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Supplied Components

The Disc Inspection Guide

Why do scratches appear on my Discs?

How are CD’s made?

Polycarbonate Plastic Disc (first layer)

Reflective Foil Layer (second layer)

Lacquer Layer (third layer)

Graphic Layer (fourth layer)

How Can You Repair Your Discs?

How can I tell if my disc is in need of treatment?

Identify if the disc can be fixed.

Cracks

Dents

Warping

Identify the type of disc

Inspect for specific damage

CD Damage

Determining Which Side Is Scratched

The Reflection Test

DVD Damage

Scratch Damage

Scratch Damage Levels

Light Damage (5 min)

Medium Damage (10 min)

Heavy Damage (15 min)

Machine Description

Setting Up Your Disc Go Pod

Filling the Polish Tank

Preparing the Polishing Wheels

Loading the Disc

Preparing for Disc Repair

Repairing the Disc

Removing the Disc

Cleaning and Maintenance

Troubleshooting Guide

Disclaimer

Warranty

Customer Service

Additional Components

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Disc Inspection GuideBefore using your Disc Go Pod, we always recom

mend that you have a quick look at the CDs or DVDs

you want to have repaired. The following is an expla

nation as to why scratches are found on CDs or DVDs,

and the construction of a Disc.

Why do scratches appear on my Discs?

Although CDs and DVDs are extremely durable and

convenient to use, they can easily be damaged

through use on various players and abuse. You may

be surprised by the amount of scratches found on

your CD or DVD collection; this is generally caused by

no fault of the user. Common culprits are cheap CD or

DVD players, in car CD auto changers, poorly

designed CD cases; the list goes on and on.

Although your CD or DVD may still be playable, the

player is probably having a hard time decoding the

sound, image or data if the play surface of your disc

is covered in scuffs and scratches. This generally leads

to the CD sounding a little dull and lifeless or skipping

and stuttering.

If you remove the scratches from the surface of the

disc, you allow your CD or DVD player to get on with

decoding all the information without having to do

numerous error correction procedures, which allows

the music or video to flow.

It’s a bit like looking at your image through one of

those distorted mirrors at a fun fair, luckily for you, CD

and DVD players are built to compensate for this, but

the downside is that it often causes the detail of an

image or sound to become muddled.

How are CDs made? A Disc is made up of four layers. The first layer is the

thickest and easiest to repair. However, the other three

layers combined (reflective foil, lacquer, and graphic)

are only as thin as a human hair and offer little or no

protection of the data beneath them. You can see

the different layers as shown in Fig 1. Disc Layers.

Polycarbonate Plastic Disc (first layer)

First, data is

stamped on the

topside of a plastic

disc creating mil

lions of “on’s” and

“off’s” or zeros and

ones. On record

able CDs, data

can be burned in

at different levels

within the plastic

disc, for multi ses

sion recording.

Please note that

recordable CDs

have a much thin

ner layer due to

the manufacturers

name printed on

this layer.

Reflective Foil Layer (second layer)

Second, a micro thin layer of aluminium (copper, silver

or gold on higher quality CDs) is applied to the top of

the CD covering the data. This layer reflects the laser

beam back through the plastic disc, allowing the

stamped data to be read.

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Figure 1 – Disc Layers

SUPPLIED COMPONENTS• Disc Go Pod Single Stage Disc Repair Machine (1)

• Operating Instructions (1)

• 1 fl. oz. bottle of disc repair polish (2)

• Set of two polishing pads (2)

TO ORDER SUPPLIES, PLEASE REFER TO THE BACK OF THIS MANUAL, VISIT US AT WWW.DISCGOTECH.COM OR CALL

1-866-237-3724.

Lacquer Layer (third layer)

Third, lacquer is dripped onto the disc and spun at a

high speed to create a thin layer of sealant for the foil

layer. This seals in the foil layer, but offers little or no

protection for the foil or the data beneath.

Graphic Layer (fourth layer)

Finally, a layer of ink is screened onto the lacquer

layer for dynamic graphic and/or sales impact.

(Recordable CDs don’t have this layer.)

How Can You Repair Your Discs?Compact Discs are made of Polycarbonate plastics

(just like plastic lenses in sunglasses) and are manufac

tured through a moulding process that makes the disc

perfectly flat. This perfectly flat surface allows the laser

beam to go straight up and reflect back off the Foil

Layer and retrieve the Digital Information that has

been stamped into the topside. The stamped informa

tion is called Pits and Lands or 0’s & 1’s and this is what

the Laser Beam brings back to the Decoder.

