One of the more common error codes on treadmills with DC drive motors is the E-1
error. This error may occur when you try to start the belt, preventing it from starting up or
it may occur when the belt is already running – the E-1 error will shut it down. Whenever
the treadmill belt is running or when a command to start is entered, the microcontroller in
the display board looks for a signal from the optical tach. The optical tach sensor is
located at the end of the drive motor shaft. If the display board microcontroller does not
see the tach signal or if the tach signal is interrupted, then an E-1 error will occur.
Unfortunately in many of the operator manuals the description of the E-1 error makes
many customers think that there is something automatically wrong with the optical tach
sensor. This is usually the least likely cause. The more likely causes are drive motor
issues, a failure on the drive board, or failure of the tach signal to reach the display.
Below are some tests you can perform to help narrow down the cause.
Unplug the treadmill or turn off the main power switch located at the front of the machine
next to the power cord. Remove the plastic housing cover from over the motor and drive
board. Inspect the motor brushes and commentator:
Remove the two dome-shaped round plastic caps that are at one end of the
motor. They are about the size of a quarter and have a slot in them so you can
use a regular slotted screw driver. Once you have removed the caps you will see
the end of a spring. Sometimes the spring and brush will pop out; other times you
may need to fish them out of the hole. Pay special attention to the way each
brush is oriented as you remove them. On some motors it is possible to install
them upside down. Inspect the brush, which is the hard rectangular piece of
carbon at the end of the spring. What you are looking for is a minimum length of
3/8 of an inch. As a practical matter, if the brush is ½ inch or shorter, replace it.
While the brushes are removed it is a good idea to look down inside the hole and
examine the armature surface – it is the surface that the brushes have been
making contact with. The armature should be a nice shiny brass color without
pits and should not have any burnt or discolored areas. If the surface looks
good, then vacuum out any accumulated dust and replace the brushes if needed.
If the surface looks like there have been signs of electrical arcing, you may need
to be more aggressive and use a commutator stone to clean up the surface.
Severe armature surface damage may require replacement of the motor or
possibly taking it to a motor repair shop for overhaul.
If the motor brushes look like they are of sufficient length then reinstall them and
retest the machine. Sometimes a brush can get hung up in the holder and cause
it to malfunction. If everything looks good and the brushes mount properly but the
motor still won't start, then try powering the motor without the treadmill
electronics. If you have a cordless drill motor with a detachable battery you can
use that battery to run the drive motor independently: Disconnect the drive
motor wires from the drive board - they are attached with spade terminals and labeled M1 and M2 on the drive board. Once you have disconnected the wires,
hold one wire to the positive terminal of the battery and the other to the negative
terminal of the battery. Don’t worry about polarity, if the motor runs backwards,
just switch the wires. If the motor runs, then that usually means the source of the
E-1 error is not the motor and you can move on to testing the optical tach. If the
motor does not operate using the battery, that indicates a more severe motor
problem. Replace it or take it to a local motor repair shop.
The best way to determine if the optical tach is working is to first locate a colored LED on
the drive board that is labeled CLK or MC. If you have power to the treadmill and rotate
the motor very slowly by hand, that LED should flicker at slow speed and become a solid
light at a faster speed. If the LED is not flashing, then check to make sure that there is
not a piece of dust blocking the sensor or that the sensor is not touching the chopper
wheel. If those problems are not encountered, then the optical transmitter/receiver pair
or the cable or cable connectors are the most likely causes of the problem. Otherwise, if
the LED seems to be working, that means that the tachometer signal is getting to the
drive board. If the treadmill will not start because of the E-1 error then you can verify
that the signal is getting to the display board by pushing the walking belt with your foot
while attempting to start the machine. If you don’t get the error unless you stop pushing
the belt then that means the tach signal is being read by the display board
microcontroller and indications at that point are that there is most likely an issue with the
motor control circuit on the Drive Board. If manually pushing the belt doesn't remove the
E-1 error, then there is a problem with the drive board or the cabling from the drive board
to the display board.
Check to make sure that there are no fuses blown on the drive board (located next to the
motor). It is best to use a multi-meter to check out their condition. Also check all the wire
connectors to the board to make sure they are all plugged in securely. If the treadmill
has been recently moved or partially disassembled prior to the error, then check the
cable between the drive board and the display to make sure it did not get pinched or is
partially disconnected. The next test you can do is to check the output voltages of the
transformer. If the transformer checks out then there would appear to be problem with the
drive board and it may need to be replaced.
if you think not being able to do this procedure, contact a qualified technician
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