20 Most Recent Precor EFX 546i Elliptical Version 4 - Page 4 Questions & Answers

Precor Error 40, No Lift Motion Detected Probable Cause 1. Blown lift fuse in lower PCA. 2. Lift motor is physically jammed and not able to move. 3. Bad lower PCA. 4. Bad lift capacitor. 5. Bad lift motor winding. 6. Bad interconnect cable between upper and lower PCA. 7. Bad upper PCA. Corrective Action

1. Check the lift fuse from the lower PCA. Using an ohmmeter, the fuse should measure 1 ohm or less. If the reading is significantly high, replace the fuse. If the fuse is open, refer to steps 3 and 4 before continuing.
2. Disconnect the lift motor from the ramp (elliptical) or lift platform (treadmill). If the lift nut or lift tube is jammed against the motor housing, turn the lift tube or lift nut away from the motor housing. If the lift was jammed, refer to step 3 before continuing. Calibrate the lift motor per the proper procedure for the unit being serviced and reattach the lift motor to the ramp (elliptical) or lift platform (treadmill). NOTICE: You must find and repair the cause for the jammed lift. Only re-calibrating the lift motor will not solve the problem.
3. One of two modes can cause the lower PCA to fail. The lift switch could fail in an operated condition. If this happens the lift will move (either up or down) as soon as the unit powers up. The usual result is that the lift will be physically jammed as explained above, and probably also being cause for the lift fuse to blow. The lift switch could also fail in an open condition. If this happened, the lift would not operate in one direction. If either of these conditions occur the lower PCA needs replaced.
4. Most units have the lift capacitor mounted inside the lift motor, and others use external lift capacitors. This information applies to units with the external lift capacitors. If the lift capacitor is shorted the lift fuse blows. Check the capacitor for a short using an ohm meter. Disconnect the capacitor from the lift motor and test. A good capacitor reads in the millions of ohms. Replace the capacitor if the reading is significantly low. Capacitor can also fail in the open condition which would result with the lift motor trying to run but not having normal power. Test the capacitor by measuring AC voltage across it. A good capacitor will read AC peak voltage while an open capacitor reads AC RMS voltage.
5. When a lift motor winding is bad the lift will not operate in one or both directions depending upon the exact fault in the motor. Check the lift motor winding with an ohm meter. AC lift motors have a split winding (3 wires) and DC lift motors will have a single winding. Both windings must be checked on an AC lift motor. Normal winding readings could vary anywhere between 1 and 60 ohms, depending on the lift motor being tested. See the proper service manual for the motor being tested.
6. Test unit with a known good interconnect cable. Replace the interconnect cable if necessary.
7. Test unit with a known good upper PCA. Replace the lower PCA if necessary.

Precor Error Code 40

It could be a combination of the wheel and the ramp. We offer ramp sleeves to correct the surface issue. Precor Elliptical Ramp Sleeve Installation Video

Precor Error 30, 31, 32 and 33, Communications Error Probable Cause 1. Bad interconnect cable between upper PCA and lower PCA. 2. Interconnect cable is mistakenly plugged into the CSAFE connector at the upper PCA. 3. Elliptical 5.17 equipped with old software version 1.01 in upper and lower PCA. 4. Upper and lower PCAs have mismatched software. 5. Another component plugged onto the PCA is overloading the +5VDC power supply. 6. Bad lower PCA. 7. Bad upper PCA. Corrective Action

1. Test unit with a know good interconnect cable or test the interconnect cable for continuity. Replace interconnect cable if necessary.
2. Disconnect the interconnect cable from the CSAFE connector and attach to the proper position on the upper PCA.3.
3. Replace the upper and lower software of the 5.17 elliptical with the most current versions.4.
4. If one of the PCAs is found to have software version 1.01, replace it with the most current software version.
5. Disconnect all components from the upper and lower PCA leaving the data cable connecting between the upper and lower PCAs and the AC power going to the lower PCA. If the unit shows any error other than the error 3x, reconnect components one at a time. Reset power between each newly connected component until the error 3x reappears. Whichever component was last connected when the error 3x reappears, is the cause for the error. Replace the faulty component.
6. Test unit with a known good lower PCA. Replace the lower PCA if necessary.
7. Test unit with a known good upper PCA. Replace the upper PCA if necessary.

