Toyota KS901 knitting machine won't cast on?

I am a novice to knitting machines. Have a KS901 Toyota. got it in 2005, succeeded at getting it to work with fine yarn but could not get it to work with a 4 ply medium weight yarn. I put it away and just got it back out, did a good clean up and new sponge bar.
Now, with very careful attention to each detail in the KS 901 instruction manual, it will cast the first row when carriage is moved to the left, but will not continue to knit when carriage is moved back to the right. Any ideas?
I recall that in 2005, there was a little detail that perhaps is not covered in the manual that I had to do to get the machine to knit. Now I do not know how I got it to knit.

Joan
February 2015

did anyone solve these issues as i have got one that is doing this, knits in one direction only, will cast on going right to left with tuck, but not with plain, but on plain casts on left to right. i have a new sponge bar in and have oiled it and am debating about totally stripping down the carriage but don't have a manual to explain this

mags
October 2013

My machine is having a similar problem. Mine will put on the first 2 rows, then won't work going from the right. It works fine on the return, but I'm ending up with a long string of yarn every other row.

The sponge bar has been remade so it works now, the dial is set to plain, and I have my cast-on comb in place.

annesur
April 2013

do a search on google for xena knits they sell sponge bar kits for toyota knitting machines

mark
February 2013

Take off the carriage, clean off all the old lubricant then use a good light machine oil (e.g. Singer sewing Machine Oil) NOT 3 in 1, to very lightly lubricate all moving parts. This will involve an amount of strip-down, so take photographs as you go. Also lubricate the needles at points where they go through the metal frame, and on the needle Butts.

modavies
February 2011

Hello Eluned,
I have one of these machines so I am sorry to hear you are having problems. Here are a few things to check out.
Are you hanging the cast-on comb on to the stitches after knitting from right to left?
Have you checked the condition of the sponge bar? At each end of the needlebed there is a rectangular gap. If you push a suitable tool into this gap you will be able to remove the sponge bar which holds the needles down in the correct position. The sponge in the bar should stand up above the metal by about 1/4 inch all the way along, if it does not there is not enough pressure on the needles and problems arise with the knitting and the bar will need replacing. Unfortunately there do not appear to be any Toyota sponge bars available any more but the Knitmaster/Silver ones are fairly narrow and do fit Toyota machines.
One other thing to check is that the pattern dial is set to Plain so that it knits in both directions.
Hoping this gives you a few pointers and that you are soon knitting,

Sue
January 2011