I have been given my mums janome my excel 23x sewing machine in mint condition, minus the manual, how do you thread the machine

Question edited to add Make and full name.
Category moved from Cars and Trucks to Janome.

Yes it does. $30 here

https://www.sewingpartsonline.com/janome-my-excel-23l-sewing-machine-parts.aspx?index=1

Videos here

https://www.google.com/search?q=Excel+23X+walking+foot

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when anything gets frustrating to use and is costing money , the idea is to junk it and get a new one
Buying brand name is not wise as what was good long time ago can now be rubbish
I would suggest that you spend time going to dress making meetings and get an idea from the rest as to what would be a good machine to look at
Price is not a criteria for quality, neither is weight
The major criterias should be how often it has to be repaired , parts accessibility , ease of personal maintenance and lastly the availability of a workshop manual to carry out minor adjustments

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/921948/Janome-Myexcel-23x-Mx3123.html?page=11#manual

the left side head of the machine opens up to expose the bulb.

Search for:

Make Model manual

it sounds like the sewing machine needs to be checked, it's very possible that it will need some adjustment to the timing.

Service manuals are not available to the public, only User Manuals

Hi
The Janome site has a manual for the Excel 5124 but I couldn't find one for the Excel 18. It's quite a basic manual, in that it just gives help with the different parts and threading etc.
It should be useful as the two machines look similar.
http://www.janome.com/documents/File/ManualFile/DecorExcelPro5124.pdf

try these sites for a manual
sew usa
sewing manuals.com
ebay

A manual for your Janome 23X available, with bonus, .....HERE

hi rosalie. go to this link and you can speak with a local dealer for free http://janome.com/index.cfm/FindaDealer