1997 Toyota Tacoma Owners Manual - Page 106

AM Fading-AM broadcasts are reflected by the upper atmosphere-especially at night. These reflected signals can interfere with those received directly from the radio station, causing the radio station to sound alternately strong and weak. Station interference-When a reflected signal and a signal received directly from a radio station are very nearly the same frequency, they can interfere with each other, making it difficult to hear the broadcast. Static-AM is easily affected by external sources of electrical noise, such as high tension power lines, lightening, or electrical motors. This results in static. CARING FOR YOUR CASSETTE PLAYER AND TAPES For high performance from your cassette player and tapes: Clean the tape head and other parts regularly. S A dirty tape head or tape path can decrease sound quality and tangle your cassette tapes. The easiest way to clean them is by using a cleaning tape. (A wet type is recommended.) Use high-quality cassettes. S Low-quality cassette tapes can cause many problems, including poor sound, inconsistent playing speed, and constant auto-reversing. They can also get stuck or tangled in the cassette player. S Do not use a cassette if it has been damaged or tangled or if its label is peeling off. S Do not leave a cassette in the player if you are not listening to it, especially if it is hot outside. S Store cassettes in their cases and out of direct sunlight. S Avoid using cassettes with a total playing time longer than 100 minutes (50 minutes per side). The tape used in these cassettes is thin and could get stuck or tangled in the cassette player. 101