Added: 3 years ago
From: Glass0NI0N
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  • i've been getting the C31:23 error and finally realized it was the pinch roller that was out of place due to a missing locking nut. so, last night - i did the exact thing you performed in your video here. and it worked! pinch roller is secured and free to spin as needed.

    the C31:23 error is gone - BUT - now, i'm getting a C32:22 error. i've never gotten this in the past; it's always been the C31:23. any thoughts?

  • @mindweiser i meant the C31:22! not the c32.

  • I must say that gravity may play a role in that little tube moving. Just an observation.

  • @hpet13

    I think it is a design issue. Vibration/ movement eventually makes it come off its spindle. A lock mechanism could have helped all the thousands of Sony camcorder users. I emailed Sony's Customer Services team about this issue and also sent them a link of this video and asked for their comments. I have not heard a thing. Too much embarrassment or they just do not want to bother with their "old" customers any longer?

  • That was just awesome!!!!

  • I have same error codes, but my pinch roller is dropped out and lost. Can you advise me, what are the dimensions of that pinch roller? Sony part no. X-3952-934-1 ARM ASSY, PINCH is very hard to find, but maybe pinch rollers are easier to found?

  • @67iigo

    Sorry, but I do not know its dims and cannot take it out from my PC110 to measure it accurately. Could Sony help you in this case?

    s

  • tht black wire thing u pulled out. can u please tell me wht it is called because i dont have it in my camera and i think it fell out or something. So, i want to try and buy one.

  • Use the insulation of an electrical cable. Try a couple. A 2.5mm sq one may be? It is also softer. Make sure it is a tight fit, but without having to press it down too much on the roller and pin, else you might damage things.

  • Ok, what's a biro tube and where do I get one? I know how to fix and it works when I push the roller down, but need that tube to get it to stay or can I use something else??

  • @sharazuck biro is Brit slang for a BIC pen

  • thumbs up... i recently got a 5 gallon bucket full of cameras and camcorders,, all with some problem or another. thanks to your video,, i was able to rob the roller out of one that wouldn't turn on, and fix the problem with another one.. thanks

  • Thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU! This was a quick easy fix after having the cam SITTINGt for 2 years. Where would we be without YouTube and smart people who share? I'm glad to have my cam back!

  • thanks a lot you save me a lot of time and money with this fix.I'd give you a great big man hug if were here, just kidding man.

  • Thank you very much. happened when I tried ..

  • All I had to do was give the thing a few pokes! Thank you so much!

  • ...are any other problems. I did a quick test and it seems to have recorded and played back ok. However, I'm doing an hours test to see if there are any issues during playback over a long period. Might have got seriously lucky and got away with it. Thanks Glass0NI0N - I'll let you know the results.

  • Comment removed

  • I accidently dropped my camera - it slipped out of my hand. Luckily it was from a low height but the camera door was open and it hit the edge of a drawer which was open. Out fell the roller and I thought that was it - busted! I then found this video and when I shook the camera a bit, out fell the little white plastic tube. After that it was a bit of fiddling to get in place. It seems that it wasn't that firmly in place to begin with. And it worked! Currently running a test to see if there...

  • DUDE!!! You're spot on with the problem. (Sucks that i just ordered a uded replacement on Ebay). That is EXACTLY what's wrong! Now what I need is some crazy glue.

  • @kurson Watch the glue you decided to use does not drip in the camera. You'll mess things up.

    Good luck dude!!!!

  • @Glass0NI0N ...thanks man, I will.

  • There have been so many positive repair success incidents comments on this video, that I think it might be worth contacting SONY for their positive comments. After all it is better to work with them rather than fight them. Any objections?

  • Impresionante. He conseguido arreglar la videocámara yo mismo, sin gastar dinero. Muchas gracias Glass0NI0N.

  • @shernans

    This translates:

    Impressive. I myself have managed to fix the video camera, without spending money. Thank you very much Glass0NI0N.

  • @shernans

    This translates:

    Impressive. I myself have managed to fix the video camera, without spending money. Thank you very much Glass0NI0N.

