97 PA - Cassette tape stuck in radio

[rzerk]

I have a cassette tape that is stuck and will not come out when the eject button is pushed.

The tape did not play when it was inserted.

I pushed the eject button and it made a noise like the teeth on the spool were skipping. Now when the eject button is pushed there is no noise.

I looked for a reset button on the instrument panel but could not find one.

I also disconnected the battery cable(for a moment or so), hoping that it would reset the solenoid. But no luck.

Any help will be appreciated.

ps. It gives an "E 13" code.

[deerefeed]

Uh-oh, "E-13"???? Back away slowly.
Just kidding. You probably broke a drive belt. Time for open radio surgery.

[Loekee75]

Here's a link to another thread concerning the radio codes:
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=183427

I think deerfeed is right, you just might have to dismantle the unit if you want that tape back.

[mikecee48]

The last time that happened to me, I knew I had to kiss off the cassette to get it out, so you might want to think along the same lines. After I got it out, it worked fine with other cassettes, so chances are the cassette or tape went sour anyway.

If the player has gone bad, you'll either spend a fortune getting it repaired or can buy a new (aftermarket brand) one, probably for much less. But, who needs low fidelity quality cassette tapes when CD's are so much better? Yeah, me too, just wanted to hear some old classics! ; )

I used a screwdriver, butter knife and lord knows what else to pop the cassette up and out. It had sucked the tape into the whole shebang and I just kept pulling it out, all two feet, until I got it out. The code E13 is saying that the unit is possibly running slow, probably because the tape has fouled up the mechanism.

Good luck on the tape drive brain surgery!

[rzerk]

thanks for the replies.

Yes, it was an old tape. That was probably the culprit. The tape player worked fine until this tape (first time attempting to play this tape in the car tape player).

Any suggestions on getting the tape out without taking the radio out.

I've tried screwdrivers, paperclips, tweezers, needle nose pliers, etc. It will not budge.

I was thinking of putting a screw on the end of the tape and putting vise grips on it and giving it a good yank.

I'm open for suggestions on how to get the tape out. I could care less about the condition of the tape after removal.