Condensation, please wait. when the cassette is place into its mechanism it won't stay closed.

the tape coming back out and unravels the tape means the loading mechanism is the problem----when a tape goes in it loads the tape down, then it pulls the tape out of the cassette and puts it up against the drum with the video heads-----many of these are belt driven and a bad belt or belts will cause this----it is called the loading and or transport mechanism.......when it fails the arms come back but the tape does not get rewound back into the cassette so it mangles it when the cassette door on the tape closes----most likely a belt or the drive idler which also rewinds and fast forwards the tape.

reset camera the cassette locking mechanism struck use contact cleaner

Hi,
The mechanism of the cassette compartment is misaligned and it need mechanical adjustment, Please contact any repair man nearby to resolve the issue, No part is required in mechanical adjustment.
Thanks

From the user manual ...

Under self diagnosis display
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C21:00
Moisture condensation has occurred.
Remove the cassette and leave your camcorder for at least 1 hour to acclimatize. (p117)

On p117
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If your camcorder is brought directly from a cold to a warm place, moisture may condense inside your camcorder, on the surface of the tape, or on the lens. In this condition, the tape may stick to the head drum and be damaged or your camcorder may not operate correctly. If there is moisture inside your camcorder, the beep sounds and the [picture of water drip] indicator flashes. When the [end tape icon] indicator flashes at the same time, the cassette is inserted in your camcorder. If moisture condenses on the lens, the indicator will not appear.

If moisture condensation occurred
None of the functions except cassette ejection will work. Eject the cassette, turn off your camcorder, and leave it for about 1 hour with the cassette compartment open. Your camcorder can be used again if the [water drip] indicator does not appear when the power is turned on again.

Note on moisture condensation
Moisture may condense when you bring your camcorder from a cold place into a warm place (or vice-versa) or when you use your camcorder in a hot place as follows:
- You bring your camcorder from a ski slope into a place warmed up by a heating device.
- You bring your camcorder from an air-conditioned car or room into a hot place outside.
- You use your camcorder after a squall or a shower.
- You use your camcorder in a high temperature and humidity place.

How to prevent moisture condensation
when you bring your camcorder from a cold place into a warm place, put your camcorder in a plastic bag and tightly seal it. Remove the bag when the air temperature inside the plastic bag has reached the surrounding temperature (after about 1 hour).

Hi,

I believe this means that there is condensation in the tape mechanism.

I had a similar issue where the tape bay would not lock in and engage the motor mechanism to load the tape. I removed the battery from the unit and let it stand for approximately a minute then reinserted the battery. The tape drawer closed first without a tape then reopened with no issue. I then inserted a new tape with no issue. I guess it needed a hard reboot.

when mechanism pops out to eject, wait until it completly comes out, deattache battery immediately, and Pull lever as per below mentioned picture. Cassette door will be open and place cassette. Close it and attache the battery. Camera is ready to Record or Playback.

If your camcorder experiences an error, you may be presented with a ?Remove the Cassette? message. There are several reasons that this message may appear, but it is essentially a safety warning that is designed to protect the camcorder and/or tape from damage. The camcorder?s tape drive mechanism is made up of many precision components that, once damaged, may cause further problems if the mechanism continues to operate. When a problem is detected the safety mechanism is activated. The ?Remove the Cassette? warning and the camcorder?s safety mode may be activated by a variety of conditions such as: 1. Condensation is detected ? If condensation is detected by the camcorder, the ?Remove the Cassette? warning may occur. 2. Component failure ? If an electrical or mechanical component in the camcorder fails, the safety mode may activate to prevent any further damage to the camcorder. 3. Sand or grit damage ? The camcorder?s tape drive mechanism consists of many tiny gears. Sand or grit can cause a gear to jam and stop turning. This will cause the camcorder's safety mode to activate. 4. Impact damage ? If a camcorder is accidentally dropped or bumped against a hard surface, it is possible that a misalignment of the tape drive mechanism may occur. 5. Liquid damage ? If either the camcorder or the tape is exposed to water or any other liquid, a variety of malfunctions may result. Please avoid this situation. 6. Improper videotape insertion ? If a tape is forced into the cassette compartment, or if the cassette compartment is pressed down while the tape is loading, damage may occur to the tape drive mechanism. Please refer to the User's Manual. 7. Damaged or defective tape ? If a tape becomes damaged, please discontinue its use. Operational Recovery Steps Depending on the conditions that caused this message to appear, it is possible that the camcorder operation may recover. Please follow these steps: 1. Eject the videotape Insert a new or known good videotape. If the message does not persist, it is possible that the tape was damaged. If the camcorder still displays the message with a new tape, please proceed to step 2. 2. If condensation had been detected causing the Remove the Cassette warning, remove the cassette, and allow at least one hour for the moisture to dry. If the "Remove the Cassette" message continues, the camcorder may require service. Please contact Canon USA's Tech Support Center at 1 (800) 828-4040. Technical support hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 12:00 midnight; and Saturday 10:00am - 8:00pm (all times EST). Alternatively, if electronic support is preferred, please send your email to [email protected].

If the camera becomes damp or cold and brought into a warm atmosphere damp forms in the mechanism which would cause the tape to stick and become damaged or fouled.

leave the camera to warm up for a few hours and the fault should clear.

If not the most common reason is the dew sensor has failed and needs replacing

When pouring a chilled beverage into a glass, water droplets may form on the surface of the glass. This happens because the air around the glass is rapidly cooled down, and moisture in the air adheres to the surface of the glass. This phenomenon is called condensation. This kind of condensation may also occur with camcorders. If you continue to use the camcorder with condensation on it, it could damage the camcorder. Condensation may form on the camcorder in the following cases: (1) When being moved from a cold place to a warm place (2) When being used in a rapidly-heated cold room (3) When being used in a humid room (4) When being moved from an air-conditioned room to a warm, humid place When condensation occurs: The camcorder stops operating automatically after its power lamp flashes. The warning message "CONDENSATION HAS BEEN DETECTED" appears and the condensation-warning icon below starts flashing. Condensation-warning icon If a cassette is loaded, the warning message "CONDENSATION HAS BEEN DETECTED" and "REMOVE THE CASSETTE" appear and the cassette-warning icon starts flashing. Cassette-warning icon If a cassette is loaded in the camcorder, remove the cassette immediately and leave the cassette compartment open. If condensation is detected, the POWER switch and cassette-removing switch will be activated. Leaving the cassette in the camcorder may damage the tape. A cassette should not be loaded into the camcorder when condensation is detected. How to avoid condensation Unload the cassette and place the camcorder in an airtight plastic bag when moving to locations where temperatures vary. Allow time for the camcorder to adjust to temperature changes slowly before removing it from the bag. Resuming use Allow at least one hour before resuming use; more time may be required for heavier condensation. When condensation has been eliminated, turn the camcorder on. After the condensation-warning icon stops flashing, wait one hour before resuming use.