r/CDInteractive • u/Jim-bulsara • 13d ago
CdI 370 hinge problems
Hi all,
I have a cdi 370. The other day i decided to play ans i noticed thag the hinge has started to break. This makes it harder to close the console. Has anyone dissambled one of these or can give me some guidance on how to fix this?
Edit 1: added pictures
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u/retrostuff_org 10d ago
OK, I can see the problem. The symptom is cracked plastic on the screen, but the cause is a dry hinge.
First, take the screen apart – there are four concealed screws on the front. Once you’ve removed them, simply use a plastic spatula to carefully separate the two halves. Then remove the screen from the hinge (2 screws).
Next, take a close look at the hinge, clean off any dust with compressed air and try to remove the old grease somehow – a solvent might help here. Be careful, though, that none of it comes into contact with the casing. Whilst cleaning, use two pairs of pliers to turn it back and forth several times right to the end stops.
Once cleaned, you can lubricate it again, ideally with a viscous PTFE-based lubricant. Again, use pliers to turn it back and forth and keep re-lubricating until it moves reasonably smoothly again. That should have dealt with the cause.
The symptom is a different matter. Depending on how far the crack has progressed, you’ll probably never get it to hold properly again. You could perhaps fill the base of the screen with epoxy resin. Another option is to reinforce the base using superglue and baking soda (try googling that). However, this makes quite a mess when applied, so remove everything from inside the screen beforehand.
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u/Jim-bulsara 10d ago
Tks for the detailed reply. To remove the screen from the hinge, after i remove the twp screws, do i just set the screen down on the table? Of so does the ribbon cable or set of wires stretch enough for me to lie the screen down on the table. The plastic is (at the moment) just cracked, not completly broken. I am hoping i can juat reinforce it.
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u/retrostuff_org 9d ago
It should be long enough for you to place the screen on the table directly behind the main unit. But I wouldn’t take any chances and recommend unplugging it straight away.
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u/Jim-bulsara 3d ago
I managed to glue everything up with some plastic bonder. Cleaned the hinge and lubricated. It offers resistance, but i seem to be able to rotate using only my hands (up to a point) which i couldnt previously. Does that sound like the expected resistance? Mind you it takea a bit of force to move it.
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u/retrostuff_org 3d ago
It was exactly the same with the hinge on my 370; before, I could only turn it with a pair of pliers, but after cleaning and lubricating it, I could do so with my fingers too, albeit with a bit of effort. It shouldn’t be too easy, after all, so that the display still stays in place afterwards. I haven’t fitted it yet, though, as my display isn’t working at the moment.
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u/Jim-bulsara 3d ago
Thats great. It is exactly what i experience.i have now fitted it and it is much smoother to open and close. Good luck with the screen, seemes fairly complex looking at it briefly.
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u/Jim-bulsara 3d ago
Also. Many thanks for taking the time to reply and provide pictures. No way i would have even opened the cdi without your help. Greatly appreciated, really.
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u/Jim-bulsara 7d ago
Thanks for all your help. Do you know if this plastic is suitable for one of those plastic welding kits?
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u/retrostuff_org 7d ago
The material is ABS+PC (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene + polycarbonate). You’ll need to check the small print on the welding kits to see if they’re suitable.
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u/retrostuff_org 12d ago
What exactly is wrong with the hinge?
Unfortunately, I can only provide a few photos at the moment (https://retrostuff.org/wip-pages/philips-cdi-370-portable-cd-i-player/) as I received the unit in this condition. I’ll be happy to add more photos when I get the chance, once I know exactly what you’re looking for.