Harry:
More than likely there is a problem with a jammed loading mechanism....
gear?, cam?, slipping belt?, foreign debri in the VCR such as: a paper
tape label that has fallen off of a cassette and gotten inside the VCR?
paper clip? pencil? pen? ... or could be a faulty mode switch?.... or
even a bad cassette, try another.
What you described in your post is predictable and expected:

" When a cassette in inserted and
without any functions activated the
unit turns itself off.I emphasise
no play or FF/RWD/Search or any
other command is entered,merely
the inserting of the cassette trips
it off after a few seconds.If no
cassette is inserted the unit
stays on."

The reasons this is so is if the record protect tab is broken out of
the cassette shell (i.e.: a commercially recorded tape) the VCR will
automatically TURN ON POWER and go into PLAY mode when the cassette is
inserted without pushing any buttons. If the record protect tab is not
broken out (i.e.: a blank tape) then when the cassette is inserted the
VCR will automatically TURN ON POWER and load the tape around the heads
and wait in STOP mode.
Either way, if the loading mechanism is jammed or has some other
related fault, the VCR will automatically turn itself off moments after
the cassette is inserted and the loading mechanism fails to complete
it's cycle.
electricitym
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