Why Treadmill Speeds Up & Slows Down On its Own | Solutions

A treadmill is simply a blessing, which helps you reduce weight while staying indoors. But this can cause pain in the head if it shows problems most often. If your treadmill speeds up and slows down on its own immediately, this can hinder your focus and workout.

Some technical problems like motor problems, speed sensor problems, etc need technical help, but this sudden speed surge and sudden slowing down can also be resolved on your own by following a few simple steps.

There are several reasons that your treadmill is speeding up or down, this might be due to a console problem.

Another major issue I’ve experienced is belt condition might not be good, which can lead to the treadmill belt slowing down.

First, let’s see how to overcome treadmill speed issues with the help of a treadmill speed sensor.

It sounds like the speed sensor is bad or the mail control board is bad.

This is usually a belt problem

This will occur on older treadmills or if they haven’t been maintained.

With these Allen wrenches you’ll be able to tighten the belt and loosen it. You’ll be able to center the belt if you see it’s off center which could be another reason for the problem. 

How To Solve Treadmill Speed Sensor Problem?

Treadmill speed sensor issue is a common glitch that most users encounter.

The working phenomenon of a speed sensor is to read revolutions per minute and convert them to miles per hour.

So, if you don’t see the speed on the treadmill console or see some error it means the speed sensor is causing the issue.

If the speed sensor is out of order or it’s loose, before calling for professional help, you can do it yourself once.

Just follow the following simple steps to accomplish this task.

Unplugging the Socket

First, unplug the socket from the power board. Because your safety comes first.

Removing motor cover

After unplugging the cord, move the treadmill upright to loosen its plastic covering that covers the motor. The bolts for this coverage are beneath the treadmill.

Use Allen wrench to lose bolts.

Move with Sensor Wires

Locate the black and white wires that lead from the motor to the circuit board. Locate the bolts that hold the motor to the mounting bracket.

If bolts are loose, tighten them. This will stabilize the speed sensor.

Testing Speed Sensor using a Voltage meter

To validate the fix, check the continuity of the speed sensor using a voltage meter.

If the result is that the voltage meter shows continuity it means you need to replace the speed sensor.

Read the user manual to reset your treadmill settings. The aforementioned steps explain the basic troubleshooting of the speed sensor.

Related: Fix Bowflex Series 7 Speed Senor

In addition to this, a person can face that treadmill stops running after 20 minutes or 30 minutes when he starts a workout. This can be frustrating. So, I have brought a solution for you.

Why does my Treadmill stop After 20 minutes?

If your treadmill stops after about 20 minutes it could be due to the auto-programmed feature of most treadmills.

It is a safety feature to prevent the machine from heating up. It prevents situations like fire outbursts or it can prevent the burning smell from the machine.

You can shut down the automated feature. However, I personally won’t recommend it as it can lead to permanent damage to your machine’s functioning.

If you want to avoid the machine from stopping automatically then the best bet is to find the culprit and in such a case I try using my treadmill at a slower pace to avoid overheating. This solution has been helpful for me and the treadmill will not slow down randomly after 20 or 30 minutes. Check the reason why treadmill stops after 30 minutes.

Use the treadmill with few-minute break intervals. Give the machine time to dissipate heat produced due to friction.

No doubt it is a bit frustrating if the machine stops working immediately during a workout when we are fully charged.

Well, if you are looking to avoid any malfunctioning I would suggest trying looking for the lubrication between the treadmill belt and deck. The belt is damaged by friction due to running. If the belt is damaged or worn out then it should be replaced to prevent any injury. Also If you can identify that belt is ok but dryness is causing trouble then lube it, Silicone-based lubes serve the need.

Besides every treadmill has a feature, a thermal switch. It is activated when the machine overheats due to friction between the treadmill belt and the surface. You first need to detect the problem, and then solve it.

Why Does My Treadmill Surge?

Sometimes you may experience unusual behavior on the treadmill like a power surge. In this case, the belt will start moving and in moments it will stop midway. When the machine is designed there is a by default power surge detector installed in it, when it is activated machine starts tripping.

Afterward, the console lights up and the belt moves half the way on deck and stops. Also, the surge detector lights up at the end. In such a scenario the trouble isn’t being caused by overheating it’s just the surge detector which draws very high amps and causes the tripping.

I will recommend installing a new high surge protector.

In case of a power surge, the belt’s movement is delayed. The best solution for a treadmill power surge is grounding because it provides protection against electrical overloads.

So you need to ground surge suppressor. It will reduce overdrawing of current into the device (ultimately surge suppressor won’t trip repeatedly and the treadmill belt won’t slow down on its own) and improve the clearing time of overcurrent protective devices.

Also Read: Why my Proform buttons are not working?

Conclusion

If the treadmill is slowing down randomly or stops working, here is your solution.

If your treadmill speeds up or slows down on its own it is just a common problem and It can be a headache. Some main reasons are:

• Might be due to overheating for continuous use. You should work out with a break.
• If the treadmill belt is dry then you should lubricate it. Because of friction that is produced 99% of the time while running.
• In the case of a treadmill power surge, ground the surge suppressor to reduce the excessive electrical current.

Hope this will help you sort out how to fix treadmill speed sensor and ultimately fix treadmill speed surge issues.