High pitch noise from front left area of treadmill
I have an AFG 7.1AT treadmill and have been using it for several years (I can't recall exactly how long but I would be guessing that I've been using it for 6 years or so). In my opinion the treadmill works well and I have performed the general maintenance required. I use the treadmill for brisk walks for most of the year however since I live in Canada where the winter months are extremely cold I will do my runs on the treadmill. My runs can range from 10-15 KM's so throughout the colder months I can tack on 200 KM's a month but I do still try to get outside when I can. Needless to say the treadmill has a few miles on it and because of that I can understand that the some wear and tear has been occurring.
To my problem:
Beyond the standard creaks I have noticed that when I am walking on the treadmill at the speed of 4.5 mph that after 12-15 mins a fairly noticeable high pitched noise has started to form, to me it is pretty annoying. The noise will start and at times it can let up briefly but it always returns. I have removed the hood and the listened and tried to listen for the noise. To me the sound appears to be coming from the belt/front roller area located at in the front left area (if you are standing on the treadmill). The treadmill seems to run well but the noise is irritating and I would like to resolve the issue because winter arrives.
I searched the internet and wasn't really able to find anything that helped beyond the generic belt drive or bearing issue recommendation. So I did replace the drive belt, mostly because it was the cheaper option. At first it was okay but after 20 mins of walking the noise returned. Since then the noise has always returned at various stages of my walk. So without any answers I am looking for some assistance. My thought is that the noise could in fact be the front roller bearing but want to explore my options. Finding parts for the older treadmill isn't easy and when I do the shipping costs to Canada are pretty high. Would anyone have any ideas? Is there anything I can do to remove the noise in its current state or if I need to replace the roller itself or is it perhaps something else?
Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
To my problem:
Beyond the standard creaks I have noticed that when I am walking on the treadmill at the speed of 4.5 mph that after 12-15 mins a fairly noticeable high pitched noise has started to form, to me it is pretty annoying. The noise will start and at times it can let up briefly but it always returns. I have removed the hood and the listened and tried to listen for the noise. To me the sound appears to be coming from the belt/front roller area located at in the front left area (if you are standing on the treadmill). The treadmill seems to run well but the noise is irritating and I would like to resolve the issue because winter arrives.
I searched the internet and wasn't really able to find anything that helped beyond the generic belt drive or bearing issue recommendation. So I did replace the drive belt, mostly because it was the cheaper option. At first it was okay but after 20 mins of walking the noise returned. Since then the noise has always returned at various stages of my walk. So without any answers I am looking for some assistance. My thought is that the noise could in fact be the front roller bearing but want to explore my options. Finding parts for the older treadmill isn't easy and when I do the shipping costs to Canada are pretty high. Would anyone have any ideas? Is there anything I can do to remove the noise in its current state or if I need to replace the roller itself or is it perhaps something else?
Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Comments
If so - check the belt guides under the treadmill.
If they are too aggressively pushing into the belt, it can cause a whining noise. You can just bend the guides if needed.
Also - you can get a screeching noise by the pulley loosing its grip on the front roller. We have instructions at this link for you to use to test out this theory - https://www.treadmilldoctor.com/belt-slipping-kf
What is your complete model and serial number so I can look up a schematic.
I will try the WD-40 trick and check the guides asap.
I ran the treadmill later that day without actually walking or running on it and there was no noise for the 25 mins. Treadmill ran at 4 mph for the most part.
I did wait a few days until I used the treadmill and the next time I used it. This time the noise returned but didn't start up until about 16-18 mins in, so a little longer run time until the noise kicked in but that may have just been by chance. Once again I applied the WD-40 but the noise continued and I was not walking/running on the belt.
This caused me to try to listen in as closely as I could while the treadmill was running, as I was wondering if it could be something else. The noise is certainly coming from that front left area where the motor/pulley/drive belt is located, however I am now started to wonder if it is the pulley or whatever the part is called that is attached to the motor and turns the drive belt. The reason I think this is that I did try to tinker in that area of the treadmill to see if any change would occur and it was this part that seem to stop that noise. I hit this section and the noise stopped, and repeated a few times. Almost like something wasn't properly aligned or was worn out? The schematics this appears to be part of the motor set so not sure what to do with that idea, any thoughts?
you can get a screeching noise by the pulley loosing its grip on the front roller.
We have instructions at this address for you to use to test out this theory - https://www.treadmilldoctor.com/belt-slipping-kf