Precor Error Code 30 31 32 33

Precor Error 44, Un-commanded Lift Motion Probable Cause 1. Intermittent or bad connection in the lift position sensor(potentiometer). 2. Lift position sensor (potentiometer) is bad. 3. Lower PCA is bad. Corrective Action

1. Bad or intermittent connection of the lift position sensor (potentiometer) is the most common cause of the error 44. Inspect all wiring and connections related to the lift position sensor (potentiometer). Repair or replace wiring connections as necessary.
2. Monitor the lift position number displayed while operating the lift in diagnostics mode. If the reading makes large changes or is erratic, the lift position sensor (potentiometer) is likely bad. Replace the lift position sensor (potentiometer) or lift motor if the lift position sensor (potentiometer) is internal to the lift motor.
3. If the lift moves without any command entered either manually or through a program, replace the lower PCA.

Precor Error Code 44

You may have to purchase the belt from a Precor dealer in you area, if you don't have one then call Precor directly @ 1-800-347-4404 and they will help you. Most of these part have not hit the secondary market yet and Precor pretty much call the shots on whom the sell parts and support to.
There is a place on line to get some of these, it is. www.treadmilldoctor.com/Products-Services2/precor-treadmill-belt.
The manual can be found at. fitness.manualsonline.com/ex/thread/view/idThread/2141832
This place has manuals and user manulas along with support and some partswww.shopwiki.com/Precor+EFX+5.171 I believe this unit has a 10 yr warranty with it and the part in question may be covered by them. There is also a 1 year part warrant for other parts, I just don't know what parts they are covering for the 10 yr.

Precor Error E4, Incomplete Initialization Probable Cause Indicates that an incomplete upper PCA to lower PCA initialization occurred. When this error occurs, all lift motor and drive motor motion is ceased and the display will go blank except for the error displayed. Corrective Action Run the initialization program. Caution: The treadmill's running belt will accelerate to the treadmill's maximum speed (12mph). DO NOT stand on the treadmill's running belt during the procedure.

1. Set the on/off switch to the OFF position. Wait a minimum of 10 seconds to allow the internal power supply to discharge.
2. Remove the safety key from the console and set the on/off switch to the ON position.
3. Press INCLINE UP and SPEED DOWN keys together. While pressing these keys, replace the safety switch on the console. Continue holding the INCLINE UP and SPEED DOWN keys until the display goes blank. INIT will appear in the time window of the display. The EEPROM is now clear and reset. After a second, 1.25 will appear in the distance/calories window, 15.0 (the maximum incline) will appear in the incline window, and 12.0 (the maximum speed) will flash in the speed/pace window.
4. Press QUICKSTART to begin the speed calibration process. Power bits will appear in the incline window, the target speed will appear in the time window and the actual speed will appear in the speed/pace window. At the beginning of the process, the target speed will be .5mph. The running belt will start. Once the actual speed reaches .5mph, the target speed will then change to 12mph and the running belt will accelerate until it reaches 12mph, then it will stop.
5. When the running belt stops, the display will return to the user mode and the initialization process is complete.

Precor Error Code E4

This link is where I would start. Replaced Crank Arm on Precor EFX 546 and Display Doesn Work

Start with verifying the battery voltage. Here is a video on how to do this. If your battery checks out, move on to the stride sensor gapping. I will post a link with a service bulletin that shows the stride sensor and it's location. Also, confirm the right crank arm still has the magnet on the backside. My Precor Elliptical Shuts Down After 7 Seconds what is wrong

There a few possible options for the battery. This link will take you to all of them. Please have your serial number ready to help narrow your choices. Repair Parts for Precor EFX 546i Ellipticals SPORTSMITH net

Precor Error Code 42 Error Code: 42 Manufacturer: Precor Model: All Models Error Description: Error 42, Lift Position Value Out of Range. Error 42 is displayed when the lift position reported by the lift position potentiometer is found to be outside its set limits. If an Error 42 has occurred, it is important to know the physical position of the lift when the error occurred. It is possible the lift is physically out of range or jammed. In this case, the Error 42 is a secondary symptom and the issue should be approached as an Error 40. Possible Reason:

1. Bad or intermittent connection in the lift motor controller.
2. The lift motor requires calibration.
3. The lift motor potentiometer is bad.
4. The lower PCA to upper PCA cable is bad.
5. The lower PCA is bad.
6. The upper PCA is bad.

Recommended Action:

1. Intermittent connections can be difficult to locate. If the Error 42 condition is intermittent, a connection issue is probably the cause. This is definitely true if the Error 42 occurred while the lift was within its normal physical range. Inspect the lift potentiometer connector and repair connection if necessary. If the intermittent connection cannot be found or corrected, replace the lift motor. A lift calibration number of 0 or 255 indicates an open or shorted potentiometer connection. This means the problem could be anywhere between the lift motor and the upper PCA. Typically it can be identified and tracked using an ohmmeter.
2. Using the appropriate service manual for the unit being tested, refer to the lift calibration procedure. If the information in the service manual doesn't match the lift position/physical lift position of the unit, recalibrate the lift motor. [Something caused the lift motor to be out of calibration. Investigate for cause and correct. Simply recalibrating the lift motor will not solve the problem.]
3. If the lift calibration number is not 0 or 255 and does not change when the lift motor turns, replace the lift motor.
4. Check continuity of the interconnect cable or swap with a known good interconnect cable to verify if cable is bad.
5. Swap the lower PCA with a known good lower PCA to verify if the lower PCA is bad.
6. Swap the upper PCA with a know good upper PCA to verify if the upper PCA is bad.

