Mark Levinson 39 Drawer problem

Hi, just maybe try one more thing first before giving up. 
Open the ML39, take an earbud, dip it in terpentine (terps) and clean the sticky old lub off the two transport rails/rods.
In fact do NOT re-lub, else if the unit is swiched off i.e. getting cold, it will cause issues yet again after some time. 
As the ML uses a class A output stage it runs quite warm(ish) after being in stand-by drying out the lub after a certain period. 
If switched off completely (at the rear) for some time, say over night, the lub gets too sticky, and after some time is now sticky enough to prevent proper function. 
After cleaning, reassemble, go through the calibration procedure and see what gives. 
If it still fails its more serious as alluded to earlier on. 
Maybe you're lucky like myself having had the same problems with my ML390S. 😉

😢 so sorry to learn, eish.
I specifically made the lenghty effort to register (quite a pain...) to share my own experience with this issue. 
In fact I have to do a 'rod cleaning' yet again some time soon. Having switched off the unit over last night it once again refused to open, and only worked once sufficiently warmed up. I'm using my ML390S mostly with my ML36 Dac as I generally prefer sound of this ladder dac. 
Truly such a PITTY! 
Michélle 

Let's hold thumbs that it works, and keep us updated 😌 
Michélle 

Noooo, only if you really must! And then what? Streaming, and junk all of your CD collection? 
How about sustainabilty, 'Nachhaltigkeit'? 
Those are such nice and ever so well build units, definately no cheap-skate trashy throw away consumer junk. 😟 
I know this sounds quite emotional, and it is. Eish! 😢😱😖
M. 

Thank you for sharing agosto 😉
My ML390S started off life (with me) as a ML39 - then top of the pops CDP and cabel radio decoder DAC in Munich in about 1996.
Back in South Africa in ~ 2000 and after a nasty lightning strike wiping out my then satelite decoder and the connected ML39 too. I then had it repaired and fupgraded to a 390S. Did it sound as much better as was e.g. reported by John Atkinson and company? 🤔 Hardly that I could tell... 🙄
More recently it got a laser replacement also here in SA by the former ML service technician and got another lease of life. 
By some flight of fancy I acquired a ML36 Dac for almost peanuts... because I liked the idea to listen to an R-2R Dac once again like the original ML39 using the 390S as a transport. In many cases I now like this setup to the upgraded 390S, if just marginally.
This may be so of course, as the Burmesters 961s, having highly resolving JET Air Motion Transformer tweeters are not too kind to lesser CD material, more ruthlessly resolved by the 390S' high up-/over-sampling rate. 
All this may put some perspective to my soft spot for these ML products, including the 326S pre-amp also used as a phono-pre and all nicely talking to each other via the ML communication links. 👌
Hm, what a novel to explain 🙈
M. 

Hi again, maybe let us know what your replacement will turn out to be, will you?
Having had a look about for some such, before my laser replacement, I had more than a hard time to find ANYTHING comparable, never mind at serious price multiples of say e.g. some Esoteric units (also ML31.5 top loader reference transport...) which by no means could convince me of their sq superority, and this in a much more 'magnificent' setting of sound optimised demo room, B&W 802 D3, et al. 🥴
So, it be interesting to learn your findings for my personal edification. 😉
Thank you, Michélle 

👍 ML 31.5, eh, such a lucky person!
And thanks again for your positive feedbacks. 
Michélle 

Heia, good one!
"Was lange währt, wird endlich gut!"
Thanks for your feedback Jim.
Impressed by your skilled handy work, I may say? 😉
@george... There is a difference in the volume control of the WADIA (had one in my system also a short while) and the Levinson, if you don't mind me mentioning. 
The Levinson does NOT use bit-stripping to reduce volume but rather uses the analogue way implementation as used in their preamps, multi resistor controled step by 0.1 db step. By far more expensive/elaborate solution to prevent bit-stripping. 
I'm sure J. Atkinson has mentioned that in your quoted Stereophile article...?!? 
However, and despite this, going through their preamps, it somehow still sounds better as he'd also mentioned... he actually belaboured just this point at some length, as I recall. 
I personally can confirm this listening experience, also having had the ML39/390S used as pre-amp only - and only quite some time later added ML preamps... when adding analogue / vinyl playback. 
But as always... YMMV 😊

Happy learn of your success, dear. 👍😊
Michélle 

👍👌
Michélle 🇿🇦 

And a Merry Xmas to all - with many more to follow! 🎅🎄
M. 🇿🇦