Audio Systems: My stereo skips., long periods of time, panasonic stereo

Question
Okay, so I have a Panasonic Stereo system.  It's got speakers and everything.  It's pretty nice, but not REALLY nice ya know.  Anywayz, it has a problem with skipping when I play CDs.  Do you know what I could do to fix this?  I don't really want to have to take it to a retailer or dealer or anything.  I've heard that all I have to do is take it apart and clean the lense with like a    q-tip or something.  Also, I would like to know the possible causes of the stereo skipping.  Like leaving or it for long periods of time or something like that.  Thank you very much.
Russ

Answer
Dear Russ,

CD players skip for all sorts of reasons: they're placed on surfaces prone to vibrations; the lens is dirty; the belt that connects the motor to the disc platter is worn out; the laser is out of adjustment--these are the most common. Sadly, "one-box" systems like your Panasonic are more prone to early failure than stand-alone CD players.

I suggest that you DO NOT open up the mechanism and try and clean it with anything. Lasers are powerful beams and can cause serious injury.

However, I DO suggest that you buy a lens cleaning kit. You can get them at hi-fi stores and places like Best Buy and Circuit City. Use it per instructions and see if the skipping stops. Also, make sure your unit is solidly placed on a vibration-free surface. Table tops and cabinets are better than shelves.

If none of this works, then it's shop time. Don't go to a retailer or dealer. Go to a qualified, independent hi-fi repair facility. If that comes to pass, you may want to consider replacing the "one-box" system with some that will sound REALLY nice, because a repair will likely be almost as expensive as the unit's value. If you get to that point, give me a holler, and I'll find some REALLY nice sounding stuff in your price range.

Good luck. And thanks for choosing allexperts.com!

Kindest regards,

Kevin