for, right?

The tray must be put in exactly parallel with the guides and slots, and perfectly even on the two guide roller gears. If it's off just a little on one side or the other, the tray will be at an almost unnoticable angle and you will get resistance trying to push it in.

I always put a tray in by looking from the bottom up to the underside of the tray and getting the guide gear teeth to match exactly with the guide gear rollers, and then it slips in rather easily.

This is of course when everything is in correct alignment and no broken parts are causing problems. You should read back through Kurtis' comments about what pieces to look for to allow proper operation of the full load tray. It's also a good idea every time you take the tray out to run through the procedure once again that he outlined to get the gears set correctly before putting the tray back in again, then replace it carefully and evenly.

While the tray is out, it's not a bad idea to clean the little load belt and the two pulleys for better traction.

One of the white pins broke on the bottom of the tray. Probably fell into the player.

I see the black piece I was talking about. As long as it moves toward the spindle motor as the tray loads and the mechanism comes up it is fine. The usual issue is the broke pin or pins on the lower side of the tray.

First check and find the broken white piece, then put everything back together and leave the tray out. Put a CD on the spindle motor and then at the front on top of the large black wheel you'll see a black piece you can slide. Slide it to the left and it will load the CD without the tray. See if it plays.

If you need an alignment I can do that for you but remember that if the pickup is bad here is the Pioneer link to buy a new replacement, will run you around $280 and you still need to spend another $100 for installation and alignment.

http://parts.pioneerelectronics.com/part.asp?productNum=VWT1100

Other option is a good used pickup.

In reality you'll spend more fixing this if the pickup cable is bad than what you can buy a working 703 or 704. So if you cannot get it to play due to the pickup I or others can sell you working players.

So I couldn't find another white piece of plastic (but I did find three small pieces of black plastic), would cutting the one piece I do have off and attaching it to the other spot disable the CD tray only function? Also, I can only get that black piece to wiggle around.

I also was able to get the tray to go in smoothly, but it never closes all the way (see picture) and the clamp doesn't rise anymore.


I got the player on the 28th of last month and he has a seven day return policy, so I think I can still return it as long as I bring it up with him by the end of tomorrow (Sunday, 12/4/11). I paid 89.99 for it (not including the shipping). I'm assuming I couldn't get any more by selling it for spare parts?

Return the player. The centering is not correct. Looks like the tray is not inserted squarely yet. If you list a 703 as not loading properly and a cut in the orange cable to the pickup I do not know who would buy it.