In this post, I will talk about what you can do when the NordicTrack treadmill stuck in upright position, or not able to decline normally.
If you are looking for solutions where you are unable to unfold the treadmill, I would recommend you to read this post.
As you know, both incline and decline are important functions in the NordicTrack treadmill.
When you are unable to lower down the treadmill’s grade to its ground level, it will largely affect your workout session.
Read:
- Common problems of the NordicTrack Treadmill
- NordicTrack Treadmill making noise when incline and decline
Unable to Decline NordicTrack treadmill to Ground Level
- Safety key and power supply issue
This should be the first thing to check when you encounter any issue on NordicTrack treadmill.
Please check if the safety key is properly inserted as it would cut off the power supply to the treadmill if it is loosened.
Related: How To DIY Treadmill Safety Key
There is a safety key as shown in the image below on NordicTrack treadmill.
Besides, I would suggest you to check if there is any power disruption in your area.
The most simple way to check is to turn on your room light to see if the power disruption is the reason of the power supply cut off to your treadmill.
Also, don’t forget to simply power reset the treadmill to see if this solves the problem.
- Treadmill’s Calibration error
As I stated in this post to troubleshoot the condition where the NordicTrack treadmill unable to incline properly, the calibration is one of the reasons that cause this.
Same thing might happen here, error in treadmill calibration would cause your treadmill unable to decline normally.
Sometime programming error in the treadmill might also affect its decline function.
I have listed the step-by-step guide in the post above on how to calibrate the NordicTrack treadmill.
Some models of NordicTrack treadmills need to be calibrated differently.
I would suggest you to Search on Google or YouTube on the way to calibrate your treadmill model accurately.
Tips: You may search “NordicTrack treadmill” + Model Number + “Calibration Step by Step” on either Google or YouTube
- Incline/Decline motor failure on treadmill
The NordicTrack treadmill consists of a motor to control the incline and decline of the treadmill.
It is basically operates as shown in the video below.
I recorded this incline/decline mechanism for you to understand how the treadmill works.
If the incline/decline motor is faulty or cannot operate due to certain reason, the treadmill would not be able to decline normally.
Related: Running and incline/decline motor issue with NordicTrack treadmill
As shown in the image below, the incline/decline motor is connected with the power supply cable and few cables to the treadmill control board.
Make sure all these cables are connected securely.
Is the incline motor overheated?
As you know, when electrical component is overheated, it does not work normally.
Same happens to the NordicTrack treadmill incline motor.
Incline/decline motor of my NordicTrack treadmill operates well when its temperature is up to below 70 degrees Celsius.
If it is overheated, please turn off the treadmill and let the motor cool down.
Read: What To Do if NordicTrack Treadmill Overheating
Please retry again in one or two hours to see if this issue has been fixed and the treadmill is able to decline normally now..
- Malfunction of the Treadmill control board
When the control board is not working properly, it would not be able to send correct signal to the motor to operate.
First thing I would check is whether the red LED on the control lights up.
One thing you should keep in mind is that this does not mean that the board is totally fine with its LED lights up.
This only indicates that the control board is receiving electrical power.
To properly check all components on the electrical board are working, I believe you would need a professional technician to do this.
- Something stuck under the treadmill or motor
Do you have a pet in your house?
I believe this could be the most horrific thing if the pet is stuck under the treadmill and you press the decline button!
Please make sure under of the treadmill is clear from any physical obstacles.
Besides, you might need to open up the motor hood to check if there is anything stuck in the incline/decline motor.
When the motor inclines to its maximum position, it will show a large portion of the metal screw bar as shown in the image below:
This metal screw bar holds the treadmill deck in its upright position.
When a decline command is received, it will lower the treadmill deck via the metal screw threads.
Please observe if the threads/texture of the metal screw bar is in shape as it might affect how smooth the treadmill deck able to decline.
Is your treadmill also making noise when incline and decline as shown in my video below?
Consider to tighten all bolts and nuts and lubricate the incline motor.
- Something stuck under the treadmill or motor
I have written a post about the most common console board problems on NordicTrack treadmill.
If the entire console is not working, you may refer to the post above for the troubleshooting guide.
Sometimes, there could be malfunction on the specific treadmill buttons.
I believe most NordicTrack treadmill has both the “Quick Incline” and manual “Incline/Decline” buttons on its console.
Please try to use another incline/decline button on the console to isolate the problematic button.
- Inbuilt program not finished yet
Are you using any of the preprogrammed function of the treadmill?
There are custom programs you can select on the console.
For example, on my treadmill, I am able to select whether to choose Workout time or Calorie as my exercise goal.
If you selected these preprogrammed functions and press the decline button without waiting for the program to finish, the treadmill might refuse to decline as it will interrupt the program.
I am not saying that all NordicTrack treadmills would respond the same way.
The better way to end the preprogrammed exercise function is to press the “Stop” button FIRST, then press the decline button to lower the treadmill deck.
This could ensure that the initial exercise program is now canceled, and the treadmill could respond to the new decline command.
Conclusion
I have listed the most possible reasons that might cause the NordicTrack treadmill unable to decline normally.
I hope my personal experience in handling the incline/decline function of the NordicTrack treadmill could help you to lower the treadmill deck normally.
If you experienced the same issue before, feel free to share it in the comment box below.
