No light on Trimline

[pa_bell1960]

  I have an old Trimline with the incandescent bulb, and after hooking it up to my Princess transformer I get no illumination from the bulb. I checked the bulb on two different multimeters and it checks good. The transformer functions perfectly on all my Princess phones. What do you guy`s think the problem is, and is there more to check?  Thanks  Jim

[paul-f]

You should be able to trace the wiring from the transformer through the line switch to the light bulb fairly easily.  A volt/ohmmeter will help you determine where the break in continuity lies.

Drawings are in the TCI Library.
  http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24

Also check to make sure the base and handset cord are proper for the handset and have the right number of conductors in the jacks and cords (both handset and mounting cords).

[jsowers]

The schematics say it should be on the yellow and black wires, but I have seen them on the black and white wires sometimes. That may have been if they were still using ground for ringing the bell, and that used the yellow wire. Since you do have the multimeter, take the back off the handset and trace it down checking continuity from the handset to the base for both sides of the lamp wiring, as Paul said. It may not have a connection to the mounting cord and you will have to move a wire. That's happened to me at least once that I recall.

Post a picture of it when you get it to light. They look great lit. Better than a Princess, to me. The light is more even.

[Kenny C]

i am having the same trouble with my 68 trimline it has a 5 cond. line cord. but someone cut the white wire should i re-spade it?

[ESalter]

Also, don't forget the possibility one of the flexible traces in the handset separated and broke, I've had several with that problem before.

[jsowers]

i am having the same trouble with my 68 trimline it has a 5 cond. line cord. but someone cut the white wire should i re-spade it?

As long as you have four wires in the mounting cord, you have enough to make it work. Yellow and black can be used for the lamp. Green and red can be used for the phone line. The white wire would just get in the way. Don't cut it off if it's there, but if it's already cut, there's no need to re-spade it. You may have to move some wires in the base to get the lamp to light. I can look inside a working 60s Trimline and let you know what should connect to what if you need it--just let me know. A continuity checker is a good thing to have. I've always used a small multi-meter set to ohms (Ω) for that.

[pa_bell1960]

Yes please take a look and let us know which wires are used. I`m confused.  Jim

[Kenny C]

i will tommorrow I am working on some of the 5 phones I got today

[pa_bell1960]

 Well Guys after looking over the diagram and tracing some wiring, I swapped the yellow wire in the 4 prong plug for the white wire, and guess what, Western Electric said let there be light and there it was. And it is good. So simple after all. I want to thank each and everyone of you who helped, I greatly appreciate it, and I will post a pic soon.   Jim

[Adam]

Phones that light were really cool.  I wish they hadn't stopped doing that.  I wish they hadn't stopped making the 500P/U.  And, the final Princesses out of Western Electric had black-lettering on white dials and no light capability. 

Does anybody know, what is the latest dated 500P/U?

[Kenny C]

someone has seen one from 1962 or so

[jsowers]

Well Guys after looking over the diagram and tracing some wiring, I swapped the yellow wire in the 4 prong plug for the white wire, and guess what, Western Electric said let there be light and there it was. And it is good. So simple after all. I want to thank each and everyone of you who helped, I greatly appreciate it, and I will post a pic soon.   Jim

Aha! So it was the white wire. Congratulations on getting it working. I'm sorry I didn't get back to you quickly on what wire went where, but it looks like you used your brain and figured it out, Jim.

Kenny, if you haven't already, try swapping the white and yellow wires connected to the mounting cord in your Trimline base and see if that makes yours light. Make a note of where white and yellow from the mounting cord are connected to the circuit board screws and just swap them. It will save you from having to re-spade the end of the cord since your white wire was cut. You may also need to change the ringer to where the red and green wires from the mounting cord terminate before it will ring, but check it out for ringing to be sure.