Saturday, January 28, 2017

Reebok i-Run Disassembly / Maintenance / Repair

I recently needed to open my Reebok i-Run treadmill thanks to my toddler son "posting" a DVD into the mechanism, so whilst I was inside it I also decided to give it a quick check and clean.

Information on opening this treadmill is almost non existent so I've documented it here - hope you find it useful. If it saves you time and money please consider buying me a coffee.



DISCLAIMER

I accept no responsibility for this guide. its accuracy or its safety. Any work you undertake in relation to this guide is done at your own risk, if in doubt call a professional out!

WARNING

  • Leave the machine off and unplugged for at least 48 hours before attempting this guide - there are large capacitors inside that can hold charge even after the machine has been off for some time.
  • Ensure that the treadmill is disconnected from the mains before doing any work (it should be if you followed the above point!).
  • The treadmill is heavy, make sure you have somebody to help you move it.
  • Make sure you have plenty of light to do work.
  • Do not touch any electronics inside as you may damage them, and there may still be some residual charge left in them.
  • You will void your treadmill warranty.
  • Read this entire guide first before you start.

Things you'll need

  • The manual (you may find yours here)
  • Long screwdriver set
  • Bracket Allen key (you will have received this with the treadmill, it's not the one used for tightening the belt)
  • Can of compressed air
  • Vacuum cleaner
  • Kitchen tissue
  • Somebody to help you move the treadmill
  • Lots of space to move the treadmill

Steps for removing the top molding (motor access)

  1. Ensure the treadmill is standing correct, with the arms at the vertical, perpendicular, non-storage position.
  2. Remove the plastic leg feet from the top of the treadmill.
  3. Underneath where the plastic feet were, unscrew (with the Allen Key) and remove the white square metal leg brackets - they just pull out when the screws inside of them have been removed.
  4. Unscrew and remove both of long screws, one on each side of the top molding, in front of the arms (just the right side screw hole shown on photo below).
  5. Turn and rest the tread mill onto the side without the power connector (so you have access to the underneath of the treadmill).
  6. On the side of the treadmill unscrew the 2 small power connector screws attached to the molding - not those inside on the socket next to the terminal pins (as the treadmill is on its side the connector will be facing the ceiling as you do this). Be careful not to lose these screws. Note removing just the top screw on the connector may be sufficient but I removed both just to be certain.
  7. Underneath the treadmill remove 4 screws located in the plastic base molding found nearest the edge. These screws hold the top piece of molding on. These screws may take longer than you expect to remove owing to them being long and they may not just fall out - as long as the top molding is released you should be okay. (Note photo shows in green circles where these screws underneath thread through to the top molding).
  8. Return the treadmill to its original position, watching for any screws falling that you adjusted in the last step that you were unable to remove.
  9. Slide the top molding away from the treadmill by gripping it near the Reebok logo, pulling it up and backwards slightly away from the running surface and foot plates. This may be difficult so inserting a flat screw driver to separate the seams between the molding and the treadmill foot plates might help. If you've missed removing any essential screws in the previous step you'll notice it now - double check if the molding doesn't come away easily because it's very likely you missed something! (Note photos show area to grab near the logo and where to separate the seams for one side - they were taken after the treadmill was reassembled. You'll need to separate both left side and right side foot plate seams simultaneously).
  10. Finally your treadmill should be open!

General Checks

See disclaimer above - I am not an electrician, these are just general checks I personally attempted and do not cover the motor or mains transformer parts, if in doubt get a professional to check!

If you find any of the following problems DO NOT USE YOUR TREADMILL - it could be a serious safety risk!
  1. Inspect (but do NOT touch) the large cylinder capacitor on the circuit board. If this is swollen or leaking on top it will need professional replacement. (see red circle in photo below this list)
  2. Look for signs of any frayed wire or missing wire insulation.
  3. Look for any signs of electrical wire being disconnected.
  4. Ensure that the ground wire is still attached to the metal frame (see green circle in photo below this list)
  5. Look for any signs of burnt material.
  6. Look for any signs of melted or warped plastic.
  7. Look for any signs of liquid damage.

Steps for cleaning

  1. Use the can of compressed air to remove sediment around the electronics (IMPORTANT: make sure you don't blast freezing cold liquid onto the electronics by holding the air canister incorrectly).
  2. Repeat the above step but for the motor housing, don't clean or attempt to adjust the belt if you can avoid it/don't need to.
  3. Use the kitchen tissue to wipe off any dirt/sediment/dust on the metal work.
  4. Use the vacuum cleaner to suck all the dirt/sediment/dust that has now accumulated in the bottom molding whilst you've been cleaning.

Re-assembly

Reverse the instructions in "Steps for removing the top molding" above. Ensure that you don't trap any wires and don't over tighten the screws in the molding base because it can break the screw threads in the molding top half.

That's it! If this has been any help please feel free to buy me a coffee!

2 comments:

martin said...

Hi, please could you e more specific about removing the feet, how exactly do they come off?

thanks

Benjamin said...

The 2 black plastic plugs simply pull out of the top as seen in the (2) photo - at least they do on mine - they are simply wedged into the metal leg brackets. Click on the photo for a bigger version of it.