The VCR will accept tapes but will not play them. The picture from the tape will come up frozen on the screen, then the whole unit shuts down. When I turn the power back on, the VCR spits out the tape (thank goodness!). Is there any way I can get the VCR to work again? The TV still works fine.

The only real cure will be to clean the video head. If that doesn't work then I'm afraid that whatever recorded you EP mode tape was not set up well tracking wise. So other machines struggle to track the tape. Some VCR's will only playback SP or LP tapes and don't have EP mode. In which case you should check to see if these VCR's can play the EP tape and if they can't find one that can.

This combo has a problem with the vcr unit which take up wheel will stop working and spill the tape. the unit will stop and eject the tape. You have to replace the whole vcr assembly.

You will need a technical person to open the unit. This problem can be as simple as a dirty sensor, or bad tape drive parts, or burned out computer chip.

try cleaning the heads in the vcr. also use a new tape at least once a week.

check out the tip in my profile or use a wet cleaning tape

could be that you're looking at a blown cartridge for that vcr tape. You may need to cut the tape, to extract that from the unit.

The play head would usually retract when the cartridge is removed, BUT could be compromised by some tape getting into the play head mechanism, and jamming.

be particularly careful with anything pointy or sharp, as the tape head does NOT like those objects near the read surface.

saida horizontal com deficiencia faz com que a fonte aciona circuito de proteção.

Does the tape hang out when you eject the cassette?
8 seconds is about the time that the VCR brain allows the mechanism to run when there is a problem before shuting down. Just guessing from the model number, but I'd say the unit needs a belt job.

you have probably bent the tab that holds the tape end sensor or its light. The tapes have a clear section at the end of the tape and the light shines through to the sensor to tell the unit that the tape is finished. The light should not pass through the recordable part of the tapes. If anything is bent the light may shine on the sensor and tell the unit you're at the end of the tape and to shut off. Some units have a tape tension sensor also that tells the unit that the tape is broken and to shut off. Only way to know is to remove power and take it apart and look for anything that may be bent. Stay away from the rotating head assembly and the posts that the tap travels on. Do not apply power with the unit open. Do not load a tape and remove power as some units freeze in the loaded position and will not load new tapes unless manually placed back in the unloaded position.

The problem is the tape mechanism is malfuctioning. It trys eather to load or play a tape and a sensor inside tells the microprocessor to shut down this mechanism before damage is done to the tape. BUT sometimes a malfunction causes a damaged tape too. this unit has NO user serviseable parts inside itself, so its time to take this puppy into a repair shop to see if its worth the repair , Unless this units more then a few years old?? then its time to buy a shiny new unit. Good luck