Lift Position Value Out of Range Precor Error 42

Precor Error Code 42 Error Code: 42 Manufacturer: Precor Model: All Models Error Description: Error 42, Lift Position Value Out of Range. Error 42 is displayed when the lift position reported by the lift position potentiometer is found to be outside its set limits. If an Error 42 has occurred, it is important to know the physical position of the lift when the error occurred. It is possible the lift is physically out of range or jammed. In this case, the Error 42 is a secondary symptom and the issue should be approached as an Error 40. Possible Reason:

1. Bad or intermittent connection in the lift motor controller.
2. The lift motor requires calibration.
3. The lift motor potentiometer is bad.
4. The lower PCA to upper PCA cable is bad.
5. The lower PCA is bad.
6. The upper PCA is bad.

Recommended Action:

1. Intermittent connections can be difficult to locate. If the Error 42 condition is intermittent, a connection issue is probably the cause. This is definitely true if the Error 42 occurred while the lift was within its normal physical range. Inspect the lift potentiometer connector and repair connection if necessary. If the intermittent connection cannot be found or corrected, replace the lift motor. A lift calibration number of 0 or 255 indicates an open or shorted potentiometer connection. This means the problem could be anywhere between the lift motor and the upper PCA. Typically it can be identified and tracked using an ohmmeter.
2. Using the appropriate service manual for the unit being tested, refer to the lift calibration procedure. If the information in the service manual doesn't match the lift position/physical lift position of the unit, recalibrate the lift motor. [Something caused the lift motor to be out of calibration. Investigate for cause and correct. Simply recalibrating the lift motor will not solve the problem.]
3. If the lift calibration number is not 0 or 255 and does not change when the lift motor turns, replace the lift motor.
4. Check continuity of the interconnect cable or swap with a known good interconnect cable to verify if cable is bad.
5. Swap the lower PCA with a known good lower PCA to verify if the lower PCA is bad.
6. Swap the upper PCA with a know good upper PCA to verify if the upper PCA is bad.

Lift Position Value Out of Range Precor Error 42

Precor Error 05, Key Depressed at Power Up Probable Cause 1. A key is permanently depressed on the display. 2. An interface chip (IC) has failed in the upper PCA's keypad. 3. Liquid (cleaning solution or sweat) may be on the surface of a touch sensitive display. Corrective Action

1. Disconnect the keypad cable from the upper PCA. Reset power to the machine. If the Error 05 is eliminated, the keypad is the cause and should be replaced.
2. Disconnect the keypad cable from the upper PCA. Reset power to the machine. If the Error 05 still appears, the upper PCA* is the cause and should be replaced. *Upper PCA's most commonly do not come with software. Remove the software (chip) from the existing upper PCA prior to replacement and install into the new upper PCA.
3. Wipe away all liquid from the touch sensitive display. Reset power to the unit. If the Error 05 is eliminated, the liquid was the cause.

Precor Error Code 05

Procedure 6.6 - Troubleshooting the Incline System See page 34 of this service manual. http://www.sportsmith.net/images/product_support/precor/Service%20Manuals/Commercial%20EFX/Service%20Manual,%20C546i%20Self%20Powered%20EFX%20(ver%202).pdf

Procedure 6.4 - Troubleshooting the Generator The generator performs three functions in the EFX. First, by controlling the amount of electrical load applied to the generator, the user's pedalling resistance is controlled. Second, the generator is used to charge the EFX's internal battery. Lastly, one of the generators six phase output windings is monitored to determine when the unit is in use and when it is idle. This system also determines the stride rate by determining the operating speed (output frequency) of the monitored generator winding. Warning Because this is a self powered unit, it will either be necessary to either equip the unit with the optional external power supply or have an assistant pedal on the unit while voltage measurements are being taken. Because of the danger of working on the unit while it is in motion using the optional external power supply is strongly recommended. 1. Perform the generator resistance test per Procedure 5.1. If any of the resistance measurements are significantly high or significantly low, replace the generator. 2. The following voltage reading must be taken while the unit is in motion. Extreme care must be taken to keep meter leads, hands, etc. clear of all moving parts. Using an AC voltmeter, measure the voltage between 1 & 3, 2 & 3, 5 & 7 and 6 & 7 on J1 of the lower PCA. All AC voltage readings will vary depending on the unit's stride rate at the time the measurement is taken. At a stride rate of 100 strides per minute, all three voltage readings will be approximately 100 VAC -110 VAC. 3. If any of the six readings in step 2 are significantly low, replace the generator. Precor Equipment Repair Parts Treadmill Belts Ramp Sleeves SPORTSMITH...

