Any ideas on how to extricate a stuck cassette from an original factory AM/FM cassette unit from my 1988 Cherokee? Nothing happens when I hit the eject button. Here's a teaser: it's closing in on 925,000 miles.

 

pics of odometer

is it an electronic eject button? or a mechanical ejector?

either way take a flathead and try to wiggle the cassette around in there. if that doesnt work try some small needle nose plyers maybe you can get a bite on it but be gentle.

hopefully its not a favorite tape of yours because the player might have been a little hungry

 

Mechanical ejector. I have a duplicate tape, so it's no big deal.

 

The BEST way to get rid of that pesky cassette tape is to install a modern head unit lol cd's are outdated now sadly sorry I had to say it ...

 

Check that. The eject mechanism isn't purely mechanical. It's like a VCR eject. The tape is loaded sideways.

 

I can envision the tape wound up around the capstan. About the only way to remove it is to take the unit apart to release it. If you CAN extract it with pliers, the tape will come out in long strings, unwinding from the cassette itself. You can try a wire hook to grab one of the spools of the cassette to pull it out. I can remember seeing broken cassettes with long streamers of tape lying on the highway, LOL!

Hey, I've got a working 8-track unit you can have!

 

The best way i found for this sort of thing in general is to take the covers off so you can see whats moving and what isnt. Could be as simple as a broken tab somewhere not catching to release it when the button is pushed, which may be inaccessible without taking the covers off. Ive run into that already on other vehicles. I dont recommend taking the player mechanism itself apart tho as putting it back together isnt always easy, nor is it fun. Just open it up and see whats going on. Push the eject button while watching the tray and other moving parts and you should be able to figure it out.

 

Some tape decks have a screw or bolt somewhere on top of the case that you can turn to manually operate the mechanism. Pull it out of the dash and see if you can find an arrow wrapped around one of the screws or a hole with a screw down in it, or the word "Eject" stamped into the case near something like that.

 

Good news - I managed to safely extricate the cassette. The tape transport is held in place by four screws and once you disconnect three ribbon cables, it comes right out. I pushed up on the cassette and once it cleared the capstan and transport posts, I was able to pull it out. Since the AM and FM bands work fine, all I need now is a radio with a good tape transport and I can put together one good unit!