BDR-211M — motors dead after firmware update to v1.54 (possible OEM variant, need recovery help)

[alexisashot]

Subject: BDR-211M — tray and spindle motors non-responsive after firmware update to v1.54

Hello,

I recently purchased a Pioneer BDR-211M (internal SATA, connected externally via an OWC Mercury Pro 5.25" USB 3.0 enclosure with a dedicated Mean Well 12V 3A power supply).

The drive was at firmware version 1.52 when I first connected it. Windows 10 Device Manager recognised it as "PIONEER BD-RW BDR-211M USB Device" and the Pioneer BD Drive Utility (v1.2.0.3 for BDR-209/211) detected it correctly, showing BDR-211M 1.52.

I updated the firmware using BDR-211UBK_EBK_FW154EU.exe from Pioneer's official download page. The updater reported success. The Drive Utility now shows BDR-211M 1.54, dated 28/01/23.

Since the update, the drive's motors do not actuate at all:

— The tray eject button does not respond
— Software eject commands (ImgBurn, Windows) are acknowledged at the firmware level — ImgBurn instantly reports tray state changes between "open" and "closed" — but no physical movement occurs and no motor sound is heard
— The pinhole manual release works fine; the tray slides freely with normal resistance, confirming the mechanism is not jammed
— With a disc manually inserted and the tray pushed closed, the spindle motor does not spin up
— The front LED has been solid green continuously since the firmware update and never turns off
— Device Manager, the Drive Utility, and ImgBurn all detect and communicate with the drive normally
— D: drive does not appear in File Explorer (no disc is mounted because the spindle never spins)

In summary: all electronic communication works perfectly, but neither motor (tray or spindle) actuates. The problem appeared immediately after the firmware update.

Important context:
— I did not test the tray or disc reading BEFORE performing the firmware update (the drive had just arrived and I went straight to updating). So it is possible the drive was already faulty and the timing is coincidental.
— The drive was purchased as "almost brand new" from a Shenzhen-based eBay seller.
— The BDR-211M is not listed on Pioneer's firmware download page — only BDR-211UBK and BDR-211EBK are listed as targets for the firmware file I used. However, Firmware HQ lists the same BDR-211EBK_UBK firmware files under the BDR-211M, and my drive was already running v1.52 from that same series.
— Pioneer Japan support replied that they only cover Japanese domestic models. The "M" suffix doesn't match any standard regional variant (UBK, EBK, JBK). It may be an OEM drive.

My questions:
1. Has anyone seen this specific failure mode on a BDR-211M?
2. Is the BDR-211M a known OEM variant? If so, from which manufacturer?
3. Is there any way to recover motor control — a different firmware, a recovery tool, a cross-flash?
4. Could this be a power issue with the OWC enclosure's USB-to-SATA bridge rather than a firmware problem? I have not been able to test the drive on a direct SATA connection.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. This drive was intended for professional M-DISC archival work.

Drive info from Pioneer BD Drive Utility:
Model: BDR-211M
Firmware: 1.54
Date: 28/01/23

Thank you.