Treadmill motor problem

Thread Starter

bfk99

Joined Aug 4, 2013
2
Hi there, I have a treadmill which is acting very strangely. It starts with a burst of speed (for half a second) and then goes slow for 4-5 seconds, then it jolts again and repeats. I took the belt off the motor to isolate it and the motor starts with a jolt, but then just runs as normal. However, while its running as normal, if i apply any resistance it (by trying to slow the fly wheel), it does the jolt again.

It's a TURDAN 180v DC motor.

Any advice appreciated - I'm a complete novice in this area!

Thanks, Brian
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,619
Is this in a Treadmill application? I assume it is?
I would guess it is the controller not the motor?
You could try it on a separate DC source just to test the motor, such as an automotive battery, although it will be fairly low rpm.
Check the brushes just to eliminate that as a problem.
Some (very few) motors have some kind of feedback device on the motor.
If this is being used in a non-treadmill application then you need to specify the controller.
Max.
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
180 volts is in the danger area, be very careful. It sounds to me like you have an issue with an unstable power supply. That is a guess, there are lots of possible issues. You could also have hair, dust or something else in the optical sensors that determine the speed of the motor (or belt pulleys).

Again, be very careful with any DC over 40 volts.
 

Thread Starter

bfk99

Joined Aug 4, 2013
2
Thanks for the replies guys, I'll try to find a separate DC source, just to be sure its definitely the motor...I'll come back when I've checked.

Thanks, Brian
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,619
Some treadmill motor have offset brushes and are uni-directional, usually marked on the label (CW or CCW).
If so it may perform differently in one direction over the other.
Max.
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
I would check the brushes before going any further. Dummy check for DC motors. You would be surprised at how many wacky ways brush issues can manifest themselves.
 
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