Like New NordicTrack Exercise Bike - Dead Console

[vestaviascott]

I have a NordicTrack GX 2.7 exercise bike in like new condition, the plastic is still on the console and the pedals look virtually like new. The bike is in pristine condition cosmetically, see pic below.

The issue is that the console is dead. No beep, no lights, nothing. When I bought it, it was missing the power adapter and I got it dirt cheap from a thrift store (obviously the previous owner couldn't use it due to the dead console and donated it).

So, the first thing I did was to purchase a power adapter 9v 2amps specified for the bike (see bike label below). The adapter as you can see from the pic below is 9v 2000mA

Well, no joy as expected. The console still dead. Where would you begin on the troubleshooting of the power to the panel and then onto the panel?

 

[Minder]

Most modern equipment like this never really switch off completely, there is a very small current drain to the electron switch.
What I would do is open up the console itself and attempt to test the voltage input circuit to begin with.
One other thing that makes it difficult with modern design is the use of SMT devices rather than the older/larger through-hole versions etc.
M.

 

[vestaviascott]

Here are some snaps of the console boards.

Above: the opened console. I've disconnected the two iFit interface cables in order to have full access to the panel.

Below: The first pic is the exposed connections off the back of the board. The large one is the main harness connect and the small one feeds into the pulse sensor on the handlebars.

Below: Here's the back of the upper console showing the ifit interface at top and the main power/pulse interface at bottom:

Above: Can/should I first measure DV voltage using the solder joints above the "W" where the main harness connects?

Below, this ribbon cable on the right is not secured under its connector like the one on the right. Problem?

Below: One of the green wires that connects from the aux-in headphone port up to the iFit interface module looks to have been caught between a plastic support connector. There's no exposed wire but it could be an issue I need to check?

 

[Minder]

I doubt it was enough to sever the conductor, a test is to exert some tension on either side of the crimp and see if the insulation stretches indicating a break,
M.

 

[vestaviascott]

...What I would do is open up the console itself and attempt to test the voltage input circuit to begin with

Here is the wiring coming from the adapter input harness at the bottom of the bike. This is where power starts:

Below: Here's the connector on the back of the console. I believe the black wire on the right is ground? Has a white line running down it and that's what I'm seeing on the input adapter harness at the bottom of the bike (that one has a red, white and a black with white line as you can see from the previous pic):

So, I should hook the bike to power with the panel open and use the pin solder points in the red circle below to test for input voltage? I don't have a service manual to know what voltages I should be getting on each pin however.

 

[vestaviascott]

I doubt it was enough to sever the conductor, a test is to exert some tension on either side of the crimp and see if the insulation stretches indicating a break,
M.

It doesn't. So now I need to test the voltages as you indicate. However, there is no indication I can find of which wire is ground - isnt green or bare always ground? However, it confusing me b/c the adapter input harness coming from the bottom of the bike only has 3 wires and none are green or bare.

All I see is "Earth Ground" written on the back of the input board as you can see below the main harness pinout. I expect I need to know that in order to know where to place my black DMM probe for testing, right?

 

[Minder]

If the power is fed from a 3pin plug then it has a earth GND which you do not reference for test purposes, at some point on the board I would expect to see the 9vdc, the 9v common is usually the ground plane on the circuit board.
M.

 

[kellys_eye]

The heatshrink over the power wiring seems to indicate (to me) that there may be an in-line fuse under it. Slice it open and have a shufty.

 

[vestaviascott]

If the power is fed from a 3pin plug then it has a earth GND which you do not reference for test purposes, at some point on the board I would expect to see the 9vdc, the 9v common is usually the ground plane on the circuit board.
M.

Thanks. So, 3 pin plug = earth ground. Check. That's good to know. FWIW, here is that connector I posted a pic earlier:

 

[vestaviascott]

The heatshrink over the power wiring seems to indicate (to me) that there may be an in-line fuse under it. Slice it open and have a shufty.

Is there a less invasive test i can do further down from that point?

 

[Minder]

open and have a shufty.

The OP may not know Arabic!
'Shufti'.
M.

 

[kellys_eye]

My language skills are legendary (in my household anyway....)

shufty
The English form of shufti (arabic for look / take a look)

Originally RAF but later Army also, shufty or shufti became taking a look for possible dangers.
Back home, it was used simply for having a quick look (Am. checking out)
"Whilst researching ships I came across an interesting site and took a quick shufty"

"Take a shufty at this URL" (Am. Check it out)

 

[Minder]

I spent a couple of years in Tripoli, courtesy of HRH.
So I picked up quite a few terms in Arabic while there!.
M.

