Wurlizer 2104 Power Problem

Could someone please hepl me solve a power problem with my wurlizer 2104. The only power I have is to the cabinet lights. None to the amp, or any other component as far as I can tell. I have ordered a manual, but it hasn't arrived yet and I was hoping I could go ahead and get started trying to resolve this issue. This box played in the not too distant past, but now does nothing other than light up the cabinet. I am new at juke boxes and just trying to learn how to trouble shoot. Any help would be appreciated. I have checked all fuses that I can see, but all test good. Is there a fuse located in a hard to see area that might be bad? Thanks for any help.

You don't say--did you just get this phono--or have you had it playing for awhile? If it lights up, and the wiring is as it was from the factory, you have power to the amp, or it would not light up. Just a guess, the safety switch is in the off position. Ron Rich

Hi Ron,

I just got the juke. I was told it was recently playing. It came from an estate. I understand an older gentleman owned it and his son sold his estate. The son did not know why it no longer played, just that it had played fairly recently with no problems. I did find several of the new type "states" quarters in the money box, so I know it hasn't been too terribly long since it was used. Anyway, I did locate a switch on the back, but it is on. When I turn it off the cabinet lights go out as well. With it on, I have cabinet lights, but no tubes in the amp are lit, there is no hum, nothing. That is why I thought I had no power to the amp. Maybe that was a wrong assumption. Any advise on what to check first, or is there another safety switch to which you were referring?

The switch on the rear of the amp, reachable from outside the cabinet is the main power switch. If you have transported the jukebox without removing the records, or have had the machine on it's back, without having the transport bolts tightened, it's likeley that something has lodged itself behind the "fan" (the clear plastic that covers the records when playing). The safety switch is located behind the fan. You should be able to "twist" the fan slightly, and hear the safety switch "click". Look behind the fan for "stuff" stuck n that area.
Also, since you never have seen it operate--check ALL the fuses to be sure they are the correct size, and are good. Also, find the "motor on/off" switch on the junction box on the floor of the phono, and see if it is in the "on position". Also, check the "Run-Load" switch, on the front of the mechanism shelf, to see if it's in the run position. Ron Rich

Thanks again Ron, for your support. I am out of town until this weekend, but I will check all those things as soon as I get back and post my results.

Ron,
You were exactly right with the safety switch. I moved the fan and the box immediately powered on. As soon as I would release it, the box would power off. I determined that one of the arms that lift the records was jammed, so I got it loose. The box now powers on when I turn on the main switch, the select light comes on when I drop in a coin, but nothing happens from that point. The machine does not select a record and the selection buttons do not pop back up. The wheel in the middle top that turns the record is turning at all times, but it does not make any attempt to select and lift a record into place. Any ideas from this point?

See what appens if you push the "reject" (aka "cancel") switch on th rear of the cabinet--push & hold it for a couple of seconds.
Was the mechanism bolted down for shipping--or not? Ron Rich

Ron,
The mechanism was not bolted down for shipping. I think that is probably what caused some of the problems. So far this is what I have found:

The 2 rear coil springs the record holder assembly rests on were out of place. The 2 front springs were still in place. I recovered the 2 rear springs from the bottom of the cabinet and put them back in place.

The turntable motor is mounted on a rubber shock absorber type mounting. The top right side was loose, as one of the studs on the rubber mounting had come loose. I repaired the mounting and reattached the motor.

The left hand record actuator arm was stuck in the up postion. The right had arm would move up and down freely, but the left hand arm would not. I freed the left hand arm and it is now below the record holder casting, but resting on the bottom of the casting. It will not move freely up into the record holder, like the right hand arm will, but I do not know if both should be able to move up into the holder at the same time, or if the record holder shifts depending on which arm is being used at the time. In reading the manual, I think both should be aligned equally, so that either can move freely up into the record holder at the same time. Is this correct and, if so, where do I adjust the arm. I found where to adjust the safety switch, but not the arm.

In cleaning the contacts on the Selector Switch Assembly, I found the right hand Switch Assembly - (64982) is broken. One of the contact arms on this switch is broken off. I found the broken piece in the bottom of the cabinet. However, I doubt this happened in the move. It think it probably happened earlier and is why the box would not play when it was picked up by the auction company from the estate.

