Category: Treadmill Repair and service
Contents of this article
- Walking belt slow
- Motor brush problem
- Belt slipping
TREADMILL REPAIRING TIPS
Waking
belt Belt Slows Down
The treadmill operates normally without
a person on the belt and then slows down when someone steps on the belt or when
the treadmill operates normally for a given period of time with someone on the
belt then begins to slow down.
There are four typical causes for this problem (listed in
order of our experience):
1) Walking belt and/or deck are worn.
2) Walking belt and/or motor belt are too tight- if
you have adjusted either recently.
3) Motor has lost torque and needs brushes or has
demagnetized.
4) Controller is dropping output.
BELT
IS WORN
Way to test for a worn walking belt is
to take a DC amp draw (if you have a DC treadmill) or an AC draw (for AC).
Trying to look at the belt or a feel test is highly unreliable. Better tests,
if you lack a DC ammeter (they are expensive for a good one), are a coast test
or an incline test.
The coast test is to get on the treadmill as the lowest
incline setting and walk on the treadmill at 3 MPH. Pull the safety key and it
should take you 2-3 full steps to stop (this is a general rule?some like a few
Tunturi models stop on a dime even with a healthy belt but most this tests
works well upon). Fewer steps indicate high friction.
The incline test is to put the treadmill at max incline
and walk on it at 3 MPH. If the treadmill operates normally at max incline but
bogs down at minimum incline, replace the walking belt. Gravity takes over for
the drive system eliminating the friction problem. On some heavily worn walking
belts, this test will not eliminate the problem.
BELT
OR MOTOR BELT IS TOO TIGHT
If walking belt or motor was adjusted recently, check for this problem. When the belts start slipping, some people
just crank down the belts and on treadmills, tighter is not necessarily better.
The tighter the belts, the more the drive system has to work to keep everything
moving. You should be able to lift the walking belt (with the treadmill
unplugged) in the center of the treadmill about 3" without straining.
Tighter belts should be loosen but make sure you don't create a dangerous
slipping situation by loosening.
The motor belt (with the treadmill unplugged) should be able to be turned by hand to almost a 90 degree angle from its normal operating position. Loosen the belt if too tight. Make sure to test for slipping and if it does with the proper tension, replace the motor belt.
The motor belt (with the treadmill unplugged) should be able to be turned by hand to almost a 90 degree angle from its normal operating position. Loosen the belt if too tight. Make sure to test for slipping and if it does with the proper tension, replace the motor belt.
MOTOR BRUSHES
PROBLEM / MOTOR PROBLEM
when motor has lost torque; it
needs a new set of motor brushes. Typically we can make brushes for almost any
motor if we don't already stock them. Motor demagnetization is not that common
but it does happen and it is normally easy to diagnose. If you have confirmed
the belt and/or deck is not worn and the belts aren't too tight, you can test
for a motor torque problem.
DO NOT USE YOUR HAND OR ANY OTHER BODY PART TO IMPEDE THE MOTOR. YOU
WILL LIKELY LOSE YOUR BODY PART IN THE PROCESS IF THE MOTOR IS GOOD.To the motor use a foreign object preferably on a long
shaft. First determine the direction of the motor spin (most have directional
movement printed on the motor tag), then apply pressure with an object with
downward pressure on the flywheel in the direction the flywheel is turning (do
not attempt to put force against the rotating direction of the flywheel as you
can easily injure yourself). If you can slow the motor, typically you need
brush replacement.
To test for demagnetization, the motor must be
disassembled. Once you have the motor retaining bolts removed, remove the motor
core by sliding it out of the end of the housing. If the magnets pull the core
against the housing and it is difficult to remove, the magnets are good. If the
magnets do not attract the core, the motor has to be replaced.
WAKING BELT SLIPPING
Walking belt may be too loose.
a) Contrary to some belief, it never found a walking belt hat has stretched out unless it is accompanied by the seam on the belt separating. If you have made recent adjustments, lubricated, or had repairs, a belt can slip if not tightened.
a) Contrary to some belief, it never found a walking belt hat has stretched out unless it is accompanied by the seam on the belt separating. If you have made recent adjustments, lubricated, or had repairs, a belt can slip if not tightened.
b) Belt can slip if you have too much friction or if the
belt has been recently lubricated. Attempt to lubricate by using our World
Famous Treadmill Lube or another lube compatible with your treadmill. If
lube does not help your problem and you have exhausted all other possibilities,
the walking belt is most likely worn out and must be replaced.
c) An overtightened walking belt can raise the amp draw
of your treadmill, contribute to seam separation on the walking belt, or both, so
do not overtighten the drive belt.
d) As a general rule, you should be able to lift the belt
in the center on the side by approximately 2" to 3". As a general
rule, if you cannot lift it by 2" to 3", the belt is too tight.
2) The drive belt between the motor and the front roller
may be slipping.
a) All drive belts tend to wear with age and will wear more quickly if not aligned properly. Tightening the drive belt according to the directions in your owner's manual may prevent slippage but we don't recommend it since it is easy to overtighten and this can damage expensive drive system parts- you are much better off replacing the drive belt. Some models are designed with a misaligned drive belt so the treadmill can use the side load of the drive belt to reduce operating tension. These will always wear out quickly.
a) All drive belts tend to wear with age and will wear more quickly if not aligned properly. Tightening the drive belt according to the directions in your owner's manual may prevent slippage but we don't recommend it since it is easy to overtighten and this can damage expensive drive system parts- you are much better off replacing the drive belt. Some models are designed with a misaligned drive belt so the treadmill can use the side load of the drive belt to reduce operating tension. These will always wear out quickly.
b) Treating the drive belt with belt dressing, which
can be found on our site, will help the drive belt if slipping and will help
prevent cracking and splitting of the drive belt.
c) If slipping of the drive belt persists after following
these steps, the drive belt must be replaced.
d) An overtightened drive belt can raise the amp draw of
your treadmill, contribute to bearing failure in the motor or rollers, or both, so
do not overtighten the drive belt.
3) The pulley on the front roller may have lost its grip
on the front roller.
a) With the treadmill off, put a small piece of colored tape on an area of the pulley that you can see and put a corresponding piece on the roller tube. You can also use a colored, permanent marker like a Sharpie and draw a line from the pulley to the metal roller tube. Turn the treadmill on and while being careful, test to see what happens when the belt slips. If the drive belt and pulley continue to turn and the walking belt and front roller stop, the pulley has lost its grip on the front roller. If you couldn't see the pulley slip, compare the tape or the line. If the portions of the tape or colored line are still aligned, the pulley did not slip. Misalignment of the line or tape shows that the pulley and roller tube are not turning together and a failure of the pulley mount. This can be repaired or you can replace the roller. To repair, click on the following link and visit the help topic labeled How to Re-fasten a Roller Pulley.
a) With the treadmill off, put a small piece of colored tape on an area of the pulley that you can see and put a corresponding piece on the roller tube. You can also use a colored, permanent marker like a Sharpie and draw a line from the pulley to the metal roller tube. Turn the treadmill on and while being careful, test to see what happens when the belt slips. If the drive belt and pulley continue to turn and the walking belt and front roller stop, the pulley has lost its grip on the front roller. If you couldn't see the pulley slip, compare the tape or the line. If the portions of the tape or colored line are still aligned, the pulley did not slip. Misalignment of the line or tape shows that the pulley and roller tube are not turning together and a failure of the pulley mount. This can be repaired or you can replace the roller. To repair, click on the following link and visit the help topic labeled How to Re-fasten a Roller Pulley.
