Club-S12.org

S12 Technical Areas => Visual Mods & Audio Systems => Topic started by: R0nard on 02:06:04 AM / 22-Nov-10

Title: cassette player
Post by: R0nard on 02:06:04 AM / 22-Nov-10
I really want to keep my interior original, just so many childhood memories. Since I have taken hold of it, I've tried to put a Cassette adapter connected to my mp3. The cassette player takes it in but doesn't play back sound. If any one can help me fix this it would be much appreciated.
Title: Re: cassette player
Post by: xxstreetbikesxx on 08:53:24 AM / 22-Nov-10
the cassette player is really old man.. the 80's electronics just break.. I doubt anybodys works.. mine worked for a month when i got my s12, then quit.

Sorry man, but to get it working again, you would need to take it apart, and find the burnt/rusted resistor/diode/wire..
Title: Re: cassette player
Post by: tommy on 10:07:11 AM / 22-Nov-10
Mine worked for many years with this exact setup... in fact, it was before mp3 were so popular... so I was using a sony diskman player lolll... but that was between 5 to 8 years ago... I wonder if it's still in working order... where ever that car is now...lol

So, yeah, as ^^^ he says, take it out and open it up to check all the connections, and see if any circuits are burned up... or post in the wanted section to see if anyone has a working one somewhere in a bucket of parts or on the garage floor....
Title: Re: cassette player
Post by: BOSSMAN on 02:50:01 PM / 26-Nov-10
I really want to keep my interior original, just so many childhood memories. Since I have taken hold of it, I've tried to put a Cassette adapter connected to my mp3. The cassette player takes it in but doesn't play back sound. If any one can help me fix this it would be much appreciated.
Let me see if I understand what you are trying to say here..You got hold of  OEM cassette player and you have one of those cassette line-in adapter but it won't work with your MP3 player?

Now can you get hold of a real cassette tape and see if you can play that first, if it works then it's either the adapter or the MP3 player.

Also, did you press "play" on the cassette player?
Title: Re: cassette player
Post by: R0nard on 01:42:19 PM / 28-Nov-10
Let me see if I understand what you are trying to say here..You got hold of  OEM cassette player and you have one of those cassette line-in adapter but it won't work with your MP3 player?

Now can you get hold of a real cassette tape and see if you can play that first, if it works then it's either the adapter or the MP3 player.

Also, did you press "play" on the cassette player?

Yes sir, of course I have tried putting in a regular cassette. i wouldnt be posting if i hadnt. Pressing play? really now? you've mistaken me for a fool hahah
Title: Re: cassette player
Post by: xxstreetbikesxx on 02:37:57 PM / 28-Nov-10
lol. hes a newbie, but not a idiot haha. I guess people can forget to press play, idk.

Just upgrade to a nice head unit.. (Whenever you find out how to wire that thing, hit me up) I never found out how to wire in my head unit.. the dash lights would go off, and weird stuff happened..
Title: Re: cassette player
Post by: BOSSMAN on 02:33:54 PM / 29-Nov-10
Yes sir, of course I have tried putting in a regular cassette. i wouldnt be posting if i hadnt. Pressing play? really now? you've mistaken me for a fool hahah
I didn't mistake you as a fool, but you could improve your communication skills.  If you look at the profile listed on the column to the left of the screen my "age" listed there is indeed true.  I'm old enough to know what an eight track is let along a someone "modern"  cassette play.  I acquired my S12 in 1990, were you born at that time?  I'm some what familiar with the OEM audio system and I still have the OEM cassette player in my car. 
Title: Re: cassette player
Post by: xxstreetbikesxx on 03:16:04 PM / 29-Nov-10
I didn't mistake you as a fool, but you could improve your communication skills.  If you look at the profile listed on the column to the left of the screen my "age" listed there is indeed true.  I'm old enough to know what an eight track is let along a someone "modern"  cassette play.  I acquired my S12 in 1990, were you born at that time?  I'm some what familiar with the OEM audio system and I still have the OEM cassette player in my car. 


not to argue.. but idk what age has to do with pressing play on a cassette player.. chill man.

back on topic..  I would take it apart, and see if any connections are burnt/corroded/disconnected.. But like i said befor, i would just upgrade.
Title: Re: cassette player
Post by: R0nard on 09:25:27 PM / 01-Dec-10
I didn't mistake you as a fool, but you could improve your communication skills.  If you look at the profile listed on the column to the left of the screen my "age" listed there is indeed true.  I'm old enough to know what an eight track is let along a someone "modern"  cassette play.  I acquired my S12 in 1990, were you born at that time?  I'm some what familiar with the OEM audio system and I still have the OEM cassette player in my car. 

