Also, why does old battery gunk have to look like earwax... ๐
What's wrong with it / what are you having trouble with?
Kinda hard to offer advice without knowing what the difficulty is.
this post was submitted on 08 Sep 2026
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So unfortunately there seem to be two symptoms:
- The spinning units do not rotate - need to change the rubber band?
- There is only sound in one ear (right) - I did clean the headphone jack...
For issue 2, Can you clean the tape head?
Opened it up again and found the culprit for issue #1 ๐คฃ
Done! Forgot to mention, that it also has an AM/FM receiver and that's how I checked the audio.
Once you get the battery working, check how the belt is. Hopefully it's easy to change.
Thanks! The belt seems to have a pretty forward config!
That's awesome!
White vinegar is better than alcohol for cleaning battery corrosion. Battery acid is actually a base, so the acidic vinegar neutralizes it.
Another thing worth noting is that these things usually have a screw somewhere that adjusts playback speed. Though, it doesn't always look like a screw. You may find that you have to adjust it after you get the new belt.
Thanks! I did indeed find not one but two adjustable potentiometers. I wonder what the other one is for... Radio tuning or volume?
I know that other models have one for the radio, so that's probably it.
Vinegar, then isopropyl to clean the battery contacts.
And I'll bet it needs a new belt.
Lots of people on YouTube doing these kinds of repairs. Techmoan, msmadlemon, etc.
Thanks! ๐๐
I mean, only one ear working is what makes a walkman a walkman.
Whaaaa?๐