Tape will not play, wheels are turning

Hi,

it sounds like you need to use the rewind option first to rewind the tape. If the tape isn't rewound, then you're unable to play it. And this might cause the eject issue that you're experiencing as well.

Thank you.

There is a round jockey wheel that turns the tape wheel, take of top cover off by finding screws, either buy a new jockey wheel, or boil the wheel in water for 10 minutes to make rubber soft.

There are several things in a tape deck that move when it is playing or recording. There are wheels on the spindles that take up the tape and those wheels are run by rubber belts. The belts get old, break or stretch. The other thing is the capstan. The capstan is a pinch roller that presses against a metal post. That post is the drive motor for the tape. The capstan roller can be worn or cracked, the motor might also not be working,

Sounds like the pinch wheel is not contacting the capstan correctly. It could become less pliable or mechanically not applying enough force to the capstan.

Take out the tape and press play, do the wheels move? if not the motor has burnt out, the tapes may have been sticky. Hold a tape and wind the wheels with your finger, are they difficult to move?

If you are playing the tape in the camcorder, are you sure the volume control didn't get accidentally turned down or off? The control is the thumb wheel on the back of the camera below the viewfinder. See page 22 of your manual. If you are playing the tape in another VCR there is some other problem.

FIRST TRY FAST FORWARD AND THEN REWIND. Allow it to ff and rew right to the end of the tape. on the tape. do this a couple of times. this may cure it as it sounds like the tapes are getting an imbalanced tension. If you still haver the problem, dip a cotton bud in alcohol and clean (carefully) the pinch wheel (the rubber bit that drives the tape through) and the capstan (the metal bit the rubber wheel presses against).

does ur vcr have a idler wheel or gears (between both spindles?) if its an idler wheel, with rubber band it commonly can go bad. their a pain. unfortunately there may not be a replacemant part. if nopt, inspect the belt for cracks or glazing. it needs friction to spin the spindle to take up the tape being played. or if ejecting, to wind the tape back in the cassete. take off the cover of vcr and watch. if the right side wheel of tape is not turning while playing, theres ur problem. the tape is instead floating every whichway. another possibility could be a belt on the right spindle. if any bands need replacing, use an ordinary rubber band ,. should work just as good

Sounds like the take-up reel isn't turning. Often the linkage for the take-up reel is used for both Play and Fast Forward. So test the Fast Forward.

I would look for a broken belt or slipping drive wheel. The fact that the tapes are unraveling tells me that the capstan is pulling the tape out of the feed reel.

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. The pincher wheel can become worn and/or dirty 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.

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 than can be wound up. You can try using a re-grip solution on the idler tire or replace it.

Let me know if you need more information as to where to purchase these parts.

Good luck!
- Jim