Commodore 1581 - Tips for Maintenance and Care

TIPS FOR MAINTENANCE AND CARE
1. Keep the drive well ventilated.
A couple of inches of space to allow air circulation on all sides will
prevent heat from building up inside the drive.
2. The 1581 should be cleaned once a year in normal use.
Several items are likely to need attention: the two read/write heads
may need cleaning (with 91% isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab).
Tjfcte rails along which the head moves may need lubrication (with a
special molybdenum lubricant, not oil), and the write protect sen
sor may need to be dusted. Since these chores require special
materials or parts, it is best to leave the work to an authorized
Commodore service center. If you want to do the work yourself,
ask your dealer for the appropriate materials. IMPORTANT: Home
repair of the 1581 will void your warranty.
3. Use good quality diskettes.
Badly-made diskettes can cause increased wear on the drive's read/
write head. If you're using a diskette that is unusually noisy, it could
be causing added wear and should be replaced.
4. Keep diskettes (and disk drive) away from magnets.
That includes the electromagnets in telephones, televisions, desk
lamps, and calculator cords. Keep smoke, moisture, dust, and food
off the diskettes.
5. Remove a diskette before turning the drive off.
If you don't, you might lose part or all the data on the diskette.
6. Don't remove a diskette from the drive while the green light is
glowing and the drive motor is turning.
If you remove the diskette then, you might lose the information
currently being written to the diskette.