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The feed dogs on my viking Prisma 990 will move up and down but wont advance the fabric back, the stitch length is set and the button for dropping the feed dogs is not engaged. So they will only move up and down in place. It worked one day and I went to sew on it the next morning and this problem happened.
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The machine does not feed the fabric The stitch length is too short. Press the + button. The feed dog may be lowered. Raise it by pressing the feed dog button. See page 9. The presser foot pressure is disengaged. See page 9. The feed dog is full of dust and dirt. Clean with the brush.
Check that the stitch length is set to make ~10 stitches per inch. This stitch is long enough to actually move the fabric. If the stitch length is set too short, the fabric will stay barely move and the needle will stitch almost in place.
Check that the feed dogs have not been dropped for darning or free motion quilting. In this position, they do not rise and are, therefore, unable to contact the fabric to pull it through the machine.
With the presser foot raised and using no fabric, hand rotate the handwheel and watch if the feed dogs actually drop down below the needle plate, move toward the front of the machine, then rise above the needle plate, and move toward the back of the machine. If the feed dogs are moving in this manner, then they are functioning properly.
Is there lint or gunk stuck in the feed dogs? This will restrict the ability of the feed dogs to grip the fabric.
Are the feed dogs worn? Are the little teeth worn so there are no sharp points?
What type fabric are you using? If it is very light-weight or slick fabric, the feed dogs will have a difficult time gripping the fabric. Most machines have a presser foot pressure adjustment so that more pressure is applied between the presser foot and the feed dogs. Consult your Owner's Manual. The adjustment is usually a dial either on the left side of the machine, on the front of the machine located above the needle bar, or on vintage machines it is usually a skrew located under the top lid above the needle bar.
Remove the needle plate and make sure there is no lint obstructing the feed dogs. If they are clear, it is usually the feed dog step motor gone bad. You should have your machine serviced by an authorized Husqvarna Viking dealer. You can find your nearest dealer at the Husqvarna Viking website - http://www.husqvarnaviking.com/us
Look at the feed dogs (the serrated metal strips on either side of the hole the needle goes down thru). If they aren't moving when you turn the handwheel or not protruding above the sewing surface (needle plate) then 1 of 2 things has likely occurred.
#1 - your machine is equipped with at feed-dog drop selector (drops the dogs down for free-motion sewing) that you have activated (intentionally or not) or
#2 - you have enough lint debris accumlated under the sewing surface to stop the dogs from coming up properly or move all together.
Have the machine professionally serviced. A good servicing will resolve 60% of the problems that sewing machines incur. You should have the machine serviced at least every 100 hrs of sewing, more often if you use cheap thead, cheap fabric or metallic threads. All of these leave a lot of debris inside the machine.
There is a switch on machine to raise feed dogs up/down. Remove any extension table to locate it because many of these options are located in the back of machine & hidden by table!
Jimmy :)
Reengage the feed dogs by pushing the feed dog button AND manually turning the flywheel towards you through one stitch sequence, you should see them moving back above the needle plate after a stitch has been made.
Is it that the feed dogs won't go up and down, or that you can't adjust the stitch length? If the feed dogs won't go up and down after you have released the feed dog button and cycled the handwheel one revolution, than there is a mechanical adjustment needed. I the stitch length can't be ajdusted, that It's either a circuit board of a step motor problem. The repair shop should be able to tell you that they swaped the feed motor with the zig zag motor to test this issue.
Do you have the feed dogs dropped? Check the feed dog and also the pressure on the presser foot. This knob is located at the left on the top of the machine. The normal setting is 4.
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