A buddy of mine has an older Sony SLV-D300P DVD/VCR combo unit. For the most part it is working fine. However, it takes some time for the DVD tray to open (4-5 minutes). The player has to be turned on for some time before it opens. It’s like the machine has to be warmed up for the unit to engage. I’d like to see if we could resolve if possible. Any suggestions would greatly appreciated.

You won't like this advice but I'd just buy another DVD player. They're cheap and it's less stressful than trying to fix the problem, which may or may not actually fix it.

And combo units suck.

Yup, have to agree. My buddy just likes to attempt to "fix" things - basically out of a challenge not a necessity. It's his 88 year old uncle's unit. I will pass on your (and my) recommendation.

Thanks Tom,
Steve K.

Once he buys a separate DVD player, he can open up the old one and tinker to his heart's content. Could be interesting for your buddy.

A little electronics grease needs to be applied to the transport's slide rail. That is sometimes required for older players which haven't been cleaned in years. The warming up period required is really humidity building up inside the player, which probably adds a little moisture to the tray mechanism.