Hi Gavin,
I tried all and decided I need to send this in to shop.
The repair is quoted at over $400 dollars! (Canada) plus tax. And I know they are charging me very little labor. Great service.
Here is the explanation from service tech:
T_he problem with the unit is E-8709: COMMUNICATION ERROR. The top panel and the main section are not able to “talk” together and this comes from a hardware failure on the main module. The problem lies within one of these two FBGA chips. Unfortunately these chips cannot be removed and replaced and the only available solution is to replace the main module. We usually try to repair at the component level but in this case it is just not possible. I tried everything else, I also swapped the module with another unit so I’m 100% sure this will work._
I also know that the Japanese technology is quite expensive, and replacement parts too, but this is beyond our control. The price of the parts is set by Pioneer HQ and we are only charging labor.
It’s hard to provide an explanation why it failed. It could be a severe power spike or just bad luck, hard to tell… These modules are usually very reliable and this is only the second or third time I’ve seen a similar problem with this model.
This unit that failed is one of my two back up players at home! (the ones I use every week have no problem). I have used it maybe a handful of times, and it sits on a shelf. It is plugged into a Panamax MAX PRO power bar and surge protector. I really don't feel it is fair that I am responsible to pay for this, ( since my "warranty is up" ). This is clearly a hardware failure that should be not be happening on such an expensive piece of equipment, that is new! Please let me know if you can help here. Thanks,