Procedure 6.4 - Troubleshooting the Generator The generator performs three functions in the EFX. First, by controlling the amount of electrical load applied to the generator, the user's pedalling resistance is controlled. Second, the generator is used to charge the EFX's internal battery. Lastly, one of the generators six phase output windings is monitored to determine when the unit is in use and when it is idle. This system also determines the stride rate by determining the operating speed (output frequency) of the monitored generator winding. Warning Because this is a self powered unit, it will either be necessary to either equip the unit with the optional external power supply or have an assistant pedal on the unit while voltage measurements are being taken. Because of the danger of working on the unit while it is in motion using the optional external power supply is strongly recommended. 1. Perform the generator resistance test per Procedure 5.1. If any of the resistance measurements are significantly high or significantly low, replace the generator. 2. The following voltage reading must be taken while the unit is in motion. Extreme care must be taken to keep meter leads, hands, etc. clear of all moving parts. Using an AC voltmeter, measure the voltage between 1 & 3, 2 & 3, 5 & 7 and 6 & 7 on J1 of the lower PCA. All AC voltage readings will vary depending on the unit's stride rate at the time the measurement is taken. At a stride rate of 100 strides per minute, all three voltage readings will be approximately 100 VAC -110 VAC. 3. If any of the six readings in step 2 are significantly low, replace the generator. Repair Parts for Precor EFX 546i Ellipticals SPORTSMITH net

My Precor Elliptical EFX 546 Timer Stops After 7 Seconds, what is wrong? The most common cause for the Timer to Stop After 7 Seconds on a Precor Elliptical is NO RPM Feedback. Knowing the status of the unit from its last use as well as the last service or part replacement is a great place to start. Check the connection of the speed sensor to the lower board. Reset connection if necessary. Check the magnet. The magnet is located on the user's right crank arm on versions 1 and 2 and the user's left on version 3. The magnet passes the speed sensor with each revolution of the crank arm. The magnet should be installed so that its south pole is facing the speed sensor. You can check the magnet polarity with another magnet that has marked poles or a compass. The north pole of the marked magnet or the south facing needle should be attracted to the magnet. Correct magnet installtion if necessary. You may also check the spacing of the speed sensor to the magnet. The spacing should be 1/8" to 1/4". Adjust if necessary. Also see the following link for additional information. Replaced Crank Arm on Precor EFX 546 and Display Doesn Work

Check the wired connections on the back of the HR grips. It could simply be unplugged. I have also seen them rusted from sweat. Start with this before moving on to other possibilities. I am attaching a link to a service manual for further troubleshooting tips. http://www.sportsmith.net/images/product_support/precor/Service%20Manuals/Commercial%20EFX/Service%20Manual,%20C546i%20Self%20Powered%20EFX.pdf Repair Parts for Precor EFX 546i Ellipticals SPORTSMITH net

Precor Error 44, Un-commanded Lift Motion Probable Cause 1. Intermittent or bad connection in the lift position sensor(potentiometer). 2. Lift position sensor (potentiometer) is bad. 3. Lower PCA is bad. Corrective Action

1. Bad or intermittent connection of the lift position sensor (potentiometer) is the most common cause of the error 44. Inspect all wiring and connections related to the lift position sensor (potentiometer). Repair or replace wiring connections as necessary.
2. Monitor the lift position number displayed while operating the lift in diagnostics mode. If the reading makes large changes or is erratic, the lift position sensor (potentiometer) is likely bad. Replace the lift position sensor (potentiometer) or lift motor if the lift position sensor (potentiometer) is internal to the lift motor.
3. If the lift moves without any command entered either manually or through a program, replace the lower PCA.

Precor Error Code 44

Try lubricating the moving points in the rear. I would start with the connection at the crank arm and stair arm. If lubing does not help, you may be looking at new bearings or bushings in these areas. Silicone Spray Lube by SPORTSMITH 9 Oz SPORTSMITH net

It sounds like it could be a faulty bearing in one of your wheels, a worn ramp or a combination of the two. The following link will take you to our Precor page. Please reference your model and serial number. This will allow you access to the correct parts and manuals for your machine. Precor Elliptical EFX Repair Parts Belts Wheels Pedals SPORTSMITH net