Nordic Track Treadmill Troubleshooting & Repair

While Nordic Track produces some of the best-reviewed treadmills on the market, some customers have problems with their machines. The heart rate monitors that come standard with most of the treadmills may not display the right rate. You may also have problems with the walking belt, which can slow or stop if it's loose. Before doing any maintenance or repair on your Nordic Track treadmill, remove the key and unplug the machine.

Heart Rate Monitor Problems

Some Nordic Track treadmills come with heart rate monitors. The Nordic Track Professional Series 4000 is one of many treadmills that come with a chest pulse monitor. While this is a very accurate way to detect your heart rate, there have been problems with this device. If you find that your heart rate stays at zero on the console, ensure that you're wearing the chest strap underneath your clothes so it's touching your skin. Also ensure that the contacts are sufficiently moistened with saliva or contact solution.

Hand grip heart rate monitors work without strapping something to your body. While many Nordic Track treadmills have heart rate monitors in the hand grips, some people have found them to be inaccurate. Be sure to keep the metal contacts clean using all-purpose cleaner or a damp cloth. If you use the heart rate monitor correctly by placing your palm around the metal bar, it should display a heart rate after a few seconds. If not, try restarting the console by removing the key and unplugging the machine for at least 30 seconds.

Walking Belt Problems

The walking belt on a Nordic Track treadmill should move fluidly. If you find that the belt on a treadmill, such as a Nordic Track 9600, stops when you stand on it, the belt may be loose. To verify, lift up the side of the treadmill belt along the middle of the deck. A well-adjusted walking belt will lift up between 3 and 4 inches. If it lifts higher, the walking belt is loose. Tighten it by using the Allen wrench supplied with your treadmill. Tighten the bolts at the end of the treadmill deck on either side of the rear roller. Turn each bolt a quarter turn to the right, testing the tightness by lifting the belt. Keep turning the bolts a quarter turn until the belt reaches the 3- to 4-inch range.

Through the course of your treadmill use, you may notice a white powder sticking to your treadmill belt. This will often happen in the first few hours of use. The powder may get on the foot rails or on the floor beneath the treadmill deck. Don't worry; your treadmill walking belt isn't broken. The white powder is a performance lubricant used on Nordic Track treadmills. It comes in a powder form and it coats the underside of the walking belt. If your treadmill produces this white powder, know that you should never use silicone spray to lubricate your walking belt during regular maintenance.