I am a proud owner of a NordicTrack treadmill.
Although overall I am satisfied with the NordicTrack treadmill at my home, sometimes it can run into problems.
From time to time, I faced some random issues, but luckily it is quite easy to fix by myself.
I have listed the most common problems of the NordicTrack treadmill in this post.
NordicTrack Treadmill Problems Troubleshoot
- NordicTrack treadmill not turning on
This is one of the most common issues NordicTrack treadmill owners have faced.
When you turn on the power, the console is not lighting up.
Then you know that there might be something wrong with your treadmill, either is some software glitch or electrical problem.
There can be multiple reasons for this issue, including power source, electronic components, software issue, etc.
I have written a post on how to fix this Nordictrack treadmill not turning on issue.
- NordicTrack treadmill not inclining
Besides speed, incline is one of the most used features by most of the NordicTrack treadmill users.
To experience the feeling of climbing the mountain, and to train the strength of the legs.
Inclining is usually being adjusted to different levels throughout the workout session.
If the treadmill fails to incline, it will most likely stay at the lowest level.
The video below shows the incline mechanism of how the treadmill should work.
There can be multiple reasons for the treadmill not able to incline normally, including incline buttons failure, incline motor not functioning, etc.
Please check the video below for a closer look on how the incline motor should work.
Usually, this issue can be fixed easily by recalibrating the treadmill, but this method will not work 100%.
For more troubleshooting guides, read this post dedicated to solve the NordicTrack Treadmill not inclining problem.
- NordicTrack treadmill keep beeping
Normally the NordicTrack treadmill will produce different types of sounds to alert users when it has some problems.
Please note that not all types of sounds the treadmill produces are alert, some sounds are just a normal part of treadmill’s operation.
When you power on the treadmill, you will hear a single “beep” sound to notify you that the treadmill is now powered up.
When you remove the safety key and press the “Start” button, it will also trigger the beep sound to alert you to insert the safety key.
Sometimes everything seems to be ready, the safety key is inserted, the treadmill’s belt start running, just the machine will keep beeping.
Although it does not stop the machine from being running, it can be quite annoying too for that non-stop beeping sound.
Here is the post I have written to troubleshoot and fix the NordicTrack treadmill beeping issue.
- NordicTrack treadmill squeaking and making weird noise
When the NordicTrack treadmill is new and all components are intact, you will barely hear any weird noise during the workout session.
However, if the treadmill is aged and extensive workout sessions were carried out, you might start noticing noises coming out from different parts of the treadmill as shown in the video below.
The screws on the treadmill might get loosened, the running belt is fraying, the whole treadmill structure does not hold tight as before.
In this case, the treadmill can start squeaking and making all kinds of noises.
The most common solution to this problem is applying lubricant oil to the running belt, tighten the screws, etc.
If you are interested to know about potential solutions to this specific squeaking problem, you can read this post.
- Belt of NordicTrack treadmill not moving
When you power on the treadmill, the console lights up, in normal case the treadmill is ready to use.
In some cases, the running belt is not moving although you press the “Start” button.
The most common reason for this problem is the user forgets to insert the safety key.
Safety key needs to be inserted before you can move the running belt.
This is one of the safety features offered by NordicTrack which the user often forget.
There can be more reasons for the NordicTrack treadmill’s belt not moving problem, including the running motor not functioning as it should.
The running motor drive the belt moving as shown in the video below:
I have written a post to list down all potential reasons and what you should do to troubleshoot the treadmill belt not moving issue.
- NordicTrack treadmill fan not working
I am not sure if all models of NordicTrack treadmill come with a fan, but the model I have did equipped with a fan to cool down the body.
The fan on the NordicTrack treadmill can be started when you press the fan button on the console as shown in the image above.
And you can adjust the volume of the fan easily.
I noticed that if you turn on the fan without starting the session, it will work for a while and then stops after a certain period of time as shown in the video below:
I think this is how the fan being programmed, not the fan’s fault.
You should start the fan and also run the belt, most likely the fan will work continuously.
If this does not work in your case, you might want to read the article on how I troubleshoot the NordicTrack treadmill fan problems.
- NordicTrack treadmill belt off center
This is the most frequent case faced by myself.
The belt might start sliding to one side and causing friction between the belt and the side panel.
If the belt is not being adjusted to be centered again, it might ruin the running belt in the long term.
Normally if the running belt is not serious damaged, you can fix this issue easily by simply adjusting the running belt so that it is aligned at the center again.
The common reason for the issue above is due to unbalanced tension at both sides of the belt.
The belt will slide to the side with LESS tension during the workout session.
If both sides have the same tension, this belt will be aligned at the center optimally.
I have added a table showcasing what you should do based on different scenarios to solve this running belt misaligned problem.
- NordicTrack treadmill won’t unfold
The NordicTrack treadmill can be folded up easily to save space after the workout session.
This can be extremely useful if you have limited space.
Sometimes it can be difficult to unfold it to start a new workout session.