I mean no disrespect when i said that. I guess the way i said it came out a little harsh sounding. My apologies.

not to argue.. but idk what age has to do with pressing play on a cassette player.. chill man.

back on topic..  I would take it apart, and see if any connections are burnt/corroded/disconnected.. But like i said befor, i would just upgrade.

So far ive taken it out of the dash and cracked it open. Im really suprised at how well my fathers kept this car under great condition but everything on the inside is brown and dusty....doesnt look so good to me hahah. I might take it to my cousin whos an electrical technician, let him check it out before i make my final decision of changing it out. as for upgrading it, ill be lost like a child lost in costco hahah but ill let you know if i figure it out.
Title: Re: cassette player
Post by: BOSSMAN on 10:58:24 PM / 01-Dec-10
If the player plays cassette then it's not the player, this is the reason why I asked if you tried a tape in the first place.  I don't know about you but recorded cassette tapes are as common as 5 1/4 inch single sided floppy disk so if you don't have a tape then you won't be able to trouble shoot.  If the player doesn't work the easiest way to test it is to leave it connected to the wiring harness in the car but with the cover off and out of the dash, put a tape in there and see if the motor turns.  Cassette players usually stop working because of broken belts (I fixed a few of those).  When you press play the head should slide towards the tape (or the tape slide to the head?) , this is how the unit reads the "music" but I haven't run into this problem before.   Now before I go on further there is one think I would like to mention, cassette tapes are two sided and if you unit has auto reverse function (like most of the factory units), you can leave the tape in there and it will play the other side of the tape by moving the head and reversing the tape.  However, the cassette adapter only transmit (plays) on one side (bias), so if you have the cassette player playing on the reverse direction you will not hear a thing, to fix this all you have to to is hit the "reverse direction" button then you should be able to play your mp3....More reading regarding cassette player adapter:

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-cure-car-cassette-adapter-quotauto-revers/ (http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-cure-car-cassette-adapter-quotauto-revers/)


Title: Re: cassette player
Post by: R0nard on 01:29:37 AM / 03-Dec-10
If the player plays cassette then it's not the player, this is the reason why I asked if you tried a tape in the first place.  I don't know about you but recorded cassette tapes are as common as 5 1/4 inch single sided floppy disk so if you don't have a tape then you won't be able to trouble shoot.  If the player doesn't work the easiest way to test it is to leave it connected to the wiring harness in the car but with the cover off and out of the dash, put a tape in there and see if the motor turns.  Cassette players usually stop working because of broken belts (I fixed a few of those).  When you press play the head should slide towards the tape (or the tape slide to the head?) , this is how the unit reads the "music" but I haven't run into this problem before.   Now before I go on further there is one think I would like to mention, cassette tapes are two sided and if you unit has auto reverse function (like most of the factory units), you can leave the tape in there and it will play the other side of the tape by moving the head and reversing the tape.  However, the cassette adapter only transmit (plays) on one side (bias), so if you have the cassette player playing on the reverse direction you will not hear a thing, to fix this all you have to to is hit the "reverse direction" button then you should be able to play your mp3....More reading regarding cassette player adapter:

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-cure-car-cassette-adapter-quotauto-revers/ (http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-cure-car-cassette-adapter-quotauto-revers/)



Awesome write up, ill be sure to try everything you suggested. Thanks
Title: Re: cassette player
Post by: Alex Hales on 05:36:49 AM / 28-Apr-18
I didn't mistake you as a fool, but you could improve your communication skills.  If you look at the profile listed on the column to the left of the screen my "age" listed there is indeed true.  I'm old enough to know what an eight track is let along a someone "modern"  cassette play.  I acquired my S12 in 1990, were you born at that time?  I'm some what familiar with the OEM audio system and I still have the OEM cassette player (https://automobiledecor.com/best-cassette-adapter-reviews/) in my car.

A debt of gratitude is in order for the data. I am additionally looking a tape connector for my vehicle. I thing, you have as of now a decent ordeal about the tape connector so would you please propose me a best one under $140.
Title: Re: cassette player
Post by: BOSSMAN on 02:44:49 PM / 30-Apr-18
The one that I have came with my portable Sony Discman circa 1992.  I don't remember having extreme low volume issue like the reviews on other brands I read online but I think I had to turn the volume up to compensate for the bias.  Depending on what continent you lived in if you can't find one at your local TV/audio outlets you should be able to find one for sale online like Ebay, Amazon or even Aliexpress.

Some light reading here for you:

https://www.lifewire.com/best-car-cassette-adapters-2438354
http://www.halotechnics.com/best-cassette-adapters/
https://mycarneedsthis.com/todays-best-cassette-adapters-with-aux-cords-and-full-reviews/
https://bestseekers.com/best_casette_adapters/

As you can see even now these cassette adapters are still being produced and Sony has a good review.