Audio Systems: cassette jam, principles of operation, tiny hole

Question
hi, um i have a tape player in my car that is pretty old. One day i tried to eject a tape from the player and it got stuck in the player. I cant eject the tape fully because it is to far back in the player to pop out. Is there any way i can get the tape out with out taking apart the console?

Answer
If you go to this site:

www.fixer.com

you will get lots of good ideas.  This site is devoted to home vcrs, not car cassette units.  BUT: the principles of operation are the same and you may find the suggestions are very suitable for your unit.

http://fixer.com/no-eject.php

is the page to start looking at.

Also, check your manual that came with the car; often they will include an instruction of how to remove cassettes.  In some mechanisms there is a little button behind a tiny hole on the front of the panel that will release the tape. Try looking for that.

If you do not have the manual and you know the maker of the unit you can often download the manual from the manufacturers web pages (or a model similar enough to yours).

Lastly, if nothing seems to work, try removing power from the unit. Sometimes that will deenergize the mechanism and allow the mechanics to relax and release the tape.  You can remove power by pulling the fuse out that feeds the player.

Hope these ideas work for you.
Cleggsan