A scratch, finger print or some foreign object that

blocks or breaks up the path of the laser beam (Fig. 2)

will cause the disc to either skip or freeze up depend

ing on which disc format you are using at that time.

Remember the laser beam reads the digital informa

tion from the centre of the disc to the outer edge in a

spiral manner.

With DVD Audio

and Video media,

Sony PlayStation

2™, X Box ™ and

Sega Dreamcast™,

the digital informa

tion that has been

stamped is now

going to the outer

edge of the discs.

This means that if

you don’t repair

your damaged

discs with Disc Go Pod Technology, then there is a

good chance that the other disc repair technologies

will round the edges of your disc during their repair

process. The laser beam will then follow the curve cre

ated by their process and you could lose the last track

on those discs.

How can I tell if my disc is inneed of treatment?If the CD or DVD has started to make funny noises, or

skips and stutters when you listen or watch it, then the

chances are that the CD or DVD has scratches on it.

If you are servicing the rental or retail market, such as

used video games, it may be desirable to repair any

disc with surface damage. This will suggest to the cus

tomer that this disc is in “new” condition, and may

fetch higher resale prices.

Identify if the disc can be fixed.

Cracks Inspect the disc first for any cracks on the

disc. Typically, discs will start to split from the inside ring,

and work towards the outer edge. Give the disc a

very slight bend to see the cracks more clearly.

Occasionally, cracks will start from the outer edge, or

may be located in the centre of the reading area. If

any crack is found, the disc cannot be repaired.

Dents Dents are large indentations on either side of

the disc. Dents will sometimes appear to be deep

scratches; however they have caused irreversible

damage to the disc which cannot be repaired. Dents

are caused by some sort of blunt force to the disc,

such as being stepped on, being bitten by a dog, or

placing heavy sharp objects onto the disc. Dents can

sometimes be seen protruding through the other side

of the disc.

Warping Warping is when the disc, which should be

perfectly flat, has been bent or warped due to heat

damage. This type of damage will typically be seen

around the entire edge of the disc and can be seen

in the reflection of the disc. To inspect for warp dam

age, look at the reflection in the mirror side of the disc.

Reflect a straight edge, such as a fluorescent light

tube in the ceiling and tilt the disc back and forth

while looking at the reflection of the light in the disc. If

the light tube appears to be distorted, the disc may

be warped. Warp damage can occur due to leaving

the disc in sunlight, or cheap repair methods.

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Figure 2 - Scratch Deflection

If the disc is damaged in any way described above,

the disc cannot be repaired.

Identify the type of disc

CD or DVD? There are types of damage that can

occur on one type of disc, which will not occur on the

other. To identify the type of disc, look at the label side

of the disc and locate the identifying mark.

Inspect for specific damage

CD Damage Foil Damage Foil damage occurs

when the label side of the disc has been scratched.

Severe foil damage can be seen by holding the disc

up to a strong light source. If light can be seen through

the scratches in the disc, the disc has been severely

foil damaged. Light foil damage can also prevent the

disc from playing, but it is much harder to locate. One

easy way to see light foil damage is to first inspect the

label side for any type of scratch in the graphics or sil

ver top. If a scratch is located on the top side, view

the bottom side to see if the same scratch appears to

the optical side. If the disc is dark, such as a

Playstation or PS2 CD, assume the disc is damaged.

One other method of viewing foil damage is to look

at the scratches on the optical side of the disc. If you

can see a reflection of the scratch in the mirror of the

disc, the disc can be repaired. If you cannot see a

reflection of the scratch, the scratch is likely to be foil

damage on the top side. See figure 3 for an example

of foil damage.

Determining Which Side Is

Scratched

The Reflection Test

• Hold your CD or DVD disc, with the bottom or play

side up.

• While looking at the scratches on the play side, tilt

the disc slightly, back and forth,

• Now check each scratch for a reflection or double

appearance.

• Scratches on the bottom of the disc will have a

reflection.

DVD Damage Layer Separation A DVD is similar to

a CD, however it is like having two CD’s with the label

sides placed together and glued. This is perfect for

protecting the information from foil damage, as the

important layers are on the inside of the disc, instead

of the top. However, there are sometimes problems

with the two glued discs pulling apart. When these two

discs separate, it will damage the foil on the inside of

the disc. This type of damage is relatively rare, and is

usually caused by excessive heat and/or severe

bending. Inspect the gold or silver side of the disc, if

the consistency of the gold or silver color seems to

change from the inside ring to the outer edge, the

disc may have separation. Give the disc a slight bend,

if the color changes in a concentric pattern, the disc

has layer separation.

