i heard dvd's actually hurt the earlier units and that there is an upgrade piece you need that was an aftermarket production about a year after ps2 release. i've had the same prob with mine, only thing i've done is taken my shop vac and put it in blower mode, turn power on ps2 open disk door then pull ac plug so door stays open, now use the blower to blow all the dust out the back of the unit, have done this twice this year.