The ~ 1995 Pioneer KEH-P4200 radio/cassette player in my 1987 Jeep
Cherokee intermittanly does not play a cassette tape when the tape is
first inserted.
That is: I have to insert-eject-insert-eject... the audio tape anywhere
from 3 to a dozen times before the tape motor engages, but note that
each time after the insert is done the "display arrows" show that the
tape is moving (when it is not).
This problem started in the near 100-degree heat of this past Summer
2006, when all of a sudden the first symptom was no-play-at-all from
the cassette mechanism.
Being a die-hard, I bought a couple of different tape-cleaning
cassettes and after a few weeks of total-no-play (insert-eject many
dozens + dozens of times), the cassette motor started to work the
cassette-cleaner and the problem eventually reduced to as described
above.
Currently when the audio tape plays, all is well (no other problems
whatsoever) and if I leave the previously- playing audio tape in the
mechanisim, then each time I start the vehicle the audio tape will play
100% of the time.
Any suggestions as to what the problem might be ?
(in general terms, it appears to me to be some type of internal
mechanical on-off switch for the cassette-play mechanism ?)
Note:  if the recommendation is to buy a replacement radio/CD player,
then I have my eye on the Sony CDX-GT310 but for 2 concerns:
1) I have very stiff Gabriel shocks in this Jeep (no, the vehicle
suspension is not raised up - it's just very stiff) and I am concerned
about CD playback-skip due to the stiff suspension going over normal
roadway bumps;
2) I have dozens of cassette tapes that I would rather not spend $ on
replacing with used CDs.