Just another reminder to check the obvious!
I've been having a world of trouble with the automatic needle threader on my Singer 160. No matter what position I put the needle in... or how fast I pressed the lever....or how slow (LOL)....or how much tension was on the thread... I could not get the thread to go into the needle!
I studied the sewing machine manual and prepared my tools this evening. That threader was going to work, no matter what! I tweaked and oiled the mechanism a little. Still, no luck.
All of a sudden a thought popped into my head.... change the NEEDLE! I changed the needle and guess what? Threader problem solved.
Recently I was working on a George Washington costume for a friend's son (don't ask how I got that job!). It required me to sew through elastic in a casing. I assume that sewing through that thick elastic caused the needle to bend ever so slightly, thus the threader could not get through the eye.
So as a public service announcement - always check the obvious things! Needle, bobbin thread (make sure it's going counter-clockwise), burrs on your thread spool - things like that will cause problems that drive you nutty, and they are so easily fixed!