My (f-bomb)ing radio! Damn it!

[CheeseSteakJim]

I have the stock stereo in my '88 Town Car. The one with the tape deck and the toggle volume control. Well, lately it hasn't wanted to eject my tape adapter for my mp3 player as readily. Sometimes it'd eject it, sometimes it wouldn't. Now it won't at all. It won't even respond to hitting the eject button. The tape also wiggles around inside the deck and unless it's in the right position it doesn't transmit music to all six speakers correctly. The slightest jostle will screw it up, too.

Can I fucking fix this piece of shit myself, or am I going to have to replace it? I'm betting it'd be bad to attempt to pry to tape out of the deck, which is why I haven't done that yet. I have too many other, more important monetary obligations to my car than something as inconveniencing as this.

P.S. back when I first got the car (2+ years ago) it once and a while would eat a tape. Dunno if that has anything to do with my current problem, but it chewed up a Bob Seger tape pretty hungrily and I've been wanting revenge ever since. I'd rather not replace it right now though because I don't have the money to buy a nice head unit, and I kind of like my ridiculously dated stock stereo.

[gabegt90]

shit I would just open it up and get my cassette adapter back. The stock radio's should be cheap to find. does your towney have premium sound? Mine did the same think it would eat tapes. I just ended upgrading my radio to a 94 sable cassette radio

[gadget73]

the mechanism is probably damaged inside. The harder you press those buttons, the more likely it is to damage it. Pull it apart, get your adapter back. If you look at the mechanism, you may be able to find the problem but I wouldn't be too surprised if its shot. Also, you will need a Lincoln radio, they have different plugs on the back of them that Ford and Mercury radios don't have. They went to that specific style of radio in 1988. I think Conti radios also work.

[CheeseSteakJim]

the mechanism is probably damaged inside. The harder you press those buttons, the more likely it is to damage it. Pull it apart, get your adapter back. If you look at the mechanism, you may be able to find the problem but I wouldn't be too surprised if its shot. Also, you will need a Lincoln radio, they have different plugs on the back of them that Ford and Mercury radios don't have. They went to that specific style of radio in 1988. I think Conti radios also work.

Dumb question, but to pull it apart I'm gonna have to get those radio removal coat-hanger things to take the thing out of the dash, huh?

I'd have to replace this one with either the same exact one, or an aftermarket unit. I'm not gonna replace it with another factory unit.

[Dave84]

You can buy an mp3 adapter that plugs into the cigarette lighter. You just have to tune the radio and the adapter to the same station but the station has to be out of range.

[CheeseSteakJim]

You can buy an mp3 adapter that plugs into the cigarette lighter. You just have to tune the radio and the adapter to the same station but the station has to be out of range.

I've had two of those and I've found that they generally don't put out a strong enough signal to really have as good sound quality as a tape adapter, especially not for the price. If/when I replace this stock unit with an aftermarket one, I'll be buying one that has an AUX port on it and I'll connect it through that.

[86VickyLX]

I replaced my original one with another one form the junkyard. Mine crackled when I changed the volume and it would eat tapes. No problem now.

[91waggin]

Dumb question, but to pull it apart I'm gonna have to get those radio removal coat-hanger things to take the thing out of the dash, huh?

I'd have to replace this one with either the same exact one, or an aftermarket unit. I'm not gonna replace it with another factory unit.

Cut up an actual coat hanger. Make the tails about 2" long, and shove 'em in there. Pull each one towards the outside of the radio and yank the sucker out. Actual coat hanger worked like a charm on my buddy's Audi with those same holes.

[marquisman]

im hearing this right, right? people still use tapes? 8-tracks were better than tapes.lol

[91waggin]

im hearing this right, right? people still use tapes? 8-tracks were better than tapes.lol

+1

[gadget73]

I'm not sure if those need the removal tool or not. If you pull the dash trim out, you can remove the screws that hold it to the inner portion of the dashboard. if there are 4 holes on the faceplate of the radio, use the coathanger trick, if not, pull the trim and remove the radio that way.

[Dave84]

1990 is when Ford started using those stupid anti-theft clips. Yours will have 4 Philip screws holding the radio in.

[CheeseSteakJim]

im hearing this right, right? people still use tapes? 8-tracks were better than tapes.lol

I haven't used a tape since it ate my Bob Seger tape. I found it way in the back of a cabinet and figured it'd be kind of nostalgic to use my car's tape deck. Nowadays I just use it as a tape adapter for my mp3 player, which happens to be an old laptop.

1990 is when Ford started using those stupid anti-theft clips. Yours will have 4 Philip screws holding the radio in.

Wow, that's awesome. Even easier than I expected. I'll open it up in school on Monday just so I have something to do. For now I'm going to live with it, but I'm going to start planning for a new head unit.

[marquisman]

jua have to take the trim off around the radio and there will be either 5/16''screws or phillips and the trim around the info center buttons pops off

[86VickyLX]

it's easy, another stocker should swap right in, I had my old radio apart when it refused to eject a tape. It had a problem eating tapes too. I think I still have the old radio in the trunk, I might use the wiring harness for it.