With retail prices well above $1,000, buying a PaceMaster treadmill is a significant investment. It's reasonable to expect them to perform well enough for you to meet the American College of Sports Medicine's recommendations for general fitness: 20 minutes of vigorous cardio three times weekly, or 30 minutes of moderate cardio five times a week for healthy adults under 65. But the more moving parts a machine has, the more likely something will go wrong with it. Sometimes you can remedy the problem yourself with a few basic troubleshooting procedures.
Misconceptions
Opening the treadmill housing and attacking the motor with a screwdriver won't just void your warranty, it also exposes you to risk of injury, including electrocution, and could ruin your treadmill altogether. As a general rule, only attempt treadmill repairs on your own if they don't require you to expose the treadmill's innards.
Quick Fixes
Sometimes all it takes to get your treadmill moving is a quick, simple fix. If the treadmill won't turn on, check to make sure that it's plugged in, that the household circuit breakers are on and that the treadmill's magnetic key is inserted in the console. The treadmill has a circuit breaker of its own, located near the electrical cord; reset the treadmill's breaker if it still won't power up.
Treadbelt Issues
Your SX-Pro treadbelt should stay relatively centered throughout the treadmill's life span. If it starts to drift to one side or the other -- a very common problem across treadmill brands -- note which side the belt slips to. There are two adjustment bolts in the rear of the treadmill's frame, one on either side of the belt. If the belt slips to the left, tighten the left-hand bolt and loosen the right-hand bolt, each by 1/4 turn. If the belt slips to the right, tighten the right-hand bolt and loosen the left-hand bolt, each by 1/4 turn.
You might also be able to fix a treadmill belt that hesitates or shudders beneath you. Carefully prop the left front corner of the treadmill up a few inches, or have a friend hold it up for you. Locate the two screws in the very bottom corner of the frame and loosen each screw 1/2 turn with a 3/8-inch Allen wrench. Next, place the Allen wrench through the small hole in the front of the treadmill frame, on the opposite side of the same corner. Tighten the screw behind the hole by one half-turn. Re-tighten the two screws beneath the treadmill, then walk on the treadmill to see if the slippage has improved. You can tighten the adjustment screw a maximum of 1-1/2 turns. If this doesn't solve the problem, try tightening both roller screws at the back of the treadmill frame by one half-turn; you can adjust these bolts a total of 1-1/2 turns, too.
Always unplug the treadmill before attempting the latter repair.
Considerations
If your PaceMaster treadmill displays the error code "ELE ERR J," there's an object caught in the elevation mechanism. Unplug the treadmill and look under the front of it for the stuck object. For other error messages, or if you can't get the unit to turn on, even after trying the troubleshooting methods described above, you'd normally contact the dealer for service. Unfortunately, PaceMaster no longer offers service support for the SX-Pro, due to difficulty in acquiring some parts. There are still some SX-Pro parts available, however, so you could try contacting an exercise equipment dealer in your area to see if their trained service people might be able to help you.
Tip
If you can't get your SX-Pro repaired, PaceMaster will give you a $150 credit, followed by another $150 mail-in rebate, toward buying a PaceMaster Premiere Series treadmill.
References
- PaceMaster: Trade Up
- PaceMaster SX-Pro Owner's Manual
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