? reason for Pioneer KEH-P4200 intermittant tape no-play ?

[[email protected]]

The ~ 1995 Pioneer KEH-P4200 radio/cassette player in my 1987 Jeep
Cherokee intermittanly does not play a cassette tape when the tape is
first inserted.
That is: I have to insert-eject-insert-eject... the audio tape anywhere
from 3 to a dozen times before the tape motor engages, but note that
each time after the insert is done the "display arrows" show that the
tape is moving (when it is not).
This problem started in the near 100-degree heat of this past Summer
2006, when all of a sudden the first symptom was no-play-at-all from
the cassette mechanism.
Being a die-hard, I bought a couple of different tape-cleaning
cassettes and after a few weeks of total-no-play (insert-eject many
dozens + dozens of times), the cassette motor started to work the
cassette-cleaner and the problem eventually reduced to as described
above.
Currently when the audio tape plays, all is well (no other problems
whatsoever) and if I leave the previously- playing audio tape in the
mechanisim, then each time I start the vehicle the audio tape will play
100% of the time.
Any suggestions as to what the problem might be ?
(in general terms, it appears to me to be some type of internal
mechanical on-off switch for the cassette-play mechanism ?)
Note: if the recommendation is to buy a replacement radio/CD player,
then I have my eye on the Sony CDX-GT310 but for 2 concerns:
1) I have very stiff Gabriel shocks in this Jeep (no, the vehicle
suspension is not raised up - it's just very stiff) and I am concerned
about CD playback-skip due to the stiff suspension going over normal
roadway bumps;
2) I have dozens of cassette tapes that I would rather not spend $ on
replacing with used CDs.

[e-nigma]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> The ~ 1995 Pioneer KEH-P4200 radio/cassette player in my 1987 Jeep
> Cherokee intermittanly does not play a cassette tape when the tape is
> first inserted.
> That is: I have to insert-eject-insert-eject... the audio tape anywhere
> from 3 to a dozen times before the tape motor engages, but note that
> each time after the insert is done the "display arrows" show that the
> tape is moving (when it is not).
> This problem started in the near 100-degree heat of this past Summer
> 2006, when all of a sudden the first symptom was no-play-at-all from
> the cassette mechanism.
> Being a die-hard, I bought a couple of different tape-cleaning
> cassettes and after a few weeks of total-no-play (insert-eject many
> dozens + dozens of times), the cassette motor started to work the
> cassette-cleaner and the problem eventually reduced to as described
> above.
> Currently when the audio tape plays, all is well (no other problems
> whatsoever) and if I leave the previously- playing audio tape in the
> mechanisim, then each time I start the vehicle the audio tape will play
> 100% of the time.
> Any suggestions as to what the problem might be ?
> (in general terms, it appears to me to be some type of internal
> mechanical on-off switch for the cassette-play mechanism ?)
> Note: if the recommendation is to buy a replacement radio/CD player,
> then I have my eye on the Sony CDX-GT310 but for 2 concerns:
> 1) I have very stiff Gabriel shocks in this Jeep (no, the vehicle
> suspension is not raised up - it's just very stiff) and I am concerned
> about CD playback-skip due to the stiff suspension going over normal
> roadway bumps;
> 2) I have dozens of cassette tapes that I would rather not spend $ on
> replacing with used CDs.
>

Wow That is a strange problem. My best guess would be that the radio/tape
switch is going bad. The connections inside the switch may be tarnished or
corroding
Where it is not letting power go to the motor.
If it was either the motor is going bad or a solder connection to the motor
is going bad,
I would think you would have different symptoms.
The bad solder connection can be caused by extreme temperature changes
that causes the solder around a connection to crack. But with a bad solder
connection
I would expect the tape player to shut off while you are driving during tape
play.
With a bad motor, I would think the motor would not restart every time when
you got in car when tape was playing when you left.

[[email protected]]

Thank you for the feedback.
Is it possible to shoot some contact-cleaner spray onto/into the
cassette/radio switch thru the front-door of the cassette-player
mechanism ? If so, how do I identify where the switch is (via looking
thru the front-door) ?
Do you have any other suggestions, such as replacing the entire unit,
or taking this unit out and bringing it to a fix-it shop
- that is: is the switch usually replace-able without major cost/effort
?

Thank you.

e-nigma wrote:
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > The ~ 1995 Pioneer KEH-P4200 radio/cassette player in my 1987 Jeep
> > Cherokee intermittanly does not play a cassette tape when the tape is
> > first inserted.
> > That is: I have to insert-eject-insert-eject... the audio tape anywhere
> > from 3 to a dozen times before the tape motor engages, but note that
> > each time after the insert is done the "display arrows" show that the
> > tape is moving (when it is not).
> > This problem started in the near 100-degree heat of this past Summer
> > 2006, when all of a sudden the first symptom was no-play-at-all from
> > the cassette mechanism.
> > Being a die-hard, I bought a couple of different tape-cleaning
> > cassettes and after a few weeks of total-no-play (insert-eject many
> > dozens + dozens of times), the cassette motor started to work the
> > cassette-cleaner and the problem eventually reduced to as described
> > above.
> > Currently when the audio tape plays, all is well (no other problems
> > whatsoever) and if I leave the previously- playing audio tape in the
> > mechanisim, then each time I start the vehicle the audio tape will play
> > 100% of the time.
> > Any suggestions as to what the problem might be ?
> > (in general terms, it appears to me to be some type of internal
> > mechanical on-off switch for the cassette-play mechanism ?)
> > Note: if the recommendation is to buy a replacement radio/CD player,
> > then I have my eye on the Sony CDX-GT310 but for 2 concerns:
> > 1) I have very stiff Gabriel shocks in this Jeep (no, the vehicle
> > suspension is not raised up - it's just very stiff) and I am concerned
> > about CD playback-skip due to the stiff suspension going over normal
> > roadway bumps;
> > 2) I have dozens of cassette tapes that I would rather not spend $ on
> > replacing with used CDs.
> >
>
> Wow That is a strange problem. My best guess would be that the radio/tape
> switch is going bad. The connections inside the switch may be tarnished or
> corroding
> Where it is not letting power go to the motor.
> If it was either the motor is going bad or a solder connection to the motor
> is going bad,
> I would think you would have different symptoms.
> The bad solder connection can be caused by extreme temperature changes
> that causes the solder around a connection to crack. But with a bad solder
> connection
> I would expect the tape player to shut off while you are driving during tape
> play.
> With a bad motor, I would think the motor would not restart every time when
> you got in car when tape was playing when you left.