  • Translated at:

    translation2.paralink.com

  • Thank you very much!

  • CAMERA WILL NOT REWIND AND ROLLER FELL OUT OF PLACE AFTER SOME TIME SO I NOW UNDERSTAND WHY YOU NEED THE TUBE...THANKS AGAIN.

  • I FOUND THE TAPE ROLL WEDGED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CAMERA...I PLACED IT WHERE IT BELONGS WITHOUT DOING ANY CUTTINGS AND CAMERA WORKED...THANK YOU VERY MUCH YOU SAVED ME $600+ FOR A REPAIR.

  • @MetallicBill > Engineering gone wrong! Agree. A screw to hold roller in place would be nice. Hope Sony designers learn.

  • What is the name of that black piece you fix?

  • seems the tolerances or clearances that should be engineered in are not as close as they should be, I've not seen a problem with the capston or pinch rollars, that I recall, but I did think some of the tape guides mounted to plastic in front of the head drum were seemingly broken, they were sooooo loose! As far as mounts though, on a larger VHS machine, the pinch roller normally has a screw in "cap" for fastening them down, no need for a straw /pen piece

  • Very nice tips man!!!! It work with a tip of a pencil that i have...NO MORE THE DAMM ERROR MESSAGE AND IT WORK PERFECT! THANKS!

  • C:31:30 is also an issue. You turn off your camcorder, unplug it and take out the battery for 60 seconds...it will force the tape to eject. The error happens when a tape ribbon goes bad...you have to fix the tape before you put it back in, make sure the ribbon is tight and alighned

  • @lynx777 You mean there's tape slack on the cassette end, correct? The thing to do with all tapes you use is to find something around your home you can release the supply and take up reel "catch" with, this is typically a sliding plastic affair accessed via a hole in the cassette shell near the label side

  • @MetallicBill: Right....I had to take out the battery, let the cam reset for a minute, the tape popped out..and I had to remove the slack from the tape and all fixed.....whew...really had me scared...hope this helps anyone with this error message....your vid is great too by the way.

  • @lynx777 I felt like the videos and some lengthy scenarios really aid the novice I should hope, the repair costs are not worth it these days, or ever, They over-charge for any and everything, If you're not scared away from small parts, Often what you need to overcome some of that is just keep one or two micro screw drivers with a magnetic charge, you can then make sure the screws attach while putting them on or taking them off

  • hi again and thanks for your emails! since 2003 i didnt buy it anymore something from sony and i will never buy(this because my friends have a lot of problems with theyr gadgets like a 40 ´´ lcd that broken before he paid for it,or a 1600€ vaio laptop with his mainboard broken in 0ne year of light usage)(to say that this 2 friends are electricians and very carefully with theyr stuff)....nice work with the video ....now i can watch all my old videos again...have a nice weekend from Valencia,Spain

  • hello to all! yes there is the problem.I have an old 2oo3 sony and now i remembered that i have a lot of tapes recorded a long tiime a go and want it to watch.the problem is fixed but i didnt take it out the piece because it was stuck there only i press it a bit

    and done now works(sory for my poor english)

  • @nicusor1977 This explains in my opinion the cases where people "bash" their camera and it starts working. You just did it in a "more-gentle" way. Be aware it does not come off and you loose it. It will cost you 31$ X plus P+P to replace from SONY.

    BTY, your English makes good sense. Take good care and thanx for the post.

    I just hope others do the same as you before they start hitting their cameras.

  • @nicusor1977 @nicusor1977 Thinking about it loud, it must have been excessive camera vibration that relaxed and let loose the roller in the first place. Either that (i.e. the thousands of people that read this post suffer from WASS (Whack A Sony Syndrome) or SONY really messed up with the design and hence quality of this mechanism.

    lol :)

  • Thanks so much for your help... great video...I don't know y anyone would dislikes this...it works if u have the pc110 or 560x etc...

  • @jjhotline1creative - Good sounds on your channel...

  • Thanks so much for your help...

