JVC VCR never had maintenance, should I worry?
 

I've had my HR-DVS3U for 15 years and haven't done so much as periodic head cleaning (with alcohol and chamois swabs...never head cleaning tapes). It has thousands of hours of use on it, but otherwise works and plays as it always has. I'm wondering if it needs refurbished, or at the very least a check-up by someone qualified (not me).

Thoughts?

PS. Guess I should mention the S-VHS side. The Mini DV side hasn't worked in years and I don't care if it does.

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If it's still playing back with no tracking issues, not even the slightest EP mode mis-track, then I'd consider leaving it alone, not tempt fate, count your blessings.

If any whiff of issues, then time to maintain before too late.

These days, I hate picking around decks not giving issues.

Well today I went to use it for the first time in awhile and it made an alarming squealing noise, immediately ejected the tape and put one in I didn't care about and it still did it. I took a video of it. Hopefully you can see it and have any suggestions. That "spindle" (sorry...don't know the technical term) looks a little sluggish.

Squealing is almost always a tape, not the deck.

But when deck:
It's winter. Cold. Remember science class. Cold = metal contracts. That can can parts to not move as well, internal contact, squeal. Play a tape. I play Batman, Mortal Kombat, and others, as warm up tapes before capture.

Cold heads can shred tapes!

Ok. I played a 90 minute documentary (all I had on hand...I don't have any Hollywood VHSs anymore) and it quickly stopped squealing, and the video output looked stable in VirtualDub preview.