Not sure if this is a design flaw or just the machine needs proper maintenance to perform at optimum level.
There are stickers attached on the folding bar to show you the exact technique you need to unfold the treadmill.
For my treadmill model, I will just need to push the running deck upwards, and kick the folding bar at the designated position.
In normal case, I will need to repeat the same step multiple times to successfully lower the running deck.
The video below shows how I fold my NordicTrack treadmill and unfold it.
If you need more details on how to troubleshoot this NordicTrack treadmill unfold problem, read this article.
- NordicTrack Treadmill Motor Problems
The NordicTrack treadmill consists of two motors, the main running motor and the incline/decline motor.
The running motor is to drive and run the belt.
If the running is not working properly, you might experience some speed problems on the treadmill.
Besides, the first things you should check if your running motor stops working are the power connections and the safety key.
There can be various reasons that cause the running motor not able to operate smoothly.
For examples, the motor controller is not working, the motor is overheating, motor fan related issue, etc.
As stated above, there is another motor called incline motor.
The incline motor helps to lift the treadmill deck when you perform incline, and lower the treadmill deck when you perform decline.
Unless you do not want to incline the treadmill during the workout session, you would need to make sure the incline motor is working properly.
If you have experienced any problems related to the NordicTrack treadmill motor, you may read this post about treadmill motor problems that I have written.
- Treadmill kept stopping Suddenly
I believe this is one of the most common problems the NordicTrack treadmill users have encountered.
When running on the treadmill, the treadmill stops suddenly although you did not press the Stop button.
If this happens, what I would suggest you to check are the safety key, power supply and voltage stabilizer.
If there is any voltage fluctuations in your area, it might affect the treadmill as the treadmill might trigger its safety feature to stop the treadmill automatically.
Besides, speed sensor issue, overheated or faulty running motor and also high running belt tension are also the possible reasons.
I have written a post on how to troubleshoot the NordicTrack treadmill keeps stopping suddenly issue.
- Speed related problems on the Treadmill
A consistent and desired speed during the workout session is important.
There can be multiple speed related problems happen on the NordicTrack treadmill.
For example, the treadmill speed is not consistent or the treadmill speed up/slow down on its own automatically.
Sometimes, users also feedback that the treadmill not able to speed up to certain limit.
Most of these cases are due to the speed sensor problem or faulty running motor.
Besides, faulty speed buttons on the console might also cause this problem.
In this case, I would suggest you try other buttons on the console to check if those buttons work.
This helps to isolate the speed button problem and find out the real cause.
If you are interested to find out detailed solutions for NordicTrack treadmill Speed related problem, read this post.
- Console Problem of the Treadmill
The console is an important component of the NordicTrack treadmill.
It helps to control the treadmill and gives user better experience in operating the treadmill.
NordicTrack treadmill comes with different models and some models consist of Touch Screen and some just come with a traditional console with buttons.
In this post troubleshooting the console related problem on the NordicTrack treadmill, I have listed the most common console problems as shown below.
- The entire treadmill console won’t turn on
- Treadmill buttons are not responsive
- Wrong readings displayed on the console
- Unstable power supply causes the flickering issue
- Beeping sound on the console
- Error code display and the treadmill stopped
- Treadmill not able to decline
When you incline the treadmill during the workout session, you would also expect it to decline normally after your exercise.
In some cases, the treadmill won’t be able to decline normally and it just stuck in the upright position.
This can be due to safety key and power issue.
Besides, potential issues include calibration error and incline motor error.
If it is due to the calibration error, it might be the easiest issue to resolve.
Just recalibrate the treadmill and the problem solved.
You might need to hire a professional technician if the problems are due to faulty incline motor or motor controller board related issue.
I have listed down the most possible reasons that make the treadmill unable to decline normally in this post.
- Unusual noises on the Treadmill during incline and decline
If you perform maintenance regularly, I believe the chance for the treadmill to make noises would be reduced as well.
Lubrication is the most effective way to reduce the friction on the treadmill and the noises.
If you hear some noises on your treadmill when inclining or declining, the first thing you should check should be the bolts and nuts.
There are many bolts and nuts that holding the NordicTrack treadmill intact and firm.
Make sure all bolts and nuts are secured and tightened, especially those on the treadmill support bar and the treadmill incline motor.
Besides, the incline motor needs lubrication too.
Please be aware that you should NOT lubricate the electrical components of the treadmill incline motor as it might damage the incline motor.
You should only lubricate the moving part of the incline motor like the incline motor metal screw bar.
The metal screw threads/texture might be worn out over time.
Make sure the screw threads are in shape as it is important for the incline/decline of the treadmill to be performed quitely.
As usual, this post about NordicTrack treadmill making noises during incline and decline has been written by me for more detailed solutions.
Conclusion
The problems listed above are some of the most common issues faced by NordicTrack treadmill users.
I will keep this post updated to include more troubleshooting solutions to fix the common Nordictrack treadmill issue.
