Hey Guys,

It's been a while since I've been here since the 89 420 has been doing ok for months without a problem untill this morning.

Started it to go to Mass and the Becker Radio/Tape started clicking like the tape deck is stuck but there's no tape in it. The radio is dead, no lights, no station IDs, the screen is blank. The On/Off switch does nothing, just dead. Fuse is good, but it sounds like a tape is stuck. It accepts a tape, but will not play, and ejects the tape just fine, but during all this clicking or ticking noise, the radio AM/FM is still dead.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Say a prayer for it, then bury that Becker piece of junk.

Replace it with a modern unit and never look back.

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Question Authority before it Questions you.

Bishop:

Having spent the past 25+ years playing w/assorted video tape decks and related minutia, here's a few things I would look at...

Check to see if any of the front panel buttons (particularly the <EJECT> button) is "jammed" or tilted, like it's "caught" in the depress-state. The easiest thing to do is work all the buttons on the front and see if that "fixes" the issue.

Then, if none of that works, another trick I've tried on FREDs* in the past is shutting off the power-source, then with on finger on the cassette's power button (depressed as in <OFF>), starting the car (or turning the key to Position 1), waiting about 10 seconds, release the cassette's power button and seeing if that "resets" its tiny Mule-brain.

After that, if you have the resources, then it's time to remove the unit from its holder and start looking at the mechanicals and electricals intimately. Not something for the faint-of-heart. Your deck seems to be stuck in the "EJECTING TAPE FROM TAPE MACHINE" mode. It could be something as simple as a piece of dust or schumtz blocking an IRD from detecting that the tape is past a certain point in its "eject" cycle. I've had paper labels come off the tape cassettes and get caught in the gearing or block a sensor quite a few times. You'd be surprised how much money is/was lost at TV stations because of a $0.10 piece of paper. Or...it could be as much fun as a broken electrical trace, transport wire or even a sensor that needs replacing. Then you're staring at the word "hairy."

Your final stab at this problem is usually what works for the majority of the folks. Upgrade the system, then put the defective deck on the table in the front yard and let the folks know that for $10.00, it was working when you removed it. You don't have to mention is wasn't working RIGHT, just that it was working. And enjoy that bit of capitalism. I've been the "Oh! Great! I'll take it then!" side of that equation all too often. But then, I like a challenge now and then. More back then than now, though!

Good luck with the deck!

( * FRED = F***ing Ret**ded Electrical Device ... Usually spoken with great gusto and intimacy towards an electrical appliance that defies all logical applications of attempts to make said item operate in a useful manner. Many times the term is uttered just prior to the item attempting actual flight towards a large cylindrical object. That cylindrical object then gets placed on the curb-side during evening hours and is "magically emptied" by the dawn's first light...sometimes quitely, but in most cases, not. )

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M. G. Burg
'10 - Dakota SXT - Daily Ride / ≈ 172.5K
.'76 - 450SLC - 107.024.12 / < .89.20 K
..'77 - 280E - 123.033.12 / > 128.20 K
...'67 - El Camino - 283ci / > 207.00 K
....'75 - Yamaha - 650XS / < 21.00 K
.....'87 - G20 Sportvan / > 206.00 K
......'85 - 4WINNS 160 I.O. / 140hp
.......'74 - Honda CT70 / Real 125
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“I didn’t really say everything I said.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Yogi Berra ~

About 14 years ago the am/fm/tape deck in my gmc quit and I pulled the unit and found the tape portion was made in germany, the belt had broken. I ordered a new one and not knowing how the belt was routed, I tried 6 different routes before finding the correct belt route. Each time I had to put the entire unit back together and install it back in the truck to see if I got it right. But the tape player worked until I sold the truck.
I'm not afraid to open the becker unit and I thought it would just jump out by way of a release clamp by way of the ashtray. This morning I got so hot in the 95 degree sun I had to quit. I know the becker jumped out in my old 88 S300, but it must be different in my 89 S420, I stopped since I couldn't find the release button, it got way to hot here in south Louisiana.

I could do without the tape working, my hope is to at least get the am/fm radio working again.