SOLE TREADMILL RUNNING BELT TENSIONING – RUNNING BELT LUBRICATION - CALIBRATION - LS ERROR RECTIFICATION – SPEED SENSOR ADJUSTMENT - SOLE F63 TREADMILL - TREADMILL REPAIR AND SERVICE

SOLE TREADMILL RUNNING BELT TENSIONING – RUNNING BELT LUBRICATION - CALIBRATION - LS ERROR RECTIFICATION – SPEED SENSOR ADJUSTMENT - SOLE F63 TREADMILL - Treadmill Repair and service

Category : Treadmill repair and service  

Contents of this article 

• Running belt adjustment
• Running belt and duck lubrication  
• Calibration (factory mode)
• Speed sensor adjustment 

SOLE F63 

Belt and Bed 

The treadmill uses a very high-efficient low-friction bed. Performance is maximized when the bed is kept as clean as possible. Use a soft, damp cloth, or paper towel, wipe the edge of the belt and the area between the belt edge and the frame. Also reach as far as practical directly under the belt edge. This should be done once a month to extend belt and bed life. A mild soap and water solution along with a nylon scrub brush will clean the top of the textured belt. Allow to dry before using.
Belt Dust 

This occurs during normal break-in or until the belt stabilizes. Sometimes the black dust from the belt will appear on the floor behind the treadmill, this is normal.
General Cleaning 

 Dirt, dust, and pet hair can block air inlets and accumulate on the running belt. Please vacuum underneath your treadmill on a monthly basis to prevent excess build-up of dirt that can get sucked up and get into the inner workings under the motor cover. Once a year, you should remove the black motor hood and vacuum out dirt that may accumulate. UNPLUG POWER CORD BEFORE THIS TASK.
BELT ADJUSTMENTS:
Treadmill belt Tension Adjustment 

 Belt tension is not critical for most users. It is very important though for joggers and runners in order to provide a smooth, steady running surface. Adjustment must be made from the rear roller with the 6 mm Allen wrench provided in the parts package. The adjustment bolts are located at the end of the step rails as shown in the diagram below.

Note: Adjustment is through small hole in end cap.

Tighten the rear roller only enough to prevent slippage at the front roller. Turn the tread-belt tension adjusting bolts 1/4 turn each and inspect for proper tension by walking on the belt and making sure it is not slipping or hesitating with each step. When an adjustment is made to the belt tension, you must be sure to turn the bolts on both sides evenly or the belt could start tracking to one side instead of running in the middle of the deck.
DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN  

Over tightening will cause belt damage and premature bearing failure. If you tighten the belt a lot and it still slips, the problem could actually be the drive belt - located under the motor cover - that connects the motor to the front roller. If that belt is loose it feels similar to the walking belt being loose. Tightening the motor belt should be done by a trained service person.

TREADMILL BELT TRACKING ADJUSTMENT:

The treadmill is designed so that the tread-belt remains reasonably centered while in use. It is normal for some belts to drift near one side while in use, depending on a user’s gait and if they favor one leg. But if during use the belt continues to move toward one side, adjustments are necessary.

TO SET TREADMILL BELT TRACKING

A 6 mm Allen wrench is provided for this adjustment. Make tracking adjustments on the left side bolt. Set belt speed at 3 mph. Be aware that a small adjustment can make a dramatic difference which may not be apparent right away. If the belt is too close to the left side, then turn the bolt only a 1/4 turn to the right (clockwise) and wait a few minutes for the belt to adjust itself. Continue to make 1/4 turns until the belt stabilizes in the center of the running deck. If the belt is too close to the right side, turn the bolt counter-clockwise. The belt may require periodic tracking adjustment depending on use and walking/running characteristics. Some users may affect tracking differently. Expect to make adjustments as required to center the tread-belt. Adjustments will become less of a maintenance concern as the belt is used. Proper belt tracking is an owner responsibility common with all treadmills.

