On this Mini Stack Hi-Fi system from the 2000’s everything works except that the CD won’t spin up. We have completely dismantled the unit (absolutely dozens of screws) and examined the CD section. There is no obvious physical damage and all three motors have been tested and found working. We have changed the drive belt on the tray mechanism which was slightly stretched but as we cannot operate the CD tray whilst the unit is dismantled, I should be grateful if anyone with experience of this problem on this particular SONY stack system can let me know of any cause for it before I re-assemble the unit.
I don’t know anything about that particular model but I can make some guesses…
When you say “the CD won’t spin up”, do you mean the CD doesn’t rotate, or the motor doesn’t rotate?
Can you hear the drive motor spin up? If so, then it could be that the mechanism that either raises the spindle or lowers the CD is kaput.
If the drive motor is working but it’s not spinning up in situ, that would suggest that power isn’t getting to the drive motor, so trace the wiring back until you find where the power to the drive motor is switched (may be a switch, relay or similar) and start from there.
Good luck! 
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Perhaps there’s a sensor that the drawer for the CD has been closed, which isn’t working?
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Worth watching @SpareTimeRepair on YouTube. He does a great job of fixing many different cd players and explaining how in the process. Not sure what’s wrong with yours but watching his videos, ,he covers some basics each time. Belts, laser light, laser focusing, motors, etc.
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Thanks for the link. I’ll certainly give it a go.
Difficult to check with the item in pieces and without a service manual and circuit but I’ll look out for sensors and see if I can test them.
Thanks for the thought any way.
Our wiki has a chapter on CD/DVD players https://wiki.restarters.net/CD_and_DVD_players
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Looks like a good series of videos.
To save me thumbing through a load, does he have useful to anything to add to the Wiki page on CD/DVD players, in particular on the No Disk problem. My theory is that it’s generally due to a worn out laser and isn’t normally fixable. Lasers work at a high power density which causes them to age. Some sources suggest turning up the laser power with a pot on the transport but without serious test equipment probably used on th production line it’s totally hit-and-miss, and furthermore the increased power is likely only to accellerate the laser’s deterioration.
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I’ve seen him replace capacitors on the laser head unit on one video. There’s a lot on the mechanical side and old grease, broken parts, damage, things out of tolerance. Some are belt driven, others motor driven cd trays. Then obv. If the main board isn’t proving the power or correct voltages. Etc.
Most repairs I’ve watched seem to have been fixed without adjusting pots.
He also covers cleaning the lens slightly differently to the wiki. And often it’s the actual buttons that are worn. He covers taking them apart too, but you can only do that once as the plastic stalks are too short.
Perhaps the wiki can have a section for video channels to watch and other links.
Stuff like.
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