tape w/ portable cd player not working

[bluethunder]

i have a portable cd player with one of those tapes you stick in the tape player so you can listen to cdds in the car, and when i put the tape in to play a cd one of two things will happen. 1) the tape will play for a few minutes, then the car will decide randomly to just switch sides of the tape. i here a clicking noise then it will say on the radio display "side 1" then another set of clicks and back to "side 2". this will happen every 30 seconds or so. 2) the second thing that happens is the tape will just come right back out when i put it in, this also happens after it has flipped sides of the tape for a while. anybody know whats goin on here?

 

[mrsteve]

There is obviously a problem with your head unit. Is it still the stock unit? or is it an aftermarket deck? It probably would help if you cleaned the tape deck out with a cleaning kit. You can get them at Best Buy or Radio Shack. If it still does this you may want to buy a new deck. Possibly a CD deck so you could get rid of that portable CD player.

Steve

 

[jimbo74]

yup either the unit is dirty or thetape adapter is dirty

 

[Alec]

This might sound like a dumb question, but does this happen when you put a regular tape in there? This might help you narrow down the problem.

 

[JTang]

It's probably a bit of both, but more the adapter. A reminder that those tape cleaners really help out. You don't notice, since the tape head gets dirty over time, so you get used to it, but you should buy a tape head cleaner and demagnetizer.

Probably time to get a new adapter too, unless you can open the tape adapter up. I had that problem too, and I think it's just dirt and gunk get's in the cogs inside the tape adapter. You wouldn't think so, but there are four or five plastic cogs and sliding things in there. One trick I try before that is to simple torque the tape a little, hopefully to loosen the reels of the tape. Take one hand on each side of the tape, and twist the tape just a little, back and forth. Sometimes that helps if the reels are stuck on a plastic burr or something.

Good luck,

Jon

 

[bluethunder]

the system is stock, and until now i dont think the tape deck was ever used much. i have not tried a regular tape but i will, cause the adapter is pretty old. thanks for the help guys.