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Looking for VCR repair advice (yes, really)

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scorpio333:

--- Quote from: Elmojo on February 26, 2021, 10:53:40 AM ---
Anyway....
Basically, I just said that when the unit is powered on, it spins the loader motor one direction, until it binds up and the belt slips. Then it spins the other direction until it binds again, then it throws the error code "3" and power down.
I think the issue is something with the loader mechanism (white spiral gear?) in the 3rd and 4th images, but I may be totally wrong.

--- End quote ---

I've tried to fix a grand total of one VCR. Took way too long and ended up being unfixable because of no available parts.

With the unit unplugged...try to manually move the gears. Careful here, sometimes that engineering plastic will be tough as nails until you move it wrong and it snaps which equals game over. Just go slow. What you're looking for is a missing action or incorrect action before the belt slips. You might have to do this over and over paying attention to what moves what, when, where, why... Backwards engineering is my method.

MacGeek:
Is it eating tapes, or just shutting down?

Elmojo:
Thanks for the replies guys.
Scorpio: I've tried moving some stuff by hand, and it's pretty well locked up in both directions. I just can't seem to tell what's supposed to move when the loading motor spins.  ???
As noted above, it seems like something in that white geartrain (4th image posted earlier) isn't moving right, or isn't meshing properly or something. I just can't tell what's supposed to be happening, since the gearing is so high that I can't move it by hand.

MacGeek: Just shutting down. It runs the loading motor for a moment, but the loading mechanism itself seems to be jammed up, as it doesn't really ever try to pull in the tape.

MacGeek:
Unless you are willing to invest in a belt to see if that is the problem, the cost of which may exceed the value of the VCR and may not fix it, it might be worth trying one of my favorite last ditch efforts: the use of excessive force.  Assuming the small black pulley is on the motor shaft and the larger white pulley connects to the machines operating mechanism, find a way to force the white pulley to rotate further until something happens.

Of course, failure means a walk to the trash bin. A used VCR can be found for around $25.

Elmojo:
I'm fairly sure it's not a belt issue. The belts appear to be in pristine condition, and the tension seems correct.
I get that we're all just kinda guessing here. I'm in the same boat.
Does anyone know of a forum that might specialize in this type of old AV gear?
I'd hate to further break this 'brand new' machine, since I paid well over $100 for it, if there's any chance of actually repairing it.
If this one goes in the bin, I'll have to buy another one.
My in-laws aren't interested in used, so I'll have to try to find another new one, which as you can imagine isn't super easy any more.  ::)

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