Crosley Record Player Not Spinning? Here Are Solutions

Is your Crosley record player not spinning?

Again, a common issue that many people face with their units. I had previously shared my experience regarding the Crosley suitcase units and how I fixed the Crosley not turning on myself.

Unlike not powering on, “not spinning” can be related to the unit or human error.

From human error, I meant that some features don’t need to be platter to spin, such as Bluetooth mode and AUX mode. If these are enabled, your platter won’t spin.

Similarly, there are some issues related to units, such as a broken belt, a failed motor, and an incompatible power adapter.

Here, I have listed all the reasons that can prevent the platter from spinning, along with solutions to help you fix it.

Let’s get started.

Crosley record player not spinning issues & fixes:

I have listed all the reasons, and to find the culprit at your end, you need to try each solution one by one.

Reason 1: Power supply issues

If you don’t see a red LED indicator light on your record player’s plinth, you have issues with the power supply.

Solution:

1) Check if you have plugged the adapter into the socket and turned on the switch.

2) Try inserting the power adapter in a different working wall socket.

3) Try removing any surge protector if you’re using one.

If the red LED light still doesn’t light up, you have issues with the power supply. I recommend taking help from a technician.

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Reason 2: The belt has slipped off or broken

The suitcase record players are mostly belt-driven, and that belt is responsible for spinning the platter.

If the belt has slipped off the motor’s drive shaft, is broken, or worn out, your platter won’t spin, or if it does, you won’t get consistent wow and flutters.

Solution:

Turn on the unit and try listening to the motor’s noise. If you hear the motor’s noise, your belt is either slipped off, broken, or worn out. You need to either adjust the belt to its position or replace it with a new one. You can follow this guide to replace the belt.

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Reason 3: Tonearm switch

The tonearm switch is a feature that can cause trouble if you don’t know the parts of record players. The manufacturers added this switch to eliminate the risk of stylus damage.

Solution:

You need to enable the switch. To enable, follow these steps:

1) Free your tonearm from the tonearm lock

2) Move the tonearm slowly to the right side, i.e., away from the platter.

3) You will hear a clicky sound, and the platter will start spinning automatically.

That’s it. Now, you can move the tonearm over the platter and start listening to your vinyl records.

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Reason 4: An aux cable is plugged into the Aux Jack

Most suitcase record player comes with an AUX jack, which helps you connect your mobile phone or other devices to your unit and use its built-in speakers to listen to music.

If the aux cable is connected, then your record player is in AUX mode, where the unit is waiting for input from the user’s mobile to play songs through the record player’s built-in speakers.

Solution:

Remove the aux cable from the aux jack, and you’re done.

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Reason 5: Auto-stop switch

The auto-stop switch stops the platter from spinning when the stylus reaches the end of the vinyl record, which not only saves the stylus from damage but also saves the records.

It is a lifesaver feature if you always forget to turn off your record player, but this feature can sometimes cause trouble, too.

Although it is doing its job, i.e., not spinning the platter when the record is finished, it can also cause the platter not to spin on new records.

Solution:

Turn off the auto-stop switch, and once the platter starts spinning, turn it on again.

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Reason 6: Bluetooth phono switch

Most units have Bluetooth and Phono mode, while some come with Bluetooth, Bluetooth Phono, and Phono mode.

Let me share the difference between these three modes:

Phono mode (I):

The phono mode helps you listen to your vinyl through the unit’s internal speakers. The platter will spin in this mode.

Phono/Bluetooth mode (O):

The Phono/Bluetooth mode helps you listen to your vinyl through external Bluetooth speakers. The platter will spin in this mode.

Bluetooth mode (II):

The Bluetooth mode allows your unit to act as a Bluetooth speaker for external devices. Through this, you can listen to music from your Bluetooth device, such as a mobile phone, laptop, etc, through the unit’s built-in speakers. In this mode, the platter won’t spin.

So, if your unit is in Bluetooth mode, the platter won’t spin as the unit is expecting input from another Bluetooth device.

Solution:

Switch to phono or Phono/Bluetooth mode, and your platter will start spinning.

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Reason 7: Power adapter

An incompatible power adapter can provide less power to your unit than the requirements, which restricts the record player from functioning properly.

The less power can cause many record player problems, such as not turning on/spinning, spinning at a slow speed, and low sound, etc.

Solution:

Always use the power adapter that is compatible with your record player model. You can check the power adapter compatibility with the customer support of your record player brand.

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Reason 8: Failed Motor

The motor failure is quite rare, but these record players are built with cheap quality materials to make them affordable, so it is possible.

After turning on the unit, try listening to the motor’s noise. If you don’t hear anything, the motor is the culprit.

Solution:

Buy a new motor compatible with your record player model and replace it yourself, or seek help from a professional.

We have listed all the common reasons that can restrict the Crosley record player’s platter from spinning. You need to find out the reasons at your end and implement the solution accordingly. If you have any questions or used a different approach to fix a similar issue, please comment below. We will add the solution to this article, and your efforts will help us.