  • I just call sony they have the roller for 31 dollars it's not bad in all

  • @DivanPhotoAndVideo Where did you find the sony piece or what is the number?

  • @Himavatmedia Did you find the part number for the black roller?

  • certo che la sony mi aveva chiesto 100 euro ed ho risolto con meno di 10 centesimi sieti grandi grazie internet di esistere

  • I guess SONY directly or a SONY repair shop. No better ideas, sorry.

  • This worked for me Thank You you have saved me buying another sony.

  • I am glad you sorted out. Lucky you found the bits...

    I agree with you, slapping it is a "botch" repair that depends on randomness (might or might not work), but it is certainly not a solution and coulc get things worse.

    BTY, you sent this message 4 times and it was flagged by YouTube as spam. I'll mark it as NOT SPAM.

    S

  • It works as I was so lucky and found on the floor the little black cylinder...it must of come off when I took the tape out...all sorted and working :-)

  • Brillant,took it out of the bin, tried this..... hey presto !!! Many thanks ;)

  • Guys if you have the error code C:31:22 just hit the tapeside a few times then take out the batterry and then put it back in (it works trust me i did it)

  • Glad it worked for you. Another thumbs up, then Thanks.

  • Thanks for this. It worked very well.

  • THANKS.. WORKED : )

  • i found the place where the roller goes but i think the black roller fell off so what shouldi do????????

  • @VideoGameMan1101

    Regarding yor DCR-TRV25

    If you lost the black roller cylinder, I do not reccommend repairing it, as you can damage your tapes. You might need a spare. I suspect Sony might bea solution. Get a price from them. Else see if there is one on eBay that does not work for some other reason. Ensure that it has the roller on it and try to buy it cheap. Good luck my friend.

  • @Glass0NI0N so i go on ebay

    btw thxs

  • Thank you so much! In this video i saw what my problem was. I had lost the whole rubber. Now Ive got a new one and my camera is still alive... :) !

  • Comment removed

  • Thanks for this video! The trick worked perfect and now my camera works again!

  • Thanks a lot. Even though I didn't use the biro tube end, it worked. Great help.

  • My repair was successful. Thank you for taking the time to provide easy-to-understand instructions.

  • I have a Sony dcr-trv145E. It is displaying the error code c:31:23..I checked the rollers and they seem firm and in place. I have also tried the "slapping it" suggestion. NOTHING...Do you have any other ideas please!?

    Regards

    Mrs Jones :)

  • Help out, this was a great!!!!

  • gracias.

    

  • I've fixed the camera!!!! (DCR PC-106E, it's almost 7 years old)

    Thanks a lot ;)

    I've saved 300$ yuhuuuuuu

  • THANKS A LOT FOR THE VIDEO,

    I temporarly fixed my DCR PC-330 cam.

    I had the same situation, the black little rubber pin fall off and I put it back like you did in the video, now everything works, no more error, HAPPY USER!!!

    I'm not sure how long it will stay there but at least I know the problem and I will get the camera to a sony center to fix that black rubber pin with the original locking system.

    Thanks again, very usefull.

    Peace

  • It works on my TRV 900

    Thanx a lot

  • Comment removed

  • Thanks. I dropped my Handicam in Laos and lost the little locking pin. I kept putting the roller back on and kept getting the error message. It was really frustrating. Now I'm home and I tried your biro locking device and it works. Thanks so much. It's brilliant.

  • my hvr-hd1000 displays "tape is locked check the tab" WHEN THERE IS NO TAPE IN IT.

  • hi there, any idea on how to fix the problem on a sony a1e, when a message comes up as "tape is locked check the tab", the obvious being that the tape tab is in the right position, allowing me to record but this error message is on all the time. not allowing me to record.

    any suggestions would be most helpful.

  • @vicgonzales1

    Sorry, but I have never come across this message, so no idea. Hope others on this video will comment.

    Good luck!

    S

  • @vicgonzales1

    Sorry, no idea. anyone else?

  • great how to...that fucking song has got to go though!

