I recently picked up a Beogram 8002 for virtually nothing.  It was untested and apparently had been in storage for quite a few years.  Here’s the problem: when I press play, the tone arm begins to move over to the record, but almost immediately retracts back to its rest position.  If I repeatedly press play it will eventually move over to the record and play properly.   If I press the ß button, this helps move the tone arm over to the record.   After it plays the record (which presumably means the turntable has warmed up), it will then operate properly.  I only have to hit play once and the tone arm will function as it should.   Then, after a short period of not being used (an hour or two), the same problem returns.  I tried putting a drop of oil on the silver rod that the tone arm slides along – didn’t help.

Any thoughts?   Why does the tone arm at first exhibit resistance to move over to the record, then it vanishes, then it comes back again?  Posessed?

 

Congrats on a great machine. It almost certainly needs capacitor replacement. (both of mine did). Replace the caps and begin enjoying. If it has another cause (unlikely) it will be easier to nail it down with capacitors out of the mix. phil

I agree.

My Beogram 8002 used to do this too. Sometimes you could push start a few times before it would actually play other times the arm would go to the end and get stuck. In the end it started to skate over the first numbers of a record. Getting fed up I finally took it to Dillen/Martin who went through it changing a docen or so of the caps and whatever else needed. I got it back a year ago and it still plays like new with no problems at all.

Contact Dillen here by pm for info on the cap kits. If you want back in order you don't have much better options. Dillen is the only one who supplies cap kits.