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Figure 3 – Foil Damage

Compact Disc (CD)

Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)

Scratch Damage

If the disc passes the above tests, it is probably scratch

damaged. Scratch damage is the largest type of

damage in discs and will typically result in 94% of all

disc failures. Scratch damage can be repaired. Use

one of Disc Go Tech’s quality machines to remove the

damage, and leave the disc looking as good as new!

Scratch Damage LevelsThe level of scratch damage can be difficult to deter

mine. Some discs may have scratches covering the

surface of the disc, but the scratches may not be very

deep. Other discs may look great, except for one

large scratch. Damage levels are determined by the

depth of the scratch, not the number of scratches. The

deeper the scratch, the longer it will take to be

removed. Please refer to the pictures below for some

typical examples of light, medium and heavy scratch

damage.

Light Damage (5 min)

Light damage is characterized by small, hairline type

scratches. It can also contain light scuffs, marks and

debris such as food or glue residue. This type of dam

age cannot be felt when running your finger across

scratches.

Medium Damage (10 min)

Medium damage is typically larger scratches than

those in the light category. Medium scratched can be

felt when running your fingernail across the scratch.

You should be able to feel the scratch, but your nail

should not stop at the scratch. More extensively dam

aged discs with many scratches on the disc will typi

cally have one or two scratches that would fall into

the Medium damage level. These discs will need to be

run through a medium cycle.

Heavy Damage (15 min)

Heavy damage is the deep knife or screwdriver type

of damage. This type of damage can be felt when

you run your fingernail over the scratch and it stops in

the scratch. This type of damage can be very severe.

Occasionally it may be necessary to run a disc

through a heavy cycle twice. If the disc has been run

through twice, and the damage is still present, it is rec

ommended that this disc be deemed “un repairable”.

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Figure 4 – Light Damage

Figure 6 – Heavy Damage

Figure 5 – Medium Damage

Preparation and Materials:

Before you begin the set up procedure, please ensure

you have the following items ready:

• Electrical outlet 110V grounded

• Level work surface

• Towel for clean up and Disc Go Tech Micro Fibre

Cleaning Cloths

• Access to a sink

• Disc Go Tech micro fibre cleaning cloths

Setting Up Your Disc-Go-Pod:

1. Filling the Polish Tank

A. The polish tank is located at the back of the unit.

Pull open the lid on top of the polish tank. Inside

the tank you will see the pump for the unit. Leave

the pump in the polish tank.

B. Remove a bottle of polish from the packaging.

Leaving the bottle closed, shake vigorously until

consistent and no settlement remains at the bot

tom of the bottle. Pour the entire contents into the

polish tank.

C. Fill the empty polish bottle with clean water, shake

again, and pour into the polish tank until the liquid

fully covers the pump. Retain the extra liquid in the

bottle and close the bottle cap.

D. Close the lid of the polish tank.

2. Preparing the Polishing Wheels

A. Pull the release catch down and towards you to

open the lid.

B. Hold onto the lid with one hand, and grasp the

entire polishing wheel with your other hand, pull the

wheel towards you until it “pops” off.

C. Remove the plastic wrapper from the polishing

wheels. Discard the wrapper. NOTE: The polishing

wheels are pre impregnated with polish. This makes

them look like they have already been used this

is normal.

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1. Polishing wheel2. Polish Feed3. Disc Cushion4. Disc Clamping Knob5. Start/Stop/Timer Button6. Release Catch For Lid7. Holographic Logo8. Power Indicator Light

9. Polish Tank10. Polish Pump11. Lid12. Polishing Wheel Knob13. Flow Valve14. Polishing Well15. Polishing Tube

Machine Description

D. Push the polishing wheel back into the polishing

wheel knob

3. Loading the Disc

A. Remove the white disc clamping knob located at

the center of the disc cushion by turning it counter

clockwise while holding the black disc cushion

steady.

B. Place the disc onto the black disc cushion. Ensure

that the shiny side faces up and the graphic side

faces the cushion. Press the disc onto the cushion

until it snaps firmly into place.

C. Screw the white disc clamping knob clockwise until

tight while holding the disc steady.

4. Preparing for Disc Repair

A. At the back of the unit, ensure that the polish tube

is in the center of the flow valve. Turn the screw on

the flow valve until thepolishing tube is pinched

slightly.

B. If not already closed, close the lid until it snaps into

place.

