Sony TCM – 450 Eating Tapes

Is your Sony TCM – 450 is eating the cassette tapes when trying to play a tape? Use this troubleshooting guide to help diagnose why.

The reels are dirty or clogged and the inside of the player is dusty and dirty.

• First, remove the cassette and make sure you are not using a High Position or Metal tape, as they do not play properly in this cassette player.
• Next, if you have a dry head cleaning cassette tape use it to clean the heads, if not use a cotton swab and 91% or higher isopropyl alcohol to gently clean the inside and outside of the heads.
• Then, wait roughly five minutes to let the alcohol dry fully before attempting to play a shorter tape.
• Lastly, if the issue still persists, open the lid and leave the device open for a few hours to allow any possible condensation on the heads to dry up before playing a tape.

If cleaning the inside of the device does not resolve the issue, then you may have an issue with the takeup reel, or the cassette is misaligned.

The tape could be misaligned from being dropped or mishandled, so it may need to be realigned.

• Find a screwdriver or another tool that will fit inside the reels and gently rotate each reel towards the center of the cassette.
• The left side will be turned clockwise, and the right will be done counterclockwise. When done, the tape should be fully rewound and be realigned with the proper tension.

If the tape still does not play properly after manually rewinding it, then the problem most likely lies with the reels and belt not allowing for proper takeup of the tape as it plays.

See our replacement guides for the belts and motor here:

• Sony TCM-450 Capstan Belt Replacement
• Sony TCM-450 Counter Belt Replacement
• Sony TCM-450 Capstan Reel Motor Replacement