I am now trying to order the switch, after which I will once again try to isolate any further problems - unless there is something else I can do in the interim.

I have ordered and received a manual for the 2104. The manual has some very good schematics and detail drawings of the box and components. Unfortunately, it does not include a trouble shooting guide, as some manuals do. Is there a good trouble shooting guide you can recommend?

Thanks again for your help.

You have me somewhat confused--is the tone arm able to move up/down? The record lift arms do not ever move up at the same time--it would shove two records up to the turntable if that were the case---
Did you try the reject switch yet?? (you have to answer questions, so I can follow where the unit is in the cycle). Ron Rich

Sorry about not answering your questions, I found the broken contact on the right hand switch and stopped. This morning I tried the action you suggested of holding down the reject button. Here is the status.

When I turn on the box, the turntable starts turning, the select light is on, but I can't select songs. I held down the cancel button for several seconds as you suggested. When I did, the record carriage turned and the left hand record actuator arm (that is the one I freed that had been firmly stuck in place) lifts a record into place. If I continue to hold the cancel button down, the arm will return the record, the carriage will turn again and select another record, which will be lifted into place. If I release the button, after the record is placed on the turntable, the tone arm does not move to the record. It is not stuck in place, as I can easily move it to the record with my finger. When I move it to the record, the record will start playing. When I turn the tone arm loose, it returns to the back position and the turntable continues to turn. Nothing else happens until I hold down the cancel button again. At that point the same sequence happens again.

OK--start searching for a "cone" type spring that goes into the "hole" on the tone-arm. It's about one inch+ long, and very "skinny". It fell outduring transportation. Once you find it, refer to the service manual for placement, which is covered under "tone arm pressure adjustments"--and other than the broken leaf switch, you jukebox is "fixed". Ron Rich

Ron,
I did locate the spring behind the tone arm. It is actually still in place. The tone arm does not appear to be frozen or seized in place, as I can easily move it. However, it never attempts to move to the record. It does not appear to me the shaft that goes to the tone arm from the rear of the unit ever tries to move. The cable is hooked up that goes up to that pully and is extremely tight. I don't know if it should be able to be moved and is seized up somewhere, or if that is normal.

That said, here is the status. I rejected the record that was turning on the turntable. The left hand record lifting arm returned to the bottom and stopped. Now both arms are below the record carriage. The select record light is on. I can press record selection buttons to select a record and then press the select button. When I press the select button the individual record selection buttons return to the normal position as they should. However, it does not actually select the record and now it makes no difference if you press the cancel button on the back. Nothing happens.

Also, the turntable is no longer constantly turning. I do not hear static noise from the speakers when the volume is all the way up as I did before, when the turntable was turning.

Finally, it appears I lost power to part of the amplifier. At least some of the tubes (5U4G - 12AX7 - 6Au6 12AU7) do not light up.

I don't think that you found the crrect spring--Once again, Do you have the service manual??? Ron Rich

Yes I do have the manual. I was talking about the spring that is shown in the drawing of the tone arm and wire assembly - part # 59711. The drawing calls it the tone arm pressure spring. It is fitted over the gimbal and stop nut assembly part # 64433. It is located about mid point behind the tonearm. It is in place over the gimbal and is providing pressure on the tone arm. Is this the correct spring?

OK--You do have the correct spring--so I'm assuming that the "tone arm feed" (screw) is not moving forward, allowing the spring to put the needle on the record. It should be very easy to follow the wire that works that assembly down to where it's attached onto the "mute-play" switch. They sometimes get "off track" behind a pulley wheel.
Your phono is operating correctly. It should "turn off" power when the are no paid selections left to play (remember--the jukebox was designed to make money !). If the "keyboard" was working, what would happen when you made a selection, would be that you would "release" a "pin", and turn the power back on--
The service manual should describe this sequence. You can "cheat" this, by manually releasing a pin--get your hand out of the way of the crank arm---and don't knock off the spring(s). Ron Rich