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Teac a3440 record and play issue...please help..i am gonna get crazy

S

soufis

New Member
Hello...i bought from ebay a TEAC 3440...really in a good price...i had to put only a capstan belt.I oiled also the pinch roller shaft and capstan bearing..everything worked fine ...i thought then that i would have only to clean the linkage because of the sticky pinch roller syndrome but today something went wrong.
I connected the Teac in a wrong way with a dbx 228 unit.After that:

1)The Teac can play recorded music on my reels only in sync function.In play function,everything mechanically seems ok,but no sound ,no vu meters signal.

2)When i record, everything again seems ok(vu meters signal using source function,red lights on,pinch roller to the right position,capstan and reels move )...when i go back the tape, to listen the result ,(using play or even sync function),i can't hear anything..it's like i have never recorded.

I only saw the fuses on top..they seem to be ok...(i haven't checked them)...someone said to this forum that the cards need resetting...what is this exactly?

I would appreciate so much if someone knows something about this...unfortunately,there is no money available for service at the moment, in a service store....
Big THANK YOU
 
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i took them off..and put the preamp>dbx 228>teac
or preamp>teac>dbx 228..but i did several connections.i tried also the input -output of teac instead of the rear teac's slots for the dbx..i still don't know the correct chain and how exactly to connect them.
thank you for the help
 
i think the problem is almost fixed..i did put back the jumpers...play output works fine , but now, to the 3rd channel, after i record something(source output select or sync),i can only hear the playback in sync output ..not in play output.The other 3 channels(1,2,4) work great!
1000 thanks PETEHALL347..if you have any thoughts about this please let me know....you just said before the magic word ''jumpers''.
 
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Hi soufis,

People not familiar with these units often get into trouble with them. There is also the need to resolder connections on the motherboard due to sloppy manufacture or wave soldering where little solder is used. The problem can be isolated by taking a good card and trying it in a slot where a bad one is. You need to take the bottom cover off and also the back to get the retaining bar off.
Number these cards first so that they can go back in the right place. Then in a position (channel that works 100%) take that card and carefully place it into the slot that the bad card is. Now determine if the problem stays on that channel of moved with the card- If it moves with the card the card need repair.
If the good card in the bad slot gives the same problem then there are motherboard feed-throughs that may have broken or other solder joints that are not making a contact. I have been working on these for 40 years and was a Teac Lead Technician in Chicago. I am still in the business of working on these units. If you do not know anything about Electronics then the unit is best repaired by a Technician. Two remain that are still good at the job.
New Jersey Factory Service in New Jersey and I am in the Chicago area.
If you need help from us, let me know. Any machine that comes off E bay unless it is from a Technician is most certainly going to need service just as the belt problem indicated to you when you got it.
Sam of Skywave Tape Deck Repair
 
hello skywabelle and thank you for your reply...i took off these 4 cards(just by opening the back cover,and taking off the 4 card mount bracket),cleaned the pins and connections and put them back..the problem exists..i didn't think to put a good working card to the 3rd channel...greta idea..i didn't know that every card could fit in every slot..that could give me an answer for sure..so i will try this immediately..if the 3rd channel will be still dead in playback i will have to go then to a technician.otherwise i will try to fix the bad card.I live in Greece so i don't have many options for servicing this TEAC...thanks again
 
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looks like you are in good hands now . mine is needing new belts and a service so i cant even look at it to give you anything to try . i haven't used it for around 8 years so cant remember much .
all the best in getting a great machine running as it should .
 
It's ok petehall347..you already gave me a great help..i could never think that these back jumpers could make such a difference..i though that they were just plastic caps for the rca sockets...:thmbsp::thmbsp:
 
i take it you have the user manual ? i think its online.. if not .. if you want it and cant find send me a p.m . i have paper copy i can scan .
 
Identical symptoms to the A3440 I have for sale currently.

The motherboard pins absolutely need to be resoldered, they are more likely to cause this than the actual cards.

Deoxidize everything.

John
 
jdurbin1 said:
Identical symptoms to the A3440 I have for sale currently.

The motherboard pins absolutely need to be resoldered, they are more likely to cause this than the actual cards.

Deoxidize everything.