  • can u replace the roller?

    

  • @SmileFoDaBullet

    Why would you want to do that if it is properly in place?

    If you get this error, could possibly originate from another issue.

  • its not that you have dirty video heds

  • @13tpd

    You have a valid point; one should keep the play/ record heads clean.

    It is possible, but fixing the roller and pin seems to work.

    Thanks for the comment.

  • Thanks a lot man!!! in my case the roller fell off inside the camera and just put it back in. It works now thanks again! God Bless you!!

  • I have a Sony DCR-TRV140. Just got it off eBay and was ready to send it back thinking it was junk. I too got the C:31:23 error and followed the manual to the T, but with no luck. I found this fix by chance and realized the roller had come completely off! There was already a 1mm insert inside the roller and with needle nose pliers I put it back in place, gently placed it on, and it worked! I don't recommend smacking the unit as other sites suggest, Thanks man

  • @pghsteel36

    I have had for a long the same problem with DCR-PC8E model. Sometimes with reset button and removing battery problem solved... for a while only!!!. This GlassOnion video is a must!!!. The rubber roller in my camera was lost inside the tape compartment, trapped between other pieces... since I did'nt know!!. Step by step I've followed the video and the camera goes as new!!!. That's fixed now. Many thanks!!!.

  • aw damn. lol well at least I know what that little roller is for now. It just one day magically appeared.

  • Worked great. Thank you very much!

  • I have the DCR-HC32. I got the c:31:22 error with a message to reload the tape. I could load another tape and saw a post that if a tape is at the end and the tension is tight the camera has a sensor that won't load the tape so that it does not break it. I loosened the tape after a few tries and it loaded fine...no more errors.

  • all i did was gave the tape roller a liitle push. then it worked just fine

  • thank you, it worked perfectly!

  • This was very helpful. I fix my problem in no tome. Thanks a lot

  • Thanks so much for such a great video. You saved my camera, Sony TRV27, it's an old model but I still like it more than all the new model! I first tried the 3mm biro but was too lose to hold the rubber tape roller, then I found a tiny white tube flying loose inside the camera, and it was the one that I used to hole the rubber roller! My camera now works thanks to you. Your video is very clear and just to the point. Thanks again for sharing this will You Tube community. Best

  • Had same problem. I think messages are related to roller alignment. It must be perpendicular to tapes movement else tape will wobble. When you press bit of biro down on roller pin, DO NOT press hard. The roller's pin arm can bend and this affects alignment. I pushed my roller pins arm up a bit and this got rid of error. Best to hold the roller pins arm firm while you press the bit of biro down on pin? No space for this unless PC110 dismantled. This is highly technical and do not recommend.

  • I did this and it worked for like 5 min then the error came back tho the rubber peice in place with the pen biro tube any suggestions? oh an i tried smacking an taking out the for a couple of hours

  • You are the best!!! I have a Sony TRV950 that had this error code. Watched your video and started comparing with inside of my camcorder.

    Noticed the roller was missing all together on mine. Shook it around and the piece fell out..

    Put it back in place and now working like a champ! Thanks a bunch!!!

  • hi guys

    i am a found so useful

    thanks

  • DCR-TRV 16E

    reporting success!

    I did however not build a new plastic "tube" to fix it. There was already all neccessary parts in the camera, the tape roller just seemed to be not completely fixed anymore...

    So I removed it, placed it there again, placed the "fix" on it and now everything seems to be quite well.

    Thank you very much!

    I would have never figured that out myself...

  • This appears to have worked on my DCR-PC120E Sony Handycam. Sony Repair Centre wanted a fixed price repair charge of £175. Cheeky so and so's!

    Thank you for posting this video.

  • Thanks for your help. My little black spindle was loose and at the back of the tape area. I had to losten it out. I followed your advice and now it works. I haven't tried the plastic pen bit yet. I just have to be carefull when I open the tape slot. Keept it up wright. Just doing a search on the error c3123 seems it is a common problem with the Sony cameras. I have seen other fixes - take the battery off, Give it a bit of a slap and pesto it works. Well for some it does. But thanks.

