broken treadmill help? Pretty please?
 

Hi everyone,

I can tell you that I NEVER thought I'd cry over a piece of broken exercise equipment. However, please don't ask me today. :cry:

I've been working out C25King it for four months now. I got on my treadmill today, got to 41 minutes, and suddenly it just stopped. And, it has stayed "stopped". No noises, no smells, nothing. It just stopped. The display still works, but the belt won't.

It's a Horizon Fitness CST 4.5 model purchased from Dick's Sporting Goods just over 2 years ago.

Anything like this ever happen to anyone? Were you able to fix it?

Customer Service doesn't open until Monday morning. I just *know* mentally if it's broken, I'm going to really be set back.

I'd appreciate any experiences/ideas you might have.

Thanks!

Beth, My condolenses of the possible loss of your treadmill. I went through this a few years ago and I called a friend of mine crying because I had just started to lose weight. I was devastated. I knew I could afford another treadmill, at the time I was a single mother. I know that feeling; you are really into it and something goes wrong like this and you don't know how you are going to keep up your momentum.

Unfortunately, my treadmill was truly DOA. It took me a few months but I did get another treadmill. (Sole F80 from Dick's sporting goods) I would cry it stopped working.

Did you get any extra warranty? If not do you have anyone that maybe able to check out the motor? If you don't know any try asking around or place an ad in the local paper.

Best of luck. I really hope your treadmill can be brought back to life. I am also doing the C25K. I start week 6 tomorrow.


Tina

Mine stopped too! I had it for a long time and then used it every day for one year, then got lazy and stopped using it for awhile. I tried to use it and.....nothing! The display lights up, calories count up and mileage goes up, but the motor does not turn the treadmill.

I took the cover off and blew it out in case dirt was in it (it's in an outbuilding attached to the house) but still nothing!

If someone can tell me also, or beth4365 - If you find out how to fix it and come back and post it I promise I will name my next child after you!!

(or at least our next hamster)

Hi tinamae, thank you so much for understanding. Yeah... I've been working so hard for 3 months exactly. August, September, October. November 1, the treadmill breaks. I am truly, totally bummed. You survived it though, thank you for sharing your experience. I know I'll survive it, too, it just doesn't feel like it at the moment.

aschenbrodel, guess we're in the same boat. At least we can share. :hug: I hope someone comes along who can maybe give us some advice.

Just thought I'd stop in and post an update.

I don't really know how to feel.

My husband spoke to customer service at Horizon today. Apparently, the "motor control board" broke inside my treadmill. It's $175 to replace it. I'm going ahead with it, but I'm bummed. That's nearly 20% the cost of what we paid when it was new. And, there is no realy guarantee that it'll fix it. They did 'diagnostic' stuff and they think it will fix it, but who knows until it's really here.

Anyway, I just wanted to post an update. I suppose the news could be worse, so I need to just 'lighten up'! :yes:

My treadmill stopped just like you are all describing out of the blue one day. It turned out it was the very inexpensive fuse. I went to Radio Shack and bought one and put it in. I forget how I learned that this was the problem, but it was a solution less than $3.00 to fix.

shelterwatch, really? Where was the fuse situated?

Download or ask your manufacturer for an owners' manual
 

Sorry for the delay in responding. I just saw this thread again.

My treadmill was a Proform. I found the owners' manual for free online. I just downloaded it.

I believe that the fuse on my particular model was located in the bottom of the treadmill.

There's a guy who has great information about treadmills online. You can go to his site treadmilldoctor. However, there are several treadmill troubleshooting websites online.

Probably anyone with general mechanical knowledge could diagnose the problem. I think that the motors inside the treadmills are just small motors, so they have similar motors to any small motor.

Unfortunately, I believe that these lower cost treadmills are pretty disposable these days. Before I buy any major purchase, I do a lot of research and homework. It's well-worth the time that I expend.

Mine is a pro-form also. One of the better models.
I know I kept the manual......somewhere!

Do you have a link to where you found the downloadable manual??

A lot of small-time auto shops will also fix small engines/machines- make some calls, I bet you it would be less expensive than a new one.

Proform Manuals -- free download?
 

Here's a link I found via google, but it was so long ago when I downloaded my free manual, I don't know if this is the same link.

I do know that this is the parent company of Proform which also owns several other treadmill companies, like Nordictrak, I believe, and also Reebock. This Icon company based in Utah owns something like six different fitness equipment companies.

iconservice (dot com) Because I am a member who has not posted 25 posts yet, it will not let me post the link. Go to their site and then type in manual or just google proform manual download. That's how I found this link.

I never worked on a treadmill but all electrical equipment is basically the same, it works on a circuit. The power goes in a loop and if the loop is broken anywhere the machine will stop.

I used to be a maintenance mechanic in factories years ago and fixed a lot of machines I wasn't familiar with.

You always start at the power source and make sure you got power out of the wall.

Then there is two ways you can go. Check the machine with power on or off.

With the power on you use a voltage tester. With the power off you use a continuity tester. Electricity is not scary as long as you don't touch the wires. Many electricians can change a wall plug while it is hot. You just don't touch the wires that's all.

If you don't have confidence DON'T DO IT!

You always start at the power source and start tracing backwards. Where ever the power stops (or continuity if you are using the continuity tester) that is where your problems is.

I once fixed a TV set I found in the street tracing the power and I know nothing about TV's. I was pretty puffed up about that!

And also many, many times a manufacturer will put in an inline fuse to protect against power surges but personally I think they put them in so the machine will stop working and you have to have it serviced.

To find a fuse just take the cover off the motor or whatever and carefully follow the wiring where it comes in from the wall cord. Just keep following the wires as it goes through each component and if there is a fuse in there you will see it. Most of the time it looks like a car fuse. Small skinny glass tube with a strip of metal inside it. If the metal is burnt there's your problem. It is in different places on different machines so you have to look for them

Now a warning if you change that fuse be SURE and pull the plug not just turn the machine off or you will get a jolt. And keep your hands away from anything inside because a capacitor will hold a charge even with the power off. Just touch the circuit will your testers thats all. I like the ones that look like two pens with a wire connecting them. They cost more but the cheap $3.00 testers are smaller and more chance of bumping a wire with your finger or something.

That said... I have an old Schwinn Air-Dyne exercise bike with the moving arms and big fan for the front wheel. Took me a long time to find it (craigslist.com) and this baby gives me a good workout and is going to last me forever! No electrical parts other than the cheap battery operated timer on the handle bar that I don't even use!