Wurlitzer Zodiac

New guy here. I picked up a Zodiac last week, it's my first jukebox. The machine sort of runs, but has a mountain of issues. I've been cleaning and tinkering and reading posts. Trying to get familiar with how it operates.

One thing I have not really found yet is in regards to the Scan Load Run switch. If the switch is On and I push it over to Scan, the magazine spins most of the time. Most times I need to hold the switch to Scan or it pops back to Load. If the magazine spins, it will do so endlessly. If I stop the magazine where a record lines up and manually hold down the Transfer switch and Safety switch, the arm will pick it up and move it to the TT and play it. This only occurs on Scan. Is it possible a previous owner played around here and put the switch in backwards?

I do have a service manual. I've been trying to get a feel for the machine as a reference point before diving into the manual. The manual seems to be written with a "you likely have a clue of what you're looking at and not a complete noob". From dozens of google searches I've got a basic layout of the land, but still feel a bit overwhelmed at times. I'm sure to have many more questions as I climb the learning curve.

IF, where ever you purchased the Service Manual, sold you a "set" of manuals, you should have instructions there on how the service switch should operate--I believe that the operation as you describe it is correct. As for the model designation, most service oriented people, myself included, tend to use the model numbers to ID phonos, as the "marketing names" often are re-used year after year, with totally different guts.
If you would read whatever you have first, it helps when you uses the nomenclature used in the manuals--before asking questions here---
Ron Rich

scorpio333 wrote:I do have a service manual. The manual seems to be written with a "you likely have a clue of what you're looking at and not a complete noob".

Of course!
Service manuals were and are designed to be used by the "in the field" servicer, not the tinkerer or some housewife.

Understood on read it first, then ask. I'm more a tinkerer first then read so I have something to apply it to. Just how my brain is geared. And when I say tinker, only to the extent I won't force something.

The box is a 3500, I believe from 1971. Previous owner said it was a 1970.

I'll need to recheck the manual, which came with the jukebox, to see if there is an explanation of the scan, load, run switch. I don't believe I saw it in there when I skimmed the book.

Went through manual again. No mention of the switch. I did make an adjustment to the override switch per the manual and now the switch functions as I would expect it to.

I've got a few things straightened out. I believe the last of my issues is the selection write in process. Sometimes the selection will pop a pin, others times it does not. Each time a letter and number is entered, the magazine will scan twice, if a pin is popped the correct record is played, returned and the magazine scans again.

I've removed the pin bank a couple times and did my best to inspect the contacts and surfaces. Everything there appears ok. Chasing things down little by little.