
Belt Speed Troubleshooting
Worn or damaged motor commutator/brushes or other motor failure
T101-05, T101-07, TR5, TR3
With the electrical power present in and many moving parts that make up the belt drive motor, normal
wear can cause it to fail. This wear is accelerated by many factors including user weight, speed, incline,
belt & deck friction, drive belt alignment, and lack of routine cleaning. Additionally, there are brushes
within the motor that will wear out, and the commutator may need to be cleaned.
If the belt does not start moving due to a motor failure, the console may display an E-1 error code.
To diagnose & correct this issue:
1.
Disconnect power and remove the motor cover. Stand on a siderail and use your foot to rotate
the belt in the normal forward direction. Listen to the motor – any grinding, rubbing, or scraping
noises from the motor are indicators of a motor issue.
a.
Consider that noises from other areas of the treadmill (drive belt, rollers, belt edges,
etc.) may indicate adjustments may need to be made, such as running belt tension &
centering, drive belt tracking, etc.
2.
Inspect the motor leads (red, black, and green wires connected to the motor) for any signs of
damage. Replace the motor if any damage is found.
3.
If a multimeter is available: Conduct the following tests.
a.
Disconnect the red & black motor leads from the MCB and connect the leads to the
multimeter. Polarity isn’t important for this test.
b.
With the multimeter set to measure resistance, the motor should have a resistance of
0.9-1.6 ohms. Moving the belt slightly will cause this measurement to change
dramatically – do not take this measurement while standing on or moving the belt, as
any disturbance to the motor will cause this measurement to be unstable and could
damage your meter.
c.
With the multimeter set to measure DC volts, turn the motor flywheel or move the belt
(no faster than a walking pace on the belt). Turning the motor one direction should
cause a positive voltage reading; turning the motor the other direction should cause a
negative voltage reading. Both DC voltage readings should increase in magnitude when
the motor is turned faster – specific readings cannot be noted without a repeatable way
to measure/control how fast the motor is being turned.
If either of these measurements fail these checks, the motor will need to be serviced or
replaced. Refer to Inspecting and cleaning the motor for additional service information.
If both tests pass, suspect the MCB.
4.
If no multimeter is available: Conduct the following tests.
a.
Disconnect the red & black motor leads from the MCB.
b.
Acquire a battery, nominally 9-20 volts (for example 9 volt cell, cordless tool battery, car
battery). Connecting the motor leads to the battery terminals, the motor should turn
slowly (1-4 MPH). Do not stand on the belt for this test. Note – some cordless tool
batteries have multiple terminals; confirm that the motor leads are connected to
terminals where battery voltage is present.
c.
Have a helper turn the motor by hand, either directly by the motor flywheel or by
pushing the belt. Touch & hold the metal spade connectors on the motor leads
together while turning the motor is being turned - there should be a noticeable ‘braking’
force with the motor being harder to turn when the spade connectors are touching.