VCR Mod 16-620 VCR Tape drive catches during play/rewind

Press "play" and then "stop". This will not hurt the player unless its tape transport systems are broken.

Someone will have to open the unit to see what is happening---either tape is not loading all the way or when FF or Rewind hit not moving the reels----could be as simple as a belt or a bad drive idler (most use either a rubber wheel or gears to move the tape in Play, FF, and Rewind.

Mine did that, and when I opened it I found that a small drive belt (visible from the bottom with the cover removed) had deteriorated into goo. This unit had been in storage a while and the rubber just deteriorated, I guess. The trouble is that now I cant tell what size it is, or what length. I think this belt drives the mechanism that loads the tape in and out, and the rest of the mechanism is triggered by the tape cassette moving into position. Since it cant get loaded properly, the rest of the machine doesnt work right, either.

There are only 2 motors on the VCR sections.1 motor for the rewind backward and speed foward.1 motor for take in the VHS tape and eject the tape.The play button also used the same rewind backward and speed forward motor to push the film foward to the VCR play head head drums to play the tape.

Rewinding while playing (usually it's called "review") is different from regular fast rewind. The machine drives the tape differently. This is usually done with a gear, but older machines used rubber belts or drive wheels. As the rubber wears out they slip against the parts they are supposed to drive and the tape doesn't move. If I remember correctly most Emersons had one rubber wheel called an idler that caused this trouble.

If you'd like to try repairing the machine yourself, try a Google search for your particular model and "won't rewind". There are a number of parts sites and forums that may have detailed information about what needs to be replaced and where on your model.

If you don't feel up to doing this yourself, you might want to consider replacing the machine rather than paying for repair. At today's labor rates - assuming you can find a shop that even still takes VCRs for repair - a new combo VCR/DVD machine might be only a few dollars more than the cost of repairing your current VCR.

More likley it's not the little white thingy but the belt that drives it. Take the bottom off and get that broken belt out and runn down to the VCR / Tv repair shop and see if they have a new belt

Though not familiar with this model, VCRs of all sorts have an idler mechanism which drives the supply and takeup spindles. Either the idler is somehow defective and slipping, and, assuming this idler is belt driven, the belt may be slipping just enough to cause a no Rew/FFW condition. If you had access to a test tape jig (a clear dummy tape, which allows a tech to view what is happening in the area normally obscured by the loaded tape), this might give a clue as to what is happening. On alot of machines, a problem with Rew/FFW would also mean a tape takeup problem in standard play, result in tape spilling out inside the machine. Sensors would catch this condition and go into a error mode, as yours is doing. One other thing which might be happening here, is the pinch roller not being disengaged from the capstan in the Rew/FFW modes. I think this is where I'd look first, and you can probably see if such is happening just by pulling the cover off the VCR. The pinch roller is just to the right of the rotating video head. In the play and forward/rev search modes it will press the tape up against the capstan (a rotating shaft). When in Rew/FFW, the pinch roller should be pulled back from the capstan, maybe 1/4 inch or so. Whatever the case, repair will likely take someone tech savvy. Costs might not be economically justified, with the low-cost, disposable rigs sold in the last 10+ years.

When a VCR eats a tape, it can be cause by a couple things.

1. There is a rubber wheel called a "pincher wheel" that compresses the tape against the "capstan". The capstan is a shiny metal spindle connected to a motor. The pincher wheel can become worn and/or dirty (slick) from the oxide coating off of the tape. You can try cleaning the pincher wheel and capstan with alcohol or try using a re-grip solution on the pincher wheel. Last thing to do is replace the pincher wheel. Look to see that the pincher wheel is doing its job by pulling the tape through. The pincher wheel & capstan are not used during a fast forward or fast rewind, so if your tape is getting caught during the FF or RW and not Play, it's probably not related to capstan & pincher wheel.

2. There is a small tire wheel called an idler tire. This tire pivots between the sending and pickup reels of the player. Its also used during fast forward & rewind as well as play. If the tire is worn, the tape won't be wound up as fast on the take-up reel as the sending reel during play. This means more tape is coming out of the cassette than can be wound up on the takeup reel. You can try using a re-grip solution on the idler tire or replace it.
3. You didn't say if the unit played ok. There's also a brake pad that is designed to grab and stop the tape wheels from spinning when you hit stop. If those pads are worn, the wheels will not stop fast enough and the tape will continue to feed (spool) out of the cassette and not be taken up by the other wheel.

So when when you hit eject, the excess tape that should have been wound up tight in the cassette before the eject sequence, is getting caught inside the player.

Let me know if I can be of further assistance to you.

Good luck!
- Jim

Does the machine play tapes well? Clear steady picture and all? No tracking bars? wavering sound? Tape chewing is generally a problem with a bad Capstan Pinch Roller, Associated symptoms are as above. Please do recheck or confirm if any of the above problems are also present.

Most everyone I know had problems with the tv/vcr combo including myself. I'll never buy one again. I'm sorry you are having the same problem.