I bought a pretty clean looking, 1990 OEM Radio/Tape Player yesterday at the junkyard for $14. I put it in my 93 DX, and it is a perfect fit. The radio works great. The tape player does not work; the only sound it makes is screeching, and it eats the cassette tape.

Any suggestions to get the tape player working? Or is there little hope?

I really just wanted a plain vanilla OEM stock radio but have not come across one so far. The wrecking yard one I bought yesterday is returnable.

 

I bet sitting around so so long all the moving parts in the players are sticky.
If you got a really clean looking unit.
Then find 1 that works and just swap out the tape mechanism.
If there is a removable grey plug on the back of the unit.
then you could rig it up to play ipod or slave cd player through it.
To get it fix professionally would probably cost too much.

 

Tape players get old and wear out. I had one but it doesn't work anymore.
If you take it to a shop to get it fixed, it would probably cost an arm and a leg, if anyone actually knew how to fix tape players.
I'd try to find another one if you have your heart set on a tape player.

 

Thanks for the tips wicked and mrdead. I took the tape player out and inspected it. The belt came off or was off before I opened it. Now I do not know how to thread it back on. I looked for a service manual free online, but as you can imagine, folks do not fix these things but replace them, so service info is rare. No idea where to even get a replacement belt or new head. Old technology and all. So swapping out tape player parts, cannibalizing, etc. seems the best recourse, as I happen on tape players in the yards every so often. Or no harm. I really just wanted the radio, anyway. Thanks again.

 

I fixed my cheap Lenoxx Sound radio/tape boombox by using a rubberband instead of a belt.

I'm not sure if you'll get the same results with a OEM tape deck though.