  • wow, thanks! You solved my problem. The local store could not assist me, and had advised I send for repairs which would take 4-6 weeks and cost probably more than the camera. Thank you sooooo much! awesome!

  • Hi i have a DCR HC27E and C:31:23 error.

    My tape gets in the camera, then the error apears.

    when i open the tape door, the tape goes out VERY SLOW. that rolling piece is hard and ok, but other sticks are a bit loose.... what can i do?

  • No idea, sorry. Anyone else might know better?

  • hey, when you put the pen ink biro tube and put it in the roller, is it supposed to fit with space left over or be really tight like you have to push it in REALLY hard or is it supposed to just smooth in with no space left over. also, i found a tiny black tube in there too. like is it useful, thanks!!!

  • Hi WillieGaldamez

    If it is too tight and you need to press it down HARD, you will likely damage the mechanism. The fit should be neither tight nor loose (else it'll come off again and loose it).

  • The biro tube could be right up to the top, but mine as you see in the video sticks up a bit. Mine works as it is. I guess it is probably best not to stick out.

  • The tiny black tube you found, I believe is the missing piece that the biro tube substitutes. I never saw mine. Lucky you found it. So use the tini black tube, the correct part. It should all fit togeter.

    Let us know how you got on.

  • Thank you so much. This fixed the problem.

  • ummm. i cant find the black tube thing in mine

  • Check if it is lodged or stuck inside the camera, else it dropped off and lost.

  • any solution for a C:32:10 error message for a sony PC110 NTSC

  • This was very helpful, thanks.

  • question: why the error appear? What is changing with adding that little tube? If the roller is the cause of error, than the rubber must be clean and perfectly straight! Again my question, what generate that error, especially C:31:23 and C:31:22?

  • I don't know the exact reason. Possibly a mechanical sensor. If it detects the rolling pin missing or out of position, it produces these error numbers. One thing I can say; from the hits on this video, Sony's problem is widely spread and related to many more camcorder models than I originally thought.

    Good luck if you are going to attempt a repair. Please read other people's comments and be careful that you do not end up with your camera in a worse state than you started.

    Take care

    Cheers

  • I checked as your vidio indication my rubber roller. I saw a little bit some dirty there, but more dirty at the metal stick part pressing the roller. I cleaned slowly that part, then I introduced cassette tape cleaner for 30sec, and I can say after few check there is no more errors. I hope that was the problem, and you really helped me, more than Sony with their stupid error indicating nothing, with strange behavior. Thank you a lot, you are really good!

  • I opened the case and pushed down on the roller (shown at 0:45 in this video) and the error went away immediately. Not sure if I will have a problem with this happening again, though. The video may show a permanent fix.

  • Glad you got id fixed so easily. Note that if the roller is missing or off its position you will get the error. Assuming that pushing it down (gently) makes it stay in this position for good, then you should not see this error again. However if it is still loose be careful it does not come out and this time you could lose it.

    Take good care

  • What Novac did worked for me as well on a Sony Z1-U.

    Hope it'll last!

    Thx again

  • Sorry for the delay of my response. It has worked for the PC110, but please read all comments and be "gentle". If you "force" things too much, you can do more damage than good. If you decide to take the risk, then good luck.

  • so this will work for c:31 40?

  • i have tried a lot of things and it still doesnt work!!

  • thank you...

  • that didn't work for me, but then I tried something else. if you simply open the cassette or tape thing, blow into the opening, and it was all good. just in case this doesn't work.

  • i tryed... and i broke it... 4 real

  • Thank You Verry much !!!

  • wow, super hint for dcr trv27E. spares a lot of discussion with sony

    thank you

    super Hilfe,

    viel Ärger mit Sony erspart

    danke

  • Thanks, Add the TRV350 to the list of successful fixes. In my case I used the straw from a can of compressed air, slightly thinner then the ballpoint pen idea.

    Thanks so much!!!!

