Sony MHC-GRX40AV

[The Firey]

Greetings all,
I'm wondering if anyone can help. I have a Sony MHC-GRX40AV 3-CD stereo which has a couple of problems.

First, after using the tape deck, the tab which flicks over at the end of the tape continually flicks over and won't stop. This happens if a tape is in the deck, whether the stereo is powered up or on standby, etc. Any pointers? Since I don't use the tape deck much I was thinking about disconnecting the power supply to it..

Secondly, whenever I put a CD into the shuttle it never detects or reads the CD, but always comes up with a message saying "No disc". I've tried it with discs in all the slots, and pulled the thing apart yesterday to have a look. I couldn't see the laser operate (are they in the visible range anyway?), but noticed that when a disc was in the motor rotated it very slowly in 2-3 second pulses, barely spinning it 90 degrees. When no disc was in place it spun quite freely. Is the problem likely to be the laser or the motor, and what other ways are there to check for the function?

Thanks,
The Firey