I HATE Funai TV/VCR combinations!
 

Today, someone brought me a 2006 Magnavox branded Funai-built TV/VCR/DVD combination with a torn up VCR mechanism. These units are designed to shut off when the VCR mechanism screws up. They will power on for a few seconds and then shut off. On the one I'm working on, I pulled the mechanism out and I have tried jumping terminals to ground, as well as jumping terminals together and nothing I do will force the chassis to stay powered up. Surely, there's a way to make it stay on; but, I can't find it.

I swear, I think they made them like this on purpose so if the VCR mechanism goes bad; then, the owner loses the TV and therefore can get no use from the unit.

So, does anyone know how to force this thing to stay on before I lose my temper on it?

As someone who HAS lost their temper on a few, and flung them in the dumpster as hard as I could, I don't have a "fix" answer for you. However.. I did have one a little older that if I left a tape in it, the TV portion would stay on.

Join my I hate Funai club. I refused to work on them. Anyhows
be sure the deck is in "park" & the basket is in the empty state.
You can do it manually by turning the load belt. IIRC its a small
belt on one side that was prone to break. Kinda hard to
explain but you basicly have to get the mech. into its no
cassette pos. There was also something else that was common,
end sensors ???
Glad its you and not me.

73 Zeno:smoke:

Perhaps some electrical tape over the little tape sensor stalk, which is roughly between the two reel hubs?

If I remember correctly, this will work. I remember also taking a VHS tape apart and removing the tape from the reels and using the empty case to "fool" it into allowing the TV to stay powered up.

I was an authorized service center for Funai back in the 90's, and (at that time), they were pretty much garbage.

And, they only got worse by 2006.

Perhaps losing your temper on it would be the best use for one of these, and more fun than trying to fix it.

Hehehehehe...And I have a GREAT "Temper-Losing Control Device"...A fully automatic Uzi...Its AMAZING how much better you feel after unloading several clips of 9 MikeMike at an unrepentant cranky BPC/POS TV, BoomBox, what have you...Or Roof-Testing the Funai into a empty dumpster...

You cound have sent'em all to me I made lots of $$ fixing those sets in and out of warranty, or under service contract. Some people got their moneysworth out of those extended service contracts! We were a Funai-Symphonic and Philips-Magnavox authorized service center. Had those suckers mastered. I'm still trying to remember how to get one to stay powered on, seems like just pulling out the mechanism and making sure the rotary mode encoder switch on the main board is in the proper position with the ^ alignment marking lined up properly to the Eject position. But it's been 5-6 years since I worked on any.

Ed
I feel your pain.
I was the jig man & dog man so didnt have to deal with VCR's.
Mechanics were not fun for me so I stuck with TV & kept an eye on
what was going on. when the flats came out I worked on a few
and it wasnt fun so I went part time & did whatever CRT's
were left. Shop now closed abt 3 yrs.

73 Zeno:smoke:

The small rotary switch under the transport cam gear gets oxidized and the unit thinks it needs to eject the tape even tho it is already out. Usually they make a loud clicking noise as the worm gear slips on the drive gear. It will eventually break the drive gear or loader gear. Cleaning that switch usually fixes that problem. On some later ones the tension arm won't move properly due to a broken pin on it's lever underneath. These can be hateful as the later ones had no plugs on the transport. The wire harness' were solded on both ends making it a time consuming repair to remove the transport. I've got a few customers that love the 13 inch versions. I've "retired" a few that were too broken up. It amazes me how they can get any transport stability as it is nealy all plastic. Once running, the tape path is pretty tight from tape to tape.
And before I forget, no take up is usually the clutch has fallen apart. Put it back together, straighten any broken levers.

Roof-Testing; Gracie??

hey hey hey now. by damn your 100% right those are a bonified piece of crap. i never fixed many of those. steve

I tried playing around with the mode switch and it still won't stay on. I'll play with it a little while longer before I give up on it. If the owner gives it to me, I'll have fun destroying it. Actually, a friend has a 13" Funai TV/VCR combo that he thinks needs a new remote sensor; so, I'll make sure to save the one out of this set before destroying it.

Yeah...Time-honored way of testing/disposing of BPC/POS electronics, or the fraternity next door's furniture...You haul it up on the roof, & then toss it over the side...The bigger the loud, greasy BANG the offending item in question makes, the better the beer-addled participants like it...