Belt/deck lubrication procedure 

Do not lubricate with other than SOLE approved lubricant. Your treadmill comes with one tube of lubricant and extra tubes can be ordered directly from SOLE. There are commercially available lube kits, but the only one currently approved by SOLE is Lube-N-Walk. These kits come with an application wand that makes applying the lubrication easier. The proper kit should be silicon based, NOT paraffin wax. You can also purchase SOLE lubricant from sole website under the products tab. Keeping the deck lubricated at the recommended intervals ensures the longest life possible for your treadmill. If the lubricant dries out, the friction between the belt and deck rises and places undue stress on the drive motor, drive belt and electronic motor control board, which could result in catastrophic failure of these expensive components. Failure to lubricate the deck at regular intervals may void the warranty. The belt & deck come pre-lubricated and subsequent lubrication should be performed every 180 hours of use. The console has a built in lubrication reminder indicator that lights every 180 hours of use. To lubricate the deck with the tube of lubricant supplied it will be necessary to loosen the walking belt. Using the 6 mm Allen wrench supplied, loosen the two rear roller adjustment bolts -- located in the rear end caps – enough to get your hand under the belt (5 –10 turns). Make sure to loosen both bolts the same amount of turns and also remember how many turns, because when finished you will need to tighten the bolts back to the point they were before. Once the belt is loose, wipe the deck with a clean lint free cloth to remove any dirt. Apply the whole tube of lubricant onto the deck surface about 18 inches from the motor cover. Squeeze out the contents of the tube across the deck (parallel to the motor cover) in about a one-foot line, like toothpaste on a toothbrush. The one-foot line should be in the middle of the deck at approximately equal distance from both side edges of the belt. You want the lubricant to be applied about the spot that your feet would hit the belt as you are walking. This should be about 18 inches from the motor cover, but you may want to walk on the treadmill before loosening the belt to note where your feet land on the belt. If you mostly use the treadmill for running, the spot where your feet land may be different from walking. Once the lubricant is applied, tighten the rear roller bolts the same amount of turns as when you loosened them. Run the treadmill at about 3 mph without walking on it for about a minute or two to make sure the belt stays in the middle of the deck. If the belt tracks to one side then follow the belt tracking instructions to remedy. Now the deck is lubricated and you should walk, not run, on the treadmill immediately for at least 5 minutes to ensure the lubricant is evenly distributed. If you purchase a silicone based Lube-N-Walk kit, follow the instructions that come with it to apply the lubrication.

Service Checklist - Diagnosis

Display does not light

1) Tether cord not in position.
2) Circuit breaker on front grill tripped. Push circuit breaker in until it locks.
3) Plug is disconnected. Make sure plug is firmly pushed into
AC household wall outlet.
4) Household circuit breaker may be tripped.

Tread-belt does not stay centered Treadmill belt hesitates when walked/run on

The user may be walking while favoring or putting more weight on either the left or right foot. If this walking pattern is natural, track the belt slightly off-center to the side opposite from the belt movement. See General Maintenance section on Tread-belt Tension. Adjust as necessary.

Motor is not responsive after pressing start

1) If the belt moves, but stops after a short time and the display shows “LS”, run calibration.
2) If you press start and the belt never moves, then the display shows LS

Treadmill will only achieve approximately 7 mph but shows higher speed on display

This indicates motor should be receiving power to operate. Low AC voltage to treadmill. Do not use an extension cord. If an extension cord is required it should be as short as possible and heavy duty 16 gauge minimum. Low household voltage. A minimum of 110 volt AC current is required.

Procedures to perform in case LS (Low speed) error occurs
Calibration procedure
1) Remove the safety key
2) Press and hold down the Start and Fast (speed up) buttons and replace the safety key. Continue to hold the Start and Fast key until the window displays “Factory settings”, then press the enter key.
3) You will now be able to set the display to show Metric or English settings (Miles vs. Kilometers). To do this, press the up or down key to show which you want, then press enter.
4) Make sure the wheel size diameter is 2.30 then press enter
5) Adjust the minimum speed (if needed) to 0.5 and then press enter
6) Adjust the maximum speed (if needed) to 12.0 and then press enter
7) Adjust the maximum elevation (if needed) to 15 and then press enter
8) Grade return – On (This allows the incline to return to zero when stop is pressed. For sale in Europe, EU standards require this to be off)
9) Press start to begin calibration. The process is automatic; the speed will start up without warning, so do not stand on the belt.
Adjusting the speed sensor
If the calibration does not pass you may need to check the speed sensor alignment.
1) Remove the motor cover hood by loosening the 4 screws that hold it in place (you do not need to remove them completely).
2) The speed sensor is located on the left side of the frame, right next to the front roller pulley (the pulley will have a belt around it that also goes to the motor). The speed sensor is small and black with a wire connected to it.
3) Make sure the sensor is as close as possible to the pulley without touching it. You will see a magnet on the face of the pulley; make sure the sensor is aligned with the magnet. There is a screw that holds the sensor in place that needs to be loosened to adjust the sensor. Re-tighten the screw when finished.