Sony ccd-fx310

It will not take a tape, place a tape in the holder, push the cover close but the tape won't go down, when the tape in taken out and the cover pushed close the whole unit closes, problem?

My camcorder has been in its case for several years. Battery off of recorder, but tape has been in it for the past year or two or three or four (oops). I'm going on vacation soon and now it won't accept a tape when inserted. It makes a funny noise and then signals for me to take the tape out. I bought it 2nd hand and didn't get an owner's manual. Maybe it needs cleaned or oiled or whatever. In the "play" mode, it won't FF or RW (fast forward, rewind) or anything. Anybody with suggestions? SOMETIMES it will let me view some video thru the viewfinder when IT wants to. Exact same issue. It did not help to have a charged battery and it did not help to change the lithium battery. I am not shocked by either of those, because the same issue occurred with the DC connected. There is nothing blocking the descent of the enclosure itself, but with the tape in it, it will not close. I tried more than one tape too. THEN finally after opening and closing it about 50 times, it did stay closed with the tape inside, but then failed to respond to the commands to play, fast forward or reverse the tape.

Have not used it for years either. There is a very low level noise that occurs as it "tries" to lower the tape. It sounds as if the mechanism is trying to turn the tape but cannot and when that happens, it ejects the tape.

The manual indicates that if there is condensation in the unit due to exposure to cold then to warm air (it says to put it in a bag before moving it from cold to warm and allowing it to warm up for an hour prior to use; eg if you are in winter weather and bring it inside, it should be in a plastic bag!) It says nothing will function in the presence of condensation except the ejection mechanism, which fits the symptoms everyone has described. I am currently "airing out the videocam in dry warm air with the door open (face down so less dust can descend into the chamber) to see if that helps. If the mechanism has been corroded by the moisture, it may not be reparable. I'll let you know if this works.