VZ-2000 - Cut/tone arm lock solenoid not locking

Hey guys,

I have recently started playing round with a VZ-2000 for a mate.

It has had the belts changed, and everything is working, except the when the stylus goes to drop, something is restricting the lock solenoid from locking. Happening on both sides, does anyone know what would inhibit the cut lock?

Been looking through the service manual, but having trouble working it out...

Cooch

Check that 33 45 sensor inside the cassette door I'm sorry the record player door

I'm having this problem.
The solenoid gives up either instantly or after about a second after dropping the stylus. You'll hear a fraction of a second of music and PSYCH! Goes back up.

I cleaned the LEDs and sensors for the 33/45 switch, turned the dial to auto, no difference.

Is it possible the control board is bad in some way? Am I missing a dirty sensor somewhere?

Here's a video of the problem - it's almost like the left solenoid isn't getting a signal to push down, to lock the position of the bracket being set by the right solenoid.

First you see it fail trying to lower the tonearm. Then the minor click is from it trying to put the tonearm up, but it's already up.

Then I do it again but I push it down since the solenoid won't. Then it holds it in place until I release it with the tonearm up button.

It's almost like there's a spring missing, because if I keep gentle pressure on the left shaft, it still has enough force from the solenoid to kick it back up to allow the right one to do its thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGPXWj5Seg8

Thanks to a large selection of coils I found one with just the right diameter and force.
All turntable functions seem fine now.
That was the weirdest repair I think I've done.
Now I just have to do the solenoid for side B

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRAdkQLkr4c

Eric, So where was the solenoid piston spring in the first video? It was not there, or lost the action?

~Royce

The first video shows the problem of not properly engaging the tonearm for playing.
What I tried to show is how I could make it work with pressure from my finger.
So, I added the spring to add the pressure.
I'm so confused, I don't know how is this working for all other VZ2000s without springs.

Solonoids usually have springs. Dont they both have oem springs?

baddboybill said:

Solonoids usually have springs. Dont they both have oem springs?

Click to expand...

Exactly! The piston is spring loaded.

baddboybill said:

Solonoids usually have springs. Dont they both have oem springs?

Click to expand...

All four solenoids (two for side A, two for side B) are missing springs, so I'm not sure they were part of the original build.

I haven't tried playing it upright yet, but perhaps it relies on gravity to work the pistons properly.

I thought of what it might be.
I was removing the tape I put over the record cut switch on the bottom when it dawned on me that Sharp might be relying on the downward pull of gravity to keep the pistons out of the solenoid coil. When the unit is standing up in the normal position, the solenoids are mounted where the pistons are essentially dangling.
It's still odd to omit a part as cheap as a spring, just makes it harder to use horizontally. Is that so wrong?

May be Sharp don't want it play in the horizontal position because the stylus may not work well from the reverse side!
It is hard to control the stylus pressure from underneath.

They want the pistons dangling.

That's a good possibility!
Well, in the end, I only had to remove the spring for the side B solenoid for it to play upright.
The side A solenoid works vertically and horizontally with the spring.