John
Click to expand...
Hello John..i will definitely deoxidize every visible connection on the motherboard and on the problematic card..i will swap the cards also to see what will happen.
I have read your common problem you had last year and i am glad to see that you have fixed it.:thmbsp:
As you can see,i am trying my best here,to avoid going to experts((very expensive-when i told them(official Teac service here in Greece) 3 weeks ago that the reels don't move after i press ''play'',they said that the belts need replacing and this service starts from 150 euros.Then i started fixing everything i could, by my own(replacing capstan belt,oiling capstan and pinch roller,cleaning the capstan assembly,adjusting the distance between pinch roller and capstan))
..Hopefully i found a good expert now and if all this cleaning will not work,i will have to take the deck there....
Thank you
 
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I cleaned with a deoxide spray every contact(clip-pins) i could see on the motherboard,the function button contacts from inside,the contacts of back jumpers, and especially the contacts for the 4 cards....no change..i swapped the cards..the problem exists in 3rd channel...too much hiss ..almost no signal in playback...even when i press ''stop'' ,i hear the same hiss,only to this channel...and only to play output...not to sync output. ...as it seems an expert has to look the motherboard or something else..i think i will not be able to do this(a lot of parts have to be taken out),and maybe i could cause a bigger problem..at least i know now that these 4 playback cards work ok,and i will inform the expert of what i have done so far.It will be a great chance also to re-calibrate the machine using RMGI SM900, tapes which i use with my awesome Revox PR99 MKI. Re-soldering pins on the motherboard seems to be a hard job for me!At least at the moment.
Thank you all for the help!!!:sadwave:

PS:Of course i will let you know soon i hope, what was the problem exactly...
 
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Did you actually resolder the pins on the motherboard as recommended by a few people previously? Takes more than just cleaning - and possibly my post was confusing, I meant to clean the pots and switches, as opposed to these audio card connectors (though that's ok to do).

Bad solder joints at the motherboard audio card header pins is the #1 known weak point on these decks... if the problem stays with one channel, and doesn't "follow" that card when you move it to another bay, that is 99% likely to be your problem. Probably has a cracked joint on a signal ground path at the motherboard connector, or if someone has been in there before you, possibly a solder bridge that is connecting pins that shouldn't be connected.

John
 
jdurbin1 said:
Did you actually resolder the pins on the motherboard as recommended by a few people previously? Takes more than cleaning.
Bad solder joints at the motherboard audio card header pins is the #1 known weak point on these decks... if the problem stays with one channel, and doesn't "follow" that card when you move it to another bay, that is 99% likely to be your problem. Probably has a cracked joint on a signal ground path at the motherboard connector, or if someone has been in there before you, possibly a solder bridge that is connecting pins that shouldn't be connected.

John
Click to expand...
hello...i believe you,that this is the basic problem..just i wanted to be sure that it's not a matter of cleaning,and a matter of a faulty playback card..to re-solder joints on the motherboard, needs to take out the motherboard.. am i right?Will it be too risky for a newbie like me, to do this?As i can see,many parts of the motherboard,are connected to some front parts of the deck...should i pull out from the front,everything connected to the motherboard?(service and part manual doesn't help a lot)
 
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No, the mother board does not need to be removed. Only the "through pins" need to be resoldered. They are metal tubes with hollow center. Only about 10 or less of those IIRC. Takes a minute or so to do.
 
tapetech said:
No, the mother board does not need to be removed. Only the "through pins" need to be resoldered. They are metal tubes with hollow center. Only about 10 or less of those IIRC. Takes a minute or so to do.
Click to expand...

ok..i opened the back cover again...i can see on the right side of the motherboard (the large board where the 4 small playback cards seat on-FUNCTION PCB ASSY motherboard)a dark red part, that has 12 tall pins...the pins look like those you describe...metal thin tubes with a small hole in the center of their heads .4 of those pins are straight soldered to 4 cables without a plastic clip connector (cable order from inside to outside) : 1 black,then 1 light blue, then an orange one, ,then no connection to the next pin, ,then 1 pink cable .These are the only visible connections(do not look in a good condition-not shiny) i could re-solder on this motherboard.Should i leave questions and take action now?
 
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There are no wires soldered to the through-pins and there are more than 4. You may be looking at the wrong items. They should be visible from both sides of the mother board.
 
:confused: Sorry guys for my little knowledge,and for bothering you......i have this TEAC only for 3-4 weeks...
Obviously i was looking to the wrong place.
I think i should first swap the correct boards ..i was swapping LIKE AN IDIOT, the PCB ASSY SYNC/EQ small cards on the function motherboard..i believe i will have to bother with these large PCB ASSY REC/PLAY boards,which are placed on the bottom of the machine,after taking out the bottom cover.If placing a good card to the faulty 3rd channel will give the same results,then i will re-solder the ''through pins''
I feel that i am in right way now...but just in case:could you guide me please where these ''through pins''are placed exactly?...any photos available? I have the manuals..maybe you can give me the number of these parts..
......I will give my last try as soon as i have a reply from you...
....Sorry again:scratch2:

Update+Photos from the bottom:after swapping the correct rec/play cards,no change at all....so these boards seem to work well... next and final step:re-soldering pins....i don't have access from the top of the motherboard...there is the function PCB board that covers it....i can see only some bad soldering on the motherboard, from the bottom of the machine,after taking out the 4 PCB REC/PLAY cards.
 

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That looks like the right header pins... it's the other side that you want to check for bad solder joints, at the headers specifically.

John
 
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