andyschiu

Anyone else having a similar problem with their Nakamichi system in their LS 400?

The CD/Cassette player do not work at all. The radio (FM/AM) work fine. Any disc that's loaded just gives a "disc error". Trying to play a cassette just boots it back to radio mode or whatever mode it was before.

dicer

The shiny side goes up in that cartridge, the label goes down.

andyschiu

Doesn't work.

AHJ

I had a problem with speakers not having sound. What fixed it was taking out the deck and cleaning it up and re-seating the connectors.

Cassette players usually need servicing / changing belts. Maybe that's what it needs.

dicer

I read something awhile back, a guy got another laser from a wrecking yard unit and fixed his. I suppose they are available from electronics supply places too.

Yamae

Both CD and Cassette have motors and mechanical links. Some of those may be causing your problem, I bet.

When my CD didn't play, I assumed that it was caused by a clogged motor inside. I was measuring the voltage drop at terminals and confirmed so. Only cleaning brushes and commutators fixed the problem. This often happens among old small DC motors, I know. The same thing can be said to a door lock actuator. So far, problems related to small motors were all fixed by me doing the same.

dicer

What did you use to clean them? Are they simple to take apart and back together?

Yamae

I used a spray can of parts cleaner to clean.

They were not very simple and it was not very easy for the first time but once I did it, it became rather easy after that.

Attached are before and after the cleaning. You can see that carbon and graphite dusts are making a bridge of a short circuit between + and -. You also can see brushes are still OK. Only the cleaning revived the motor. Don't forget to lube the bearings too.