NordicTrack console showing wrong speed vs actual belt speed?

[Thomas Martinez]

Saw something interesting about NordicTrack treadmill that I figured was worth a discussion. The speed that is displayed on the console is sometimes off from what the treadmills belt is actualy doing. For example, if you hit the Quick Speed button for 2 km/h, the treadmill may only go to 1.2 km/h. If you try 8 km/h, the belt may only go to 5 km/h.
The belt on the treadmill is performing fine, but something about the treadmill console are wrong. It could be the calibration of the console, the speed sensor signal is wrong, or perhaps the setting on the treadmill is wrong. Many treadmills utilize a reed switch or hall sensor that reads the position of the motor pulley with a magnet attached to the treadmill belt. If the setting or the sensor that is reading the position of the motor pulley is incorrect, the treadmill will go to the commanded speed but the console will report a different number.
For NordicTrack treadmills, is there a service or engineering menu where you can calibrate the speed sensor? Is it possible that the position of the sensor or the placement of the magnet on the treadmill is incorrect? Has this type of issue ever occurred after a replacement of the treadmill motor or belt? Is this an issue that can become frustrating for the users of a new NordicTrack treadmill? Have you encountered this issue with your NordicTrack treadmill?

 

[Henry S.]

yeah this is almost always the speed sensor reading wrong pulses. On most NT decks theres a hall sensor on the front roller or the motor pulley with a magnet, if the magnet shifts or you got the wrong sensor in there from a parts swap the math goes sideways.

 

[Distinct Dugon]

There IS a service menu on most newer NordicTrack consoles.
Hold Stop + Speed Up (or Stop + Incline Up depending on model) while inserting the safety key. Once in this state you can access engineering mode and check the sensor counts on the machine. The ratio between the two different speed readings in the OP’s example (1.2 vs 2, and 5 vs 8) equates to approximately 0.6, which is suspicious. It makes one wonder if the machine thinks the roller is bigger than it is, or if the sensors are not reflecting the true counts of the revs of the belt.

 

[Funny Fowl]

5/8 = 0.625 and 1.2/2 = 0.6. Close enough to indicate that its definately a constant scale factor relating the displayed speed to the true speed of the belt, config issue 100%.

 

[Enchanting Elk]

5/8 = 0.625 and 1.2/2 = 0.6. Close enough to indicate that its definately a constant scale factor relating the displayed speed to the true speed of the belt, config issue 100%.

wait so if its just a scale factor does that mean the motor is actually doing the right speed and only the display lies?

 

[Funny Fowl]

wait so if its just a scale factor does that mean the motor is actually doing the right speed and only the display lies?

motor is fine. The controller uses the sensor input to only display the appropriate speed and to provide safety cutoffs of that displayed speed. The belt is actually turning at 8kph and the screen is just displaying 5. Annoying but not dangerous.