  • hi, i have TRV 280 and tried this method and didnt work for me so far :(

  • Hi jerrpike

    Where can one order the roller and how much does it cost?

    Your information could be usefull to some of the troublesome PC110 camcorder owners.

    Cheers

  • hi glassonion

    my camera works good but when i push the tape on the lock it doesn,t go close

    any idea.?

  • I finally got my trv30 to work by using this method. I had to use RCA cable insulation, the thinnest I could find, and slipped it on. The pinch roller seems to be staying on. After four years I can finally use this camera again. Thanks!

  • I'm glad you fixed it. I'll add TVR30 on the list. Thanks for letting me know.

  • Comment removed

  • The insulation of an approximate inner diameter cable seems to be doing the trick nicely as it is easier to stretch than the biri tube. A good idea from RB5661.

  • I beat on the camera and the roller ended up falling out. I could not get the pen plastic to work (too hard/not flexible enough). I took a piece of wire, pulled the insulation off and used the insulation after pushing a piece of tie wire through to get sized right. Now it is working again. Thank You SOOOO Much, could not have done it without you.

  • I can not find the black roller anywhere? It must have fallen out and I did not notice. Any ideas on what I can do?

  • Comment removed

  • Comment removed

  • i have the same problem with my sony DCR TRV27 camera but only with one tape (which is sony too btw). Anyway, the camcorder works fine with a bunch of tapes but that one, so i guess the problem is the tape. I wonder if that tape could be played in a mini DV player, have you tried it something like that?

  • Sorry, but I have not.

  • Will this work on the Sony TRV240? Thanks!

  • Sorry, I do not have an answer. Do a search on the internet and observe if symptoms are the same. Does your cam look anything like mine or similar? Check out and if you are gentle with it, meaning you do not damage it through force (or glue) then I cannot see why you cannot try. It is your choice. If you do try it and it goes wrong, please don't blame the messenger! Take care.

  • Good thinking Batman!

    The size of the biro tube inner diameter is important and must be just right, so you do not have to force it hard onto the roller pin.

    I'm glad YOU made it work and thanks for the alternative solution!

  • Great work....I had the same problem and found my black roller loose in the tape compartment. I've tried several pens but apparently the inside diameter was to big every time. Finally used a part of the plastic isolation of a simple mains cord (with a slightly smaller inner diameter)...which seems to be doing the trick! Thanks for the hint!

  • I have the same problem.. But the black roller won't come off easily. Should I force it out?

    Thank you so much!!!

  • If your roller is in place, it sounds to me that the error message might be due to some other cause or reason. Is it pushed down too far or not far enough? When it comes to delicate mechanisms, it is best not to force things (in or out).

    Sorry, but I can only offer advice based on my own experience and my own camcorder situation. I suggest you search on the web for some more related articles.

    Thanks for visiting my channel and I wish you good luck.

  • membership in the smack a cam club resulted in my finding this pin rolling around loose. I'm going to try this. Thanks for a clear DIY!

  • Thanxx its working superbly

  • I do not know is the honest answer.

    I suggest you have a look at the mechanism inside and see if it looks similar to mine (PC100).

    Anything is possible, it is just a matter of time and good will (says me!).

  • Look inside and identify if the roller is in place. Is it down to its lowest position?

    If you try to repair it, take your time and be gentle with any force you apply.

    The size (inner diameter) of the biro tube you'll use is important. Too big, it will fall off. Too small, it will not fit and if you force it down it might break things.

    If you end up using some superglue, be extremely careful. Use just a portion of a drop. A drop is too much; it might run down the roller pin and mess things up.

  • Do you know if this will work with the Sony DCR-PC1000E?

  • Good song. What is the name of this song? I think it singning John Lennon.

  • Excelente video , gracias ya funciona mi camara

  • Is your camera a PC100?

  • Good film. 5/5 It is working. Thank you!

    Best Regards!

  • I'm glad it worked for you. It justifies my time and effort it took to make this video! LOL! :-)

  • ok im going to try this, ive got nothing to lose

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