1997 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Owner's Manual - Page 138

Care of Your Cassette Tape Player A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes or a damaged mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight and extreme heat. If they aren't, they may not operate properly or may cause failure of the tape player. Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every 50 hours of use. Your radio may display CLN to indicate that you have used your tape player for 50 hours without resetting the tape clean timer. If this message appears on the display, your cassette tape player needs to be cleaned. It will still play tapes, but you should clean it as soon as possible to prevent damage toyour tapes and player. If you notice a reduction in sound quality, try a known good cassette to see if it is the tape or the tape player at fault.If this other cassette has no improvement in sound quality, clean the tape player. Cleaning may be done with a scrubbing action, non-abrasive cleaning cassette with pads which scrub the tape head as the hubs of the cleaner cassette turn. It is normal for the cassette to eject while cleaning. Insert the cassette at least three times to ensure thorough cleaning. A scrubbing action cleaning cassette is available through your Chevrolet dealership. You may also choosea non-scrubbing action, wet-type cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt to clean the tape head. This type of cleaning cassette will not eject and, it may not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing type cleaner. After you clean the player, press and hold EJECT for five seconds to reset the CLN indicator. The radio will display --- to show the indicator was reset. Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality may degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette tape is in good condition before you have your tape player serviced.