 

[vestaviascott]

If only a knowledge of Arabic would help me find the cause of this dead console, lol.

 

[vestaviascott]

The heatshrink over the power wiring seems to indicate (to me) that there may be an in-line fuse under it. Slice it open and have a shufty.

Here is what it looks like:

 

[Minder]

I would guess the sleeves May be covering ferrite suppression maybe?
Did you check continuity?
M.

 

[vestaviascott]

Did you check continuity?
M.

Where should I check?

 

[vestaviascott]

What I would do is open up the console itself and attempt to test the voltage input circuit to begin with

I don't really know how I should do this or where. I posted a pic earlier to show where I THINK I should do it, but the lack of a ground to place my black probe on threw me. So after the whole discussion of Earth ground I got sidetracked and didn't ask for clarification.

So, is this what you are referring to when you just asked if I checked continuity? If so, can you lead me a bit more and tell me specifically where you are suggesting I probe for continuity?

I'm guessing here for voltage but not sure where you are suggesting continuity check

 

[hevans1944]

Checking for continuity simply means to check the resistance between two points using the ohmmeter function of your multimeter. If there is a conductor or a measurable resistance between the two points, then there is said to be continuity. OTOH, if the multimeter shows an open circuit between the two points, then there is said to be an open circuit or no continuity. Open circuit and no continuity mean the same thing. A wiring harness should always show continuity on each wire in the harness, from one end to the other. If there is a fuse inserted in a wire, and the fuse is covered with opaque shrink tubing, and the fuse is "blown" or open, there will be no visible indication but there will also be no continuity. So, you identity each end of all the wires in a wiring harness, and test for continuity. You do this before applying any power. The multimeter has a small battery inside that will attempt to force a small current through the test leads when measuring resistance or continuity. It is important that no other source of power is present when making the resistance/continuity measurement.

Earlier, in your post #3 you posted this image:

The blue ribbon cables appear to be connected correctly and properly strain-relieved by their attached connectors, but the gold/brown ribbon cable does not appear to be properly inserted into its mating socket. It's impossible to determine from the picture, but this ribbon cable may mate with a Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) connector that has somehow loosened from its "locked down" condition. Check this out and then measure for continuity from the connector pins on the board to the individual conductors on the other end of the ribbon cable. Do this BEFORE applying power to the boards. Once you have verified the continuity of the myriad of wires in all those harnesses, you can begin to apply power from the 9V wall wart and trace it's progress. From the looks of things (no obvious damage) the problem may simply be an open circuit rather than a short circuit or component failure. So, do the simple things first (the continuity checks) before looking for faults elsewhere.

I once acquired a very nice treadmill, removed from the company exercise room by my former employer, who had relegated it to the trash pick-up service, simply because the "technician" they had called to "service" it said it was beyond a reasonable cost to repair. After obtaining permission to "salvage" it, I had someone help me load it onto my Ford Ranger pickup truck, and my wife and I unloaded into our detached garage. I popped the service covers, did a visual inspection, and discovered a disconnected cable. After plugging the cable back in, the treadmill worked perfectly! Moral of the story: check for obvious problems first before going on to troubleshooting in detail.

 

[vestaviascott]

A wiring harness should always show continuity on each wire in the harness, from one end to the other. If there is a fuse inserted in a wire, and the fuse is covered with opaque shrink tubing, and the fuse is "blown" or open, there will be no visible indication but there will also be no continuity. So, you identity each end of all the wires in a wiring harness, and test for continuity. You do this before applying any power. The multimeter has a small battery inside that will attempt to force a small current through the test leads when measuring resistance or continuity. It is important that no other source of power is present when making the resistance/continuity measurement.

Thanks, this makes perfect sense. So, we are just testing say a red wire/pin on one end of the harness, with one of the test probes and we are attaching/touching the same wire/pin with the other probe on the other end of the harness. Got it. That's to insure the harness is good and passing power on all wires. Makes perfect sense.

The only problem I have with that is that one end of the power socket doesn't expose any pins, or perhaps only one. How would you do a continuity test on this?

Earlier, in your post #3 you posted this image:

...Check this out and then measure for continuity from the connector pins on the board to the individual conductors on the other end of the ribbon cable.

"From the connector pins on the board". Are you referring to the gold ribbon cable?
"to the individual conductors on the other end of the ribbon cable". The ribbon cable's other end goes under the board. Just want to clarify you are suggesting here to remove the board and test where this ribbon cable leads to or somewhere else?

Sorry for the questions but I'm digesting this carefully so I get it right.