Treadmills are an excellent addition to your home gym and provide relatively safe and effective cardiovascular training. Just like most exercise bikes, a treadmill can develop problems if you use it continuously. Typically, they come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and features.
However, for most treadmills, several issues emerge, and by reacting quickly to these problems, you can reduce the damage and avoid costly repairs. Things such as dirt and dust or worn brushes can significantly affect the performance of the motor.
Check the treadmill warranty to see if it can be returned to the manufacturer for repair. If that is not possible, repairing the engine yourself will not be too difficult. The guide below provides step by step detailed information on how to fix a treadmill motor.
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Check the instruction manual for any error codes appearing on the screen.
Error codes should tell you what issues your treadmill motor is having. The guide can also tell you if you can solve the problem or if a professional needs to fix it. Open the treadmill with a screwdriver according to the instructions of the manufacturer. Check the motor connections.
It may not be necessary for a non-specialist to check the motor. If nothing seems wrong to you, you may need to consult a professional. Be aware that opening the treadmill motor will likely void all treadmill warranties. If the treadmill is still under the manufacturer’s guarantee, it may be best to forgo all home repairs and directly contact a professional.
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Fix worn brushes
It is easy to change the brushes – turn the belt off, wait a few hours for it to cool, and then open the brush covers. Standard track motors come with two plastic brush covers that usually fit or are screwed on. Remove the shells, remove the brushes, check the size, buy a new one, and install. If the new brushes wear out in a short period or if the motor continues to malfunction, replace the motor.
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Clean dirt and dust on the motor
Dirt and dust can accumulate on the engine, especially if you do not regularly vacuum the engine compartment. Vacuuming is easy, but be careful because if there are small plastic or resin parts in the engine, it is not ordinary dirt. Such dirt means that the insulation of the motor winding has melted. It is necessary to replace the motor and pay more attention to the track’s maintenance and lubrication.
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Check for a failed collector
The circuit breaker rarely fails, and this usually happens when the motor loses its insulation. Regardless, a single-coil winding may be interrupted due to mechanical stresses or low fabrication. In such a situation, welding the winding solves the problem. However, it needs a specialist. You should avoid doing this yourself as it may cause a short circuit and damage the motor and the belt controls.
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Look for broken plastic parts
Treadmill motors come with a plastic fan that can break. It is easy to replace, usually with a Seeger ring or locked in place with a click. Other plastic parts may break accidentally, such as motor brush covers. It can even damage the engine brush gap, which for some manufacturers is made of plastic.
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Fix abnormal power consumption
A motor tested on a treadmill under the average human load should not consume more than 6-7A. Maintaining the profile and friction coefficient can drastically alter energy consumption.
If your motor deviates from the above values, there may be a failure in the winding or demagnetization and must be replaced, or you should seek technical advice on your motor. If you continue to do this as is, you will destroy the controller and incur additional costs to repair the track.
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Fix a noisy motor
There are two types of noisy motor situations; the easiest way is when the bearings’ noise comes. The motor shafts sometimes have noisy paths because the motor pulley is in the wrong position, or the drive belt is too tight. Bearing replacement is entirely safe, and all good mechanics must be able to replace them. The biggest problem is when the noise originates from the motor collector.
It may sound like a broken bearing, but for a completely different reason. The motor collector is made of thin copper plates that carry electricity from the brushes to the winding. Sometimes the abuse creates sparks large enough to damage the lists, making the spacing between them not uniform. In this case, the motor collector can be repaired, but if the windings are also damaged, it is advisable to replace the motor.
Conclusion
Often, you will find it challenging to learn how to repair a treadmill motor. Although the above problems are common with treadmills, the solution is not always easy. Some parts of the engine may need to be replaced totally before the motor can be used again. It is essential to properly repair the motor to avoid injury and damage to the machine. When troubleshooting your treadmill, you can determine the machine’s point of failure. Also, it allows you to replace or repair the motor yourself or with the help of a qualified technician.
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