When I put a tape in my tape player, instead of trying to play the tape it just keeps trying to flip sides. What is the problem?

It happens when the tape cassette is bad. The reversing mechanism works when the tape stops moving like at the end of the reel. It the tape doesn't move, it reverses.

Try different tapes first, to see if the problem goes away. It also may be time for radio/tape player overhaul or replacement.

Most likely it is the drive belt for the cassette player. The Fiero Store has a kit to replace the belts and nylon/rubber rollers for $25.00. If you just want to get the tape player working cheaply, You can open the radio and remove the cassete player. Once it's out you can remove the most likely broken belt and most car stereo repair shops have a wide selection of belts. They can match it up. It'll cost about $2.00 for the belt.
If you plan on keeping the radio/cassette player I'd go with the rebuild kit.

That's it Oreif, mine did the exact thing!!! Got the repair kit(rubber band) from FS. It has worked fine 3yrs now with no problems. It was a easy fix. I just wish I could hook up a 1000 watt amp to the stock radio and have it sound good!! (lol)

DXR_DAD

Rodney Dickman sell replacement belts for both types of radios.

Roy

You can grab the belt (I am 99% sure that is your problem) from a GOOD electronic store, but you have to find another thing to figure out which way the belt goes on, other wise your gonna put it all back together, and it won't work (the belt goes on in a very strange way)...

This is thepulley arrangement of the standard GM AM/FM Cassette deck.
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.O . .O .
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Imagine that you are looking at the three pulleys with the small drive pulley at the bottom left. Travelling counter-clockwise the belt leaves the bottom side of the drive pulley and goes around the far right pulley back down between the two large pulleys back to the drive pulley.

I bought half dozen belts from a local electronics store for $1.87 each and repaired 5 of my GM tape players.

Hope this helps,

Carroll