How Do You Troubleshoot A Cassette Deck?
Although you will rarely be able to repair your own cassette deck, you may be able to diagnose problems and solve those that don’t require parts or adjustments. Clean capstan and pinch roller. (See How to Maintain a Cassette Deck.) Check pinch roller for erosion and cracks. Remove visible tape oxide flakes with anhydrous alcohol and a cotton swab. Listen for normal motor sound. Inspect belts (usually thick black rubber bands) connected around motors and reel spindles inside deck for wear. Replace broken, brittle or stretched belts. Replace belts if you hear excessive wow and flutter or an obvious variation in speed. Replace motors if they won’t move a good belt. Check all connections–tape deck to receiver or amplifier, amplifier to speakers and so on. Clean heads. Make sure your deck is biased for the right type of tape (I, II or IV) and that the noise reduction method used in playback is the same as the one used during recording. Demagnetize erase and record heads if deck is not comp
