Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause
reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes or a damaged
mechanism. Cassette tapes should
be stored in their
cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight and
extreme heat. If they aren’t, they may not operate
properly or may cause failure
of the tape player.
Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every
50 hours of use. Your radio may display CLN to indicate
that you have used your tape player for
50 hours without
resetting the tape clean timer,
If this message appears
on the display, your cassette tape player needs to be
cleaned. It will still play tapes, but you should clean it as
soon as possible to prevent damage to your tapes and
player. If you notice a reduction in sound quality, try a
known good cassette to see if it is the tape or the tape
player at fault. If this other cassette has no improvement
in sound quality, clean the tape player.
Cleaning may be done with a scrubbing action,
non-abrasive cleaning cassette with pads which scrub
the tape head as the hubs
of the cleaner cassette turn. It
is normal for the cassette to eject while cleaning because
your unit is equipped with a cut tape feature. To
temporarily override this feature for vehicles with
Automatic Tone Control (for one insertion), turn on the
ignition then turn the radio off and press and hold TAPE AUX until the tape symbol
flashes on the display, then
insert the cassette again. For vehicles without Automatic
Tone Control, press both SEEK arrows within five
seconds
of inserting the cassette with the ignition and
radio
off. Insert the cassette at least three times to ensure
thorough cleaning.
A scrubbing action cleaning cassette
is available through your GM dealership.
You may also choose a non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt to clean
the tape head. This type of cleaning cassette will not
eject. It may not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing
type cleaner.
The cassette tape player is able to detect a broken tape.
Some cleaning cassettes may appear as a broken tape.
If
the cleaning cassette is ejected immediately from the
tape player, follow these steps:
1. Turn the radio off.
2. Turn the ignition on.
3. Press and hold the TAPE-AUX button until the tape
symbol flashes.
4. Insert the cleaning cassette and the radio will turn on
in cassette mode.
5. Eject the tape after the tape player has been cleaned.
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When the cleaning cassette has been ejected, the broken
tape detection feature is active again.
After you clean the player, press and hold EJECT for
five seconds to reset the CLN indicator. The radio will
display
--- to show the indicator was reset.
Cassettes are subject to wear and
the sound quality
may degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette
tape is in good condition before you have your tape
player serviced.
Care of Your Compact Discs
Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust. If the surface of a disc is soiled, dampen
a
clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution and
clean it, wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never to touch the signal surface when handling
discs. Pick up discs by grasping the outer edges or the
edge of the hole and the outer edge.
Fixed Mast Antenna
The fixed mast antenna can withstand most car washes
without being damaged. If the mast should ever become
slightly bent, you can straighten it out
by hand. If the
mast is badly bent, as it might be by vandals, you should
replace it.
Check every once in
a while to be sure the mast is still
tightened to the cowl.
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