# Treadmill optical sensor adjustment



## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

I have a SportsArt 1200N treadmill that gives an E-1 error message. At first when you would start it the unit would lurch like the treadmill wants to shoot out and start too fast. I would get the E-1 error message and the unit would stop. Supposed to be an optical sensor issue. Now it does it most times even after I get it up and running.

Anybody have a clue where this adjustment is? I would like to get it working and the guy I bought it from has not called back and the factory said to contact the dealer first.


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## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

Hey dude, what's up??

Does this treadmill have one of those emergency cut off switches? Do you think that thing could be giving you problems?

Are you thinking it might be something with the alignment?


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## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

I just remembered something about mine, back when I used to use it.

I had to download a calibration routine and calibrate the treadmill. It was acting all funky, and giving me an error message. So, that may be a route for you.

I'm sure you've already seen this, but there are several choices you might can try:

http://www.treadmilldoctor.com/Troubleshooting


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

That actually sounds like an optical speed sensor, it should look like a small wheel with spokes and an LED assembly around it at one point. This senses the speed of the treadmill and synchronizes it to the speed requested. What you're describing is the sensor not working, so the motor gets a shot and goes fast because it's getting no feedback. After a short period, the controller realizes that the speed sensor isn't working and shuts down the unit with the error.


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

Drabdr said:


> Hey dude, what's up??
> 
> Does this treadmill have one of those emergency cut off switches? Do you think that thing could be giving you problems?
> 
> Are you thinking it might be something with the alignment?


 Nothing to do with the emergency switch. It has an error code that is E-1 which relates to an optical sensor. I am hoping it is just an adjustment.



Drabdr said:


> I just remembered something about mine, back when I used to use it.
> 
> I had to download a calibration routine and calibrate the treadmill. It was acting all funky, and giving me an error message. So, that may be a route for you.
> 
> ...


Thanks but I don't see anything that stands out.



JohnWill said:


> That actually sounds like an optical speed sensor, it should look like a small wheel with spokes and an LED assembly around it at one point. This senses the speed of the treadmill and synchronizes it to the speed requested. What you're describing is the sensor not working, so the motor gets a shot and goes fast because it's getting no feedback. After a short period, the controller realizes that the speed sensor isn't working and shuts down the unit with the error.


That sounds about right. When it first started acting it up it only did it on the start. Sometimes it would take several attempts to get it running but once it got started it would continue. Two nights ago it stopped once in mid stream and last night I had to give up as it might go 30 seconds or a minute and then it would quit. It lurches fast forward when it does this almost like there is no tension on the motor.

I don't recall seeing what you are describing. I vacuumed it out a month ago or so and never saw anything like that. At the time I was hoping it might be dust covering a sensor.

Thanks for trying guys.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

The sensor may look different or be enclosed. There is a sensor somewhere that senses the speed of the belt to allow you to maintain a constant speed. What I described is the typical optical speed sensor, the kind we used on avionics instruments and servo table positioners.


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## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

Hey, Bill, I might try that website again I posted. There are some pretty decent guides there.

Given this one:

http://www.treadmilldoctor.com/Shuts-Down-During-a-Workout

You might can contact them and get some help for free.

Might be worth a try...


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

Drabdr said:


> Hey, Bill, I might try that website again I posted. There are some pretty decent guides there.
> 
> Given this one:
> 
> ...


Well I do appreciate your continuing curiosity 

I did contact the manufacturer finally. Talked to a typical guy in support. Very smart, very impatient, very grumpy. Sounds like somebody called me for help 

Anyhow for those interested he said there are 4 likely scenarios.

First check the tach signal. That is a light on the lower board which should blink if you move the motor slowly and then the light turns solid. This checked out fine.

If that was ok then he said to look at the brushes on the motor. He said they should be probably a 1/2" long and if further worn could be the culprit. So I took the brushes out and went to my motor repair guys to see if they had replacements. As I suspected they did not. They also told me what I suspected which was the brushes were not causing the problem. They were evenly worn and did not have any arcing on them.

Made no sense to me it being bad brushes. Problem was too intermittent. And if that was the case it should have acted up all the time. IMO

Then he said to take a electric drill battery and hook it up to the motor so see if the motor is bad. The motor ran.

I forgot what the 4th thing was.

There is no friction issue. I can move the motor and treadmill easily by hand.

I wish this guy was more like guys at the motor factory for the stuff we buy. They would not be so miserable to deal with. But then I am that way too sometimes if I have a do it yourselfer that has no business trying to fix things. I have a decent concept of electronics and just need steering in the right direction.

The guy who sold me the treadmill has yet to return a call. I expected better as he is a nice guy and we were neighbors til he moved a few years ago. I am not adverse to paying money to get this fixed but not sure who works on them. This was not a dirt cheap treadmill. I spent about $900 and that was with the neighbor discount.

oh well. thanks for the interest guys


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## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

Hey, you have helped hundreds, if not thousands here.:up::up:

I just figured you deserved some help on this, if there was any I could give.:up:


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Since the tach is fine, I'm thinking this may be an electronic failure of the board. Kinda' hard to diagnose stuff like this from a distance.


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

Not that anybody cares but you never know if somebody else ever encounters this problem.

I called back the manufacturer after doing the steps the first guy suggested. The new guy was nicer and more accommodating. His guess was that it was a lower circuit board. 

I knew it would be expensive but he said it was over $300.00 for a lower board 
A new motor would be well over $200.00

I could see myself buying the new board and then still have an issue and end up with $500.00 invested in a 6 year old machine. That would leave then the upper board and who knows what else might go wrong next. 

Did not make sense to dump that much money into something with quite a bit of mileage on it. So I decided to order a new set up brushes. I did not think that was the problem but I am now starting to think otherwise. Have not received the new brushes yet so I cleaned out the motor and reinstalled the old brushes. The thing has not acted up once since.

When I removed the brushes there was a lot of graphite or whatever the brush is made of that came out. Lots of powder. So maybe this was a brush issue after all and the motor would skip a beat ever so slightly that gave a false signal to the board. Sure hope so.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Could have been electrical noise from the brushes causing the problem.


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