[brenhow]

I hope someone has some advice for me, because I'm at my wit's end trying to figure out what is wrong!

I have been using my 20GB iPod in my car for about a year with a cheapie cassette adapter that came with a CD player. I have never experienced a single problem until a few days ago, when I noticed that the left channel had disappered. I switched over to the radio and found that the left SPEAKER was working just fine ... only the iPod signal was causing trouble.

I went inside and listened to the iPod with headphones, and the left channel was right where it was supposed to be. Therefore, I deduced that the problem was the cassette adapter, so I bought a new one. Weirdly, the problem remained. Then I tried to play a cassette AND IT WORKED JUST FINE. Strong signal from both channels, so it's not a problem with the cassette deck.

Somehow, my iPod has stopped giving a left-channel signal, but only when the signal is being sent through a cassette adapter. Anybody else have a similar experience? Any idea how to fix it?

Bren

[Diggory Laycock]

Sounds like the cassette adapter has gone wrong - the same thing happened to me a few years ago.

The magnetic head (in the fake tape) will have gone out of alignment with the other Magnetic Head (in the tape deck)

This happens. you generally have to get a new adapter. (or an iTrip )

[icruise]

Didn't he say he already bought a new one?

[Diggory Laycock]

Whoops! that will teach me to skim-read posts.

[exa]

Are you sure the signal when playing a regular cassette was not mono? Does seem strange though. Cassette adapters are expensive.

[brenhow]

The cassette was stereo, and I hear the signal out of both speakers as clear as day UNLESS I am listening to the iPod through the cassette adapter. Since I originally posted, I tried listening to a CD player through the cassette adapter, and I am having the same problem.

Apparently, the issue is with the way the cassette player talks to the cassette adapter. It's just weird because I have been using the adapter for well over two years without issue.

Bren

[hempcamp]

The tape head may be dirty or magnetized just enough that it won't work on the left channel with a tape adapter, only with a regular tape.

Buy a tape head cleaning kit and run it a few times, then try your tape adapter/iPod combo again. You can get these cheap at Wal Mart or Radio Shack.

--Chris

[zigzag]

My cassette adapter (Sony) has a little switch near the head that re-aligns it. Try that if you have one. Another trick is to insert the adapter in the opposite direction (i.e. flip it over) if your deck allows it.

If those don't work, you might have a problem with your tape head.

[SomeToast]

Do you have a reversible cassette deck? Are you trying to play the flip side of the adapter?

All the adapters I've ever used worked in one direction only (the head in the adapters were offset to one side).