Commodore 1541-II - Simple Maintenance Tips

SIMPLE MAINTENANCE TIPS
Your 1541 should serve you well for years to come, but there are a few things you
can do to avoid costly maintenance.
1. Keep the drive well-ventilated. Like a refrigerator, it needs a few inches of air
circulation on all sides to work properly.
2. Use only good quality diskettes. Badly-made diskettes could cause increased wear on
the drive's read/write head. If a particular diskette is unusually noisy in use, it is probably
causing added wear, and should be replaced.
3. Avoid using programs that "thump" the drive as they load. Many commercial
programs, and diskettes that are failing, cause the disk drive to make a bumping or
chattering noise as it attempts to read a bad sector. If the diskette can be copied to a fresh
diskette, do so immediately. If it is protected by its maker against copying, the thumping
is intentional and will have to be endured. Be aware, however, that excessive thumping,
especially when the drive is hot, caused some older 1541's to go out of alignment and led
to costly repairs. Current 1541's have been redesigned to prevent the problem.
Note: the "Memory-Write" example in Chapter 8 temporarily turns off the bumps.
4. It would be a good idea to have your 1541 checked over about once a year in normal
use. Several items are likely to need attention: the felt load pad on the read/write head may
be dirty enough to need replacement, the head itself may need a bit of cleaning (with 91%
isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab), the rails along which the head moves may need
lubrication (with a special Molybdenum lubricant, NOT oil), and the write protect sensor
may need to be dusted to be sure its optical sensor has a clear view. Since most of these
chores require special materials or parts, it is best to leave the work to an authorized
Commodore service center. If you wish to do the work yourself, ask your dealer to order
the 1541 maintenance guide for you (part number 990445), but be aware that home repair
of the 1541 will void your warranty.
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