Sony Automatic turntable problem?

[theDude]

Ok, this may be too tough to explain but I got a Sony Full Automatic Turntable PS-LX250H. It worked fine the first few months I had it then it started gettin all goofey on me. When I push the start button, the arm swings over (to a slightly wrong position) and sets down on the record. It sets down for about 2 seconds before the arm raises up, and moves back to the stop position, where it is lowered, then pops back up, and lowered, and pops back up, while the record continues to spin. It will do this until I unplug it. If I try to manually move the arm and set it on the record, it does the same thing, raises off the record and back to the stop position where it keeps raising and lowering itself forever. If I get lucky, sometimes I will hear a popping sound from within and then I can freely move the arm and play the record--this only works seldomly. Is the best answer to throw it away? I don't want to spend alot, just hoping it was something simple--but thats probly not the case. Thanks for your input