How to prepare for Home Treadmill Service

   Save yourself a lot of time and money by following these simple steps to prepare for home treadmill repair  and service.  From time to time, owners of home treadmills experience some of the following situations:  The treadmill starts to make an unusual noise; the treadmill slows down when you get on it; the treadmill will not start; the treadmill develops a “hot” smell while in use; or the treadmill does not respond to some controls.  In these situations, it is a good idea to call and get the advice of an expert treadmill service technician. In order to make this call as efficient and productive as possible and get the best advice, it is a good idea to follow the steps described here in this article. These are simple things that will potentially save you a lot of time and money.

Get the Treadmill Model and Serial Number.

1.  Find the model and serial number of your treadmill before calling for technical or service support. 

This is important information that will help the technical service expert give you the best, most accurate advice and guidance for your treadmill. 
   There are thousands of different home treadmills out there. Even if your treadmill has a common name, it will be different from other models with the same common name in some ways. With the correct model number, the technician can look up diagrams and drawings, technical specifications, lubrication requirements, parts information, as well as technical bulletins about your specific treadmill.  He can also better discover if repair parts are available and find an estimate of what the cost of those repair parts is. 
  With the serial number, we can get better, specific information about your treadmill from the manufacturer if we need to call for technical support, parts, and warranty information.  Manufacturer's level of support does vary a great deal between different manufacturers, so we cannot guarantee what information, if any, the manufacturer will have about your specific home treadmill. Most are pretty good. Some are not good. 
  How to find the serial number?
  I will use the most popular types of treadmills out there for the purpose of this walk through guide.  Home treadmills made by Nordic Track and ProForm dominate the residential market for home treadmills, so lets start there.
  Where to find the model and serial number on (most) Nordic Track and ProForm treadmills?  
  The model number and serial number are on a white sticker on the treadmill frame.  This sticker is about an inch high and 2.5" long. It is affixed to a part of the treadmill frame that is on the floor, below the treadmill deck. Before you go looking for this sticker, get a dust rag, a flashlight, and your reading glasses if you need them. If you have a treadmill that folds up, then it is a very good idea to get a second person to help fold the deck up and also hold it while you are under it.
  It hurts to get hit in the head by a falling treadmill deck. Ask me how I know. If you do not have a second person to secure the deck in the upright, folded position, then please make 200% certain that the deck is securely locked in the upright, folded position before you get under it. 
   Fold up the treadmill. Look down on the floor. There will be a steel frame of the treadmill on the floor, running from right to left. Look on top of that frame, usually positioned from the center and right. The sticker is there.     Now it is time for that dust rag, flashlight, and reading glasses.  Each digit is important. If it is too hard to read, then it is a very good idea to take a well focused picture of the sticker. Then you can more easily read it. 
   The model number will usually start with the letters NTL, PLTL or the numbers 831.  Following the initial letter or number sequence, there will be a series of numbers with dots or hyphens.  These are examples of typical Nordic Track and Proform Treadmill model numbers:NTL14124.7; NTTL1151.0; 831.29878.1
 
  If the sticker on your treadmill is not on the frame member on the floor, as described above, then expand your search to the rest of the steel frame.  Look in the area of the frame section on the floor. Then look up to the frame of the treadmill deck itself, which should be above you at that time in its folded position. Be diligent. Make sure the deck is locked securely in place.  If you cannot find it, then give us a call at 888.503.6620 ext 6.
  When you have the treadmill model and serial number, then you are ready to call for technical assistance or service support.

Do an Operational Test of your Home Treadmill.

No tools or special skills required!

1.  Get an idea of the current condition of your treadmill.
   

   Want to be even more ready for that call with treadmill technical support?
Here are a few, simple things to do to have a good description of the treadmill and the way it is operating now, and any existing problems with the function of the home treadmill. 
Safety First! .
   Before you get started, please take heed of these safety warnings and operating tips.
Inspect the power cord of the treadmill.  Make sure that the power cord is in good condition and that it is not under the wheels or frame of the treadmill.
Stand on the siderails of the treadmill when starting the treadmill walking belt.
Hold on to the handrails when getting on to the treadmill and when moving from siderails to the walking belt, and when getting off of the treadmill.  
When doing a power cycle of the treadmill, first turn the treadmill off using the On/Off rocker switch for the treadmill.  This On/Off switch is usually located on the frame near where the power cord goes in to the treadmill. After the On/Off switch is turned off, then unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.
There is high voltage electricity in the motor tray compartment (under the hood).  Use extreme caution around electricity.  The treadmill motor control circuit board has capacitors on it. These capacitors can hold an electric charge even after the treadmill is turned off and unplugged.
  If your treadmill is operational, meaning the walking belt moves when you press the start button, but the belt slows down when you put weight on it, then be very careful.  It is best to call a service technician and get professional advice on any repairs that might be needed.  A slowing or “skipping” belt is a sign that the treadmill is far outside its normal operating condition.  Continued use can cause significant damage to the treadmill, and that damage is costly to repair.
  Follow these steps to be well prepared for a call with a treadmill technician:

1.  Power cycle the treadmill. 

Turn the treadmill off at the On/Off rocker switch.
Unplug the machine from the wall outlet.
Let it sit there for 5 minutes.
Plug the machine back in to wall the wall outlet.
Turn the machine back on and watch the console.

1. Does the treadmill power up and does the console look “normal”, or is there an error message displayed in the console at power up?
   

“Normal” means, does the console look the same as it always has when you have turned it on?
If there is an error message displayed on the console, then write down the error code.Error codes point to the potential fault area.They do not indicate a specific fault.An example is an E1 error.The E1 error code points to a problem with the treadmill speed not matching the speed indicated on the console.It does not identify why that condition exists.The technician will use the error code as a basis for troubleshooting to identify the specific fault and any repairs that are needed.

1. Start the treadmill.

Standing on the siderails, not on the walking belt, and holding on to the handrails, press the “Start” button to start the treadmill walking belt moving.
The treadmill should now go through its normal, start-up sequence, and then the treadmill walking belt should start to move slowly.
Did the treadmill console “beep” when you pressed the start button?
Did the console display change?
Did the walking belt start to move?

1. Operate the treadmill.

Are the time and distance displays on the console changing as the treadmill runs, or does not run?
Does the treadmill respond to speed up and speed down controls?Press the “speed up” button. Listen for beeps and watch the treadmill belt. Do the same for the “speed down” button.
Does the treadmill respond to incline up and incline down controls? If your treadmill has a power incline function, then press the “incline up” button.Observe the console.Did the incline display on the console change when you pressed the button?Did the console beep? Does the actual incline position change?DO the same for the “Incline down” button.
  Take note of the results of these three steps.  Now you will have a lot of very good information for the service technician when you call.