This troubleshooting manual is intended primarily for technicians and students.

 

The photographs or illustrations contained in this manual should be studied in connection with the troubleshooting material and are of great asistance in locating parts and adjustments.

 

The figures or photographs in this manual are denoted as follows: (120-19) - The 120 denotes the figure, and 19 denotes a part within that figure.

 

The author of this manual has spent many years teaching students the repair of the IBM Selectric typewriter in vocational schools and private industry.

 

 

IBM Selectric III

 

 

 

Troubleshooting the Selectric typewriter, properly, requires a thorough and systematic approach.

 

One point I can't reiterate on enough, is that, the selectric typewriter is a sequence adjustment machine. This means that any adjustments made, usually, affects other adjustments.

 

Repeat service calls are caused by not understanding the problem, or by trying to correct the problem with the incorrect adjustments.

 

There are certain basis steps that should be followed in troubleshooting:

 

 1. Quiz the operator about the circumstances that caused the problem, in other words, ask the operator to duplicate what she was doing when the problem occurred.

 

 2. Closely examine any samples of the problem, looking for a pattern or systematic failure.

 

 3. Verify that there is a problem - if possible. If a problem cannot be reproduced, check all adjustments that could produce that sympton.

 

 4. Use the most appropriate troubleshooting chart in this book to see which adjustments should be made or to help trace the cause of the failure.

 

 5. When the problem has been corrected properly; check and adjust any other functions that were affected by this correction.

 

 6. Give the typewriter a complete operational check and have the operator try the machine.

 

Before correcting any adjustments, you should be able to explain why you are making the adjustment, and how it will eliminate the problem.

 

 

THINK BEFORE YOU ACT