modchip possibly going bad?

[joehank]

recently, i've been having trouble booting my ps2(v7) with my backups. it all started when i tried to play a backup dvd(-r) that i had just made. it took like 7 or 8 times before i could get it to play. then i remembered the sticky with the booting procedures for the modchips and realized i didn't hold the reset in long enough(or something). to make a long story short, when i tried to play a game after watching the movie, it didn't work. now it works but i still have to reset ps2 a few times before it reads. is this a sign of the modchip( i have a magic3 thats almost a year old and no problems to date) that might be going bad, or a dirty laser, or maybe even a laser going bad? i am going to try to clean the lens(?) first, can i use the same lens cleaning cd that i use for my car cd player? i'd rather not take it apart and use qtip if i can avoid it.