Ok, so as some may recall, this is my first car, a 1990 Jaguar Vanden Plas.
One of the only issues with the car is that the cassette player doesn't work.
I have one of those cassette/phone adapters so that I can play my own music.
When I put either that or just a regular cassette into the player, it makes noise like it is preparing play, but nothing ever happens. The owner's manual and the sound-system guide both say that when a cassette is inserted, the head unit automatically begins to play.

When I dropped the car off at my specialist to have the rear right door mechanism repaired, I asked about a radio, and when I picked it up, he said that the replacement that they put in had the same issue, so he just put the original back in.

I recently purchased another head unit off of eBay from a parts dealer for only $40 since they not only are the cheapest I've seen, but also they have both a warranty and a return policy. The listing specified that the head unit had been tested by them. When I installed it myself (which was a bit more difficult than I expected) it also had the same issue. The only plus side of this replacement is that the LCD display is fully operable, where as my original isn't 100% operable.

I don't know about the one my specialist had tried, but both my original and this recent replacement head unit both have functioning radios, just that the cassette player does not function, which is what I desire.

Am I doing something wrong? The two fuses in the white holders that come with the head-unit wiring are both good. Both plugs made firm connections, no pins appeared to be corroded or missing.
The radio itself working tells me that the fuse in the console is also good.

Could it just be a simple internal part? If so, then I would rather just replace the necessary components than keep trying replacement head-units.

I just find it extremely odd that three head-units all have the same issue, especially when this recent one was supposedly tested as being in working order.

I don't want to put in a modern radio. Only if I was to be paid to do so would I even begin to consider it.

Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction.

Cheers!
-Cody F.

 

Hi Cody,

It is odd that three different head units have all exhibited the same non-performance regarding the cassette player. That would lead me to first suspect that perhaps the cassette-to-3.5mm plug adapter is not fully activating the mechanism in the player that moves the playback head into contact with what would be the magnetized tape in a standard cassette, but in your adapter is a transducer that transmits the headphone output of your phone or iPod into the playback head and onward to the preamp/amp/speakers.

Have you tried more than one standard cassette just to see if one in particular will trip the mechanism and play?

The first thing I would try is to use a long thin screwdriver or other implement to attempt to press the case of your adapter sideways so that it comes into contact with the playback head. In our '93, that would mean carefully inserting the screwdriver on the left side of the adapter and gently pushing it to the right. You will need to have the head unit turned on and the volume set at a moderate level, and your phone or iPod on and playing music. If you can bring the adapter into contact with the playback head, you should get sound from the speakers.

Looking at the audio system schematic in the '93/'94 Electrical Guide, there is only one battery power connection to the head unit, so both the radio and cassette player operate from the same power. No internal circuitry is shown for the head unit.

The other possibility is that the cassette players in all three units have seen so little use in the past 20+ years that the original lubrication has solidified, preventing the mechanism from moving the playback head into proper position. You may be able to free it up by repeatedly inserting and ejecting a cassette until the mechanism is freed.

If you can't free it up by the above method, you may need to remove the top cover of the head unit, which isn't difficult, just a little involved. If I recall correctly, the cassette mechanism is only partially accessible even with the top cover removed. But at least you might be able to insert a cassette and check the movement of the head assembly. If it isn't coming into proper contact, you may be able to manipulate it until it moves freely. And if you can reach the lube points, clean away the old hardened lube and apply a little dab of lithium grease to each of those points.

Let us know how the experiments go pressing the adapter into the playback head or repeatedly inserting/ejecting a cassette.

Cheers,

Don

 

Don,
Other than the adapter cassette, I tried both of the original cassette tapes that came with the car from the dealership, both did nothing other than the same noise that I heard when putting in the adapter. I can't tell, but it almost seems like it starts to move the tape like it was playing, but then it just kinda stops.
I'll see what I can do to see what might be going on.
I don't have any lithium grease on hand, but I do have some good quality Teflon grease.

 

I never did get this figured out, but that's immaterial now.
My car was totaled a few weeks ago by a '95 Mitsubishi.
They hit my right front wheel, which shifted the axle, bent both front wheels at an angle, sent my power-steering and windshield washer fluids flowing down the road, and something even happened to the transmission because the shifter column was tilted inward at it's back right corner.
They could drive their car away with nothing other than body damage, but I couldn't even get my front wheels straight let alone move at all.
My poor Jag couldn't even roll onto the flatbed and had to be dragged.
The worst part, I had just picked it up from my mechanic the evening before after having a tie-rod replaced and coolant hoses reattached. It also had 3/4th of a tank of gas, which I wasn't allowed to pump out.
I wanted to take the spare tire, but my insurance company would have taken a chunk out of what they paid me. My car had spoked wheels (a major point of pride for me) and although the primary four had the chrome coming off, the spare was flawless and even had what I believe to be the original spare tire it left the factory with.

So, I'm without a car now, and there aren't any feasible options local (30min drive) to me.

I think I might have to cave in and buy a 60s-70s American car...

 

Ouch. Im sorry for your loss. If you keep your eye out these cars can be had fairly cheap (as you may know). Good luck getting a replacement.