Record drop down question

I have a Motorola record player and everything on it works and plays fine but there is one glitch. When I stack only 1 record on the spindle, it will drop down but the tone arm will go up and then back down again. It doesn't recognize that there is a record on there to play. But when I stack multiple records it works fine. When it comes time for the last record to drop though, it still shuts off and doesn't play. Does anyone know the reason for this or how I can simply fix it?

Thanks!

The shutoff delay device is not working. All record changers have a means of delaying shutoff after the spindle becomes empty, so the last record will play.

If this is a V-M changer, dirt is usually the problem.

On the cycling slide-cam, there is a slot in the cam for the shutoff lever to enter to shut off the changer. But there is a little spring-loaded cover (the delay stop) that keeps the shutoff lever from entering the slot, until after the arm swings in to play the last record. Thus, the shutoff lever is kept from entering the slot, until after the slide-cam has moved nearly back into its rest position.

But the delay stop must be pivoted and spring-loaded, so it moves out of the way of the shutoff lever on the next change cycle (when the changer is supposed to shut off). So it is pivoted to the slide-cam, and there is a little spring to move it over the slot.

The delay stop will not block the shutoff lever if:
- the delay stop is frozen by dirt or congealed grease,
- The spring is missing.
- The delay stop is bent.

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It is interesting that on some Phillips changers, the overarm itself is the delay device. After the last record drops, the overarm itself is still on the spindle ledge. Then, on the next cycle, the spindle drops the overarm, shutting off the changer.