C. Loosen the two white polishing wheel knobs on the

lid by turning them counter clockwise until the pol

ishing pads inside the unit no longer press onto the

disc.

5. Repairing the Disc

A. Agitate the chemical in the tank with a small stick

through the hole in the tank lid.

B. Plug the unit into an electrical outlet and press the

start/stop button. The red power indicator will flash,

showing you that the unit is in operation.

C. Look through the viewing window and ensure that

the polish is covering the disc.

D. Adjust the pressure of the polishing wheels by turn

ing the wheel knobs clockwise until the green cen

ter pin of the polishing wheels begin to spin. Slowly

continue to adjust the pressure until the pin begins

to slow down, back off pressure slightly until the pin

resumes full speed of rotation. Note: When in oper

ation it is normal for the unit to quietly vibrate. If a

louder vibration occurs, ensure the polishing wheel

knobs on top of the unit are adjusted as described

in this step.

E. Allow the unit to complete the cleaning process.

The unit will turn off automatically after five minutes.

The red power indicator will stop flashing when the

operation is complete.

6. Removing the Disc

A. Release the lid by pulling the release catch down

and towards you.

B. Check to confirm that the disc damage has been

repaired. If any disc damage remains, close the lid

and repeat the cycle by pressing the start/stop but

ton. Refer to the Disc Go Tech Disc Repair Guide

included in your shipment for information on dam

age levels and treatment.

C. Unscrew and remove the white disc clamping knob

by turning it counter clockwise while holding the

disc steady.

D. Remove the disc and place on a Disc Go Tech

Micro Fiber Cloth and pat gently (do not rub) to

remove repairing solution.

E. Spray both sides of disc with 1 2 mists of Disc Go

Tech Disc Cleaning Final Spray and gently wipe it

with a Disc Go Tech Micro Fiber Finishing Cloth until

disc is dry and shiny. This completes the disc repair

operation. To repair additional discs, simply repeat

steps 3 6.

Note: Top up polish tank with water every 4 5 repairs.

7. Cleaning and Maintenance

Like any tool or piece of machinery it is a good idea

to keep your Disc Go Pod clean. This ensures good

quality repairs and helps to ensure the motor does not

seize because of build up of polish inside the machine.

At the end of repairing your set of discs for the day we

recommend cleaning the machine using the following

steps:

A. If you have not already done so, unplug the unit.

Open the lid on the polish tank at the back of the

unit and dispose or reserve the disc repair solution

for later use.

B. Fill the polish tank with water, ensuring the pump is

covered with water and close the lid.

C. Plug in the unit and press the start/stop button to

run and rinse the machine for 60 90 seconds and

then press the start/stop button to stop the

machine. Unplug the unit.

D. At the back of the unit, open the polish tank, dis

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card the water and close the lid.

E. Open the lid on the top of the repair unit. Pulling on

the center spindle, remove the rotation table

together with the black repair cushion from the

center of the repair unit.

F. Wipe the inside of the unit clean with a damp cloth.

G. Clean the rotation table and disc cushion with a

damp cloth. The disc cushion will retain a whitish

color from the disc solution; this is normal and will

not affect the operation of the unit.

H. Reinstall the rotation table and cushion. Replace

the white disc clamping knob by turning it clock

wise. Close the lid.

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Troubleshooting Guide

Problem

Polish Leaks

The polish feed does not work

Repairs are slow

Quality of repairs is lower than normal

There are circles on the repaired disc

Motor squeaks or stops turning

Solution

• Use the flow valve (13) to reduce the flow of the polish.

• Lift the Disc cushion (3) off the motor shaft and clean any dried

polish inside the polish well (14).

• Ensure there is at least 1 cm (1/2”) of polish covering the pump.

• Reduce the pressure of the flow valve (13).

• Gently shake the polish pump.

• Clean and rinse out the polish pump, tank and tube to clear any

blockage.

• Agitate the polish so it mixes (the polish may settle over time)

• Add more polish to the polish tank.

• Replace the polish.

• Try increasing the pressure of the polishing heads.

• Reduce the pressure on the polishing wheel.

• Give the polishing wheel a quick clean with water and a tooth

brush.

• Replace the polish and polishing wheels.

• Wipe down the polish tank, pump, tube and inside of machine

with a damp cloth.

• Make sure the polishing wheels are spinning and adjust the pres

sure if needed.

• Change the bearing in the polishing wheel knob.

• Remove the Disc cushion and add a drop of 3 in 1 oil to the top

of the motor shaft (should be done once a month).