My Car is becoming a "Project".

[RetailWorkhorse]

Would anyone happen to know how to fix my cassette player? It reverse-auto-flips back and forth a few times before spitting the tape out. Any way I can fix this or will I have to get me a new radio? It's getting aggravating having to listen to commercials on my radio again (I use a tape-adapter for my MP3 player and just put it on SHUFFLE for my trips).





I also need someone to cannibalize a couple of '98 Jeep Grand Cherokees for horn, foglights, and headlights since I'm apparently nowhere near a really good junkyard.

So..... halp?



We're not discussing the nasty NEED NEW GOVERNOR SENSOR NAOW bullcrap she's doing. Nor the other Gremlins in the electrical.

[Kheldarson]

The tape adapter itself could be going bad. Kabe's is doing that right now. So cheapest thing would be to buy a new tape adapter and see if that fixes it.

[fireheart]

Alternately, is it possible to just upgrade to a CD player? I'll be doing that once my tax comes in.

[Imprl59]

Usuallywhen that happens the belt is slipping or, more likely, broken. The auto reverse mechanism senses that the tape isn't moving and tries to reverse then gives up and spits it out.

Getting to the belt can be a pain but replacing it once you get there is easy.

[RetailWorkhorse]

The tape adapter itself could be going bad. Kabe's is doing that right now. So cheapest thing would be to buy a new tape adapter and see if that fixes it.

I did. Happened with the new one as well. Popped the new one into the Boombox and it played just fine, so it's not the adapter.

Alternately, is it possible to just upgrade to a CD player? I'll be doing that once my tax comes in.

It also plays CDs. And MP3s on CDs. But the heat and dust has been killing my CDs and my Main computer is in storage (Netbooks don't have CD drives).

Usuallywhen that happens the belt is slipping or, more likely, broken. The auto reverse mechanism senses that the tape isn't moving and tries to reverse then gives up and spits it out.

Getting to the belt can be a pain but replacing it once you get there is easy.

After opening them both up, neither one of the adapters have belts in them. They're just fake tapes with a microchip and some wires in them.

Everything in the dash is original hardware.

[protege]

I did. Happened with the new one as well. Popped the new one into the Boombox and it played just fine, so it's not the adapter.

If that's the case, then it sounds like the tape deck itself is failing. The mechanisms do fail eventually, and nobody sells automotive tape decks anymore...other than used items at garage sales...which may, or may not have the same problem. You might find that a CD player would be a worthwhile upgrade, especially if you're thinking of selling the vehicle.

[Imprl59]

The belt is in the cassette player.

[RetailWorkhorse]

You might find that a CD player would be a worthwhile upgrade, especially if you're thinking of selling the vehicle.

Why does everyone think I'm going to sell my car? o_0 I mean, yeah, she's got problems but she's my first car/spaceship and I'm taking her to 500,000 miles. I'm almost there.

The belt is in the cassette player.

.....OH! DUH! *Face-palm* Well, I'm a dipshit. I'll look into taking the dash apart and taking the radio into a dealer's to get a new one or get it fixed. Radio works, just not the tape player nor the CD player (I wanna listen to MIYAVI, DANGIT!).

And I can't get rid of the tape player completely until I can get a couple of tapes on CD and it's as hard to find CD copies of these tapes as it is the Maurice Sendak version of The Nutcracker.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

My sister used to have a 70-somethin' Malibu She used her ipod, and used a radio-station broadcasty-thing instead of a tape. Not sure why. It worked for her though. It might be interesting for you, because it has to be on an unused radio frequency, and those vary from place to place.
You can get them at places like Volde-Mart and RadioHut.
EDIT: tape-player (like the one people use in their homes, not attached to a radio or car). Adapter. Ciggy-lighter. Watch out for overheating.

[AccountingDrone]

Why does everyone think I'm going to sell my car? o_0 I mean, yeah, she's got problems but she's my first car/spaceship and I'm taking her to 500,000 miles. I'm almost there.



.....OH! DUH! *Face-palm* Well, I'm a dipshit. I'll look into taking the dash apart and taking the radio into a dealer's to get a new one or get it fixed. Radio works, just not the tape player nor the CD player (I wanna listen to MIYAVI, DANGIT!).

And I can't get rid of the tape player completely until I can get a couple of tapes on CD and it's as hard to find CD copies of these tapes as it is the Maurice Sendak version of The Nutcracker.

Might be worth the money to get one of the converters and convert it yourself.


I had an album and I bribed a guy I used to work with to convert it to MP3 and burn it to CD for me, gave him a dozen bottles of Guiness Stout =) worth every bottle !

[ArcticChicken]

It might be cheaper/simpler to pick up a radio adapter for your ipod. Though, I gotta say, I love a good project. Fixing things is fun.

[protege]

Why does everyone think I'm going to sell my car? o_0 I mean, yeah, she's got problems but she's my first car/spaceship and I'm taking her to 500,000 miles. I'm almost there.

Didn't mean it like that. Remember I own a 42-year-old vehicle....that still had the original Smiths AM radio in it Speaking of that, when that radio broke many years ago, a local shop took it apart, cleaned everything, and put it back into the car. Unfortunately, I don't know of anyone that can do a service like that now. Many stereo components simply aren't designed to be repaired. It can cost more than the unit is worth, or even as much as a new one. As such, many owners don't bother with them--when they break, they get replaced.

If you really want another tape teck, Crutchfield might have what you're looking for.

[Frantic Freddie]

I also need someone to cannibalize a couple of '98 Jeep Grand Cherokees for horn, foglights, and headlights since I'm apparently nowhere near a really good junkyard.

So..... halp?



We're not discussing the nasty NEED NEW GOVERNOR SENSOR NAOW bullcrap she's doing. Nor the other Gremlins in the electrical.

The ZJs are known for having electrical problems,but not all of them,'98 was the last year.You shouldn't have any problem finding used parts since Jeep sold a bazillion ZJs,I'd check eBay.

4.0,5.2 or 5.9?

[csquared]

I have an old radio adapter. I'll give it to you. PM me if you are interested.

[RetailWorkhorse]

The ZJs are known for having electrical problems,but not all of them,'98 was the last year.You shouldn't have any problem finding used parts since Jeep sold a bazillion ZJs,I'd check eBay.

4.0,5.2 or 5.9?

I believe she's the 5.2, she's the only model made that year according to Wikipedia (which I don't trust as far as I could THROW, but I digress). Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited was only a '98 model, which explains why I've only seen ONE other Jeep like her.

I have an old radio adapter. I'll give it to you. PM me if you are interested.

I'll let you know after I tear the dashboard apart tomorrow. Need to replace a couple of lightbulbs, anyhow.