Question Any idea why my combo VCR-DVD (Toshiba DVR620KU) is suddenly rejecting my Maxell VP-200 Wet Video Head Cleaner?

[rwcass75]

As soon as the head cleaner is inserted in the VCR, the unit shuts down. I've also noticed recently that a few of my VHS tapes from 1989-'90 have garbled audio for the first 30 minutes or so even though the picture is fine, which is why I figured I should clean the heads. The head cleaner has worked fine before (I bought it in early 2016, and I bought the VCR-DVD player in early 2014), and the audio on the tapes in question was also fine until recently. Thank you for any help you can provide.

 

[rgd1101]

at the end of the cleaner? rewind it?

 

[rwcass75]

Yes, it's rewound. But the Toshiba unit shuts down each time right after the tape is inserted, so pressing "rewind" or even "play" is impossible.

 

[Teresa metheny]

As soon as the head cleaner is inserted in the VCR, the unit shuts down. I've also noticed recently that a few of my VHS tapes from 1989-'90 have garbled audio for the first 30 minutes or so even though the picture is fine, which is why I figured I should clean the heads. The head cleaner has worked fine before (I bought it in early 2016, and I bought the VCR-DVD player in early 2014), and the audio on the tapes in question was also fine until recently. Thank you for any help you can provide.

I am having the same issue with my machine. The tracking looks to be off when playing vhs tapes so I purchased a vhs cleaning tape and the machine just shuts off when I insert it. I cant rewind, play or fast forward because it shuts off. Did you ever find a reason for the problem?

 

[rwcass75]

I am having the same issue with my machine. The tracking looks to be off when playing vhs tapes so I purchased a vhs cleaning tape and the machine just shuts off when I insert it. I cant rewind, play or fast forward because it shuts off. Did you ever find a reason for the problem?

No, unfortunately I didn't. I watched a YouTube video on cleaning the heads, though, and cleaned the audio head myself after taking the top off the machine. I've heard from several people since September, including a VCR repairman, that head-cleaner tapes are unreliable and may actually damage the heads of the VCR. (Cleaning the audio head didn't solve the audio problem I was having, by the way, but it was worth a shot.)

 

[Teresa metheny]

No, unfortunately I didn't. I watched a YouTube video on cleaning the heads, though, and cleaned the audio head myself after taking the top off the machine. I've heard from several people since September, including a VCR repairman, that head-cleaner tapes are unreliable and may actually damage the heads of the VCR. (Cleaning the audio head didn't solve the audio problem I was having, by the way, but it was worth a shot.)

Ok, thank you for your quick reply