Thank you for the video. This was very helpful. It is kind of sad for the cost of the bike that when it is under warranty our best help it fixings the failure is by the kindness of a gentleman making a video on UA-cam. It really shines a light turned on the tracks customer service failures. .
Thank you for posting this! It helped me replace my resistance motor quite easily. My motor wasn't completely frozen up like yours, but it was not responding to the increment buttons. I also found that I could work without having to remove the pedals. The screws that hold the motor onto the bike are kind of tough to remove - they're at a difficult angle, and lots of things are in your way. I had to use several screw drivers to finally get them off.
Going 20 months with my peloton and never had one issue with it yet. Classes and instructors are great music is great you get to connect your apple music or spotify account to it and it will create a peloton playlist of songs you like. Was on here just curious about the competition and amazed that you have to do your own repairs ... That's crazy. Definetly made the right choice with peloton.
That's awesome. I'm glad that your equipment has been running flawlessly. Since my repair that I made a few months back, I'm happy to say that mine too, is running exceptionally well.
I’ve had Nordictrack treadmill that quit working after a short time of light use and a Nordictrack S22i bike whose incline and resistance stopped working. Will never buy Nordictrack again. Very poor quality products.
Thanks for putting this together. Liked my first four rides on the bike, but then the resistance quit. Ordered the new part this morning. She said she'd send me a video on how to replace. The video shows how the magnetic resistance works, but not how to replace. Your video is clear and straight forward so I'm confident I can get it done when the part arrives. She said I could've scheduled a tech to come in but it would be a longer wait.
Thank you for posting this! I just received my replacement motor today without any instructions. After watching this, I feel ready to tackle it. I’ll try to remember to report back.
@@SargeLiftin It did! I got through it, though not a smoothly as you did--ha ha. I had a few stumbles... First, when I put it all back together, after having tested it like you did while it was open, nothing worked. Ugh. I thought I busted something while I was closing it all up. Then--gah!--I forgot to plug it back in to the power strip. Ok, so operator error. 😊 Second, and the problem I still have, is the tension is WAY too hard. What was easy when set to tension 1, now is not so easy. As I increase the tension setting on the bike, it gets ridiculously hard for me to pedal. So much so that it is pretty much unusable as is. Do you have some advice?
@@gany50 you can calibrate the resistance using the adjustment nuts at 09:35 section of the video. Try adjusting the position on the bar from side to side to determine what feels most appropriate for easy to hard resistance levels.
Thanks for the video. The left crank arm of my bike has habitually fallen off. I had not considered changing the sequence of the fastener installation and NordicTrack has been of no help. This was the first video I have found online that is of any help. I reinstalled the left crank arm per your instructions and am hoping for the best. Thanks again!!!
You’re welcome. I had searched out a video and having found none figured that I would make one while performing the repair. I sure hope that it has helped others. Thank you for the kind words and support.
I used a 9 volt battery to the blue and yellow wire to see if the motor was working. It was and I rotated it all the way one way, then reversed the yellow and blue wires to let the motor return. Plugged it back in and now it works fine. Turned it off and on, ran programs and manual and everything appears to be working ok again. I suspect, while riding a steep hill perhaps the resistance motor adjusts along with the elevation and got out of range on the motor and circuit board perimeters. Just a guess, especially since so many people are having these issues.
If anyone orders this part, make sure you confirm your model number with the support personnel at icon. There are model number variations that have different connectors in the wiring harness. Our model number ends in NB.4, and has a motor similar to the one shown in this outstanding video. Our first call with icon assured us it was the control board. The control board arrived with connectors that were incompatible with our bike. The second call with icon assured us if the incline is working (it is), then the problem is the resistance motor. No problem, the bike is torn down and ready for it to go in. Icon shipped us a resistance motor with the same type of wiring connectors as the control board that was sent to us, incompatible with our bike. At this point, my wife is livid. The bike is under warranty, so she contacted Icon to have a service tech fix the bike. We were told by the support staff someone would call us within a couple of days to set up the service call. A week later, no one has called. Call number four gets us to someone on the help desk that recognized the model number variations, and sent us the correct motor. I'm getting ready to put it on and bolt the bike back together. I plugged the replacement motor into the wiring harness and powered up the bike. I felt the motor move when the bike powered up, so I like my chances. I don't think the control board is the issue, since there is a signal going through it to get to the motor. *EDIT- Got the bike together working like it should. Your video is huge!!!!! Thanks for blazing the trail for us.
This helped tremendously since Nordictrack didn’t bother to send instructions. And I’m wary it’s going to happen again because my bike is only a few months old. But at least I know what to watch in case it happens again!
After making my repairs I haven't had any issues with the bike for the past couple months. I'm hoping to that it stays true to form and functions well long into the future.
I hope your cycle works well for it’s lifetime. But the cycle is pretty basic and most repairs can be done by average joes like myself. As or if any new issues develop I will post more videos. I had the knocking sound that a lot of folks experience, but I made the adjustments and it was corrected. So if that comes back I’ll post another video on that. Would there be any value in a monthly maintenance repair/tighten video?
with the poor reliablity of anything nordictrack you will be performing this within a year or so. The replacement is easy. the hard part is trying to get any support at nordictrack as they operate from the philosophy of if we ignore them long enough they will stop asking. Took us about 3 months of nagging to finally get someone to send us a replacement.
Great video, very helpful. Turns out on my mine that the bolt that the magnet assembly self tightened to the point where the Moro couldn’t move the assembly. Loosened up the bolt and everything seems to work now.
Thanks for posting this. But today I'm presently steaming over NordicTrack's customer service policies. I bought my S22i exercise bike 13 months ago. We have not used it extensively -- probably 30 to 40 times total in that time. The resistance motor stopped working suddenly two weeks ago. For $2000, you'd think that would not happen so soon. But it's still under the 2-year parts warranty, so I could just order the part for free, right? WRONG. According to the NordicTrac customer service tech, because I did not purchase an extended labor warranty, they refuse to send the part for free, even if I sent them the malfunctioning part so they could confirm that it is not functioning. So here are my three bad options. Option A: I have to PAY for the part despite my supposed parts warranty, totaling about $65 plus another $30 or so for tax and shipping, and then I install it myself. Option B: I have to PAY for a service tech to come out ($165 plus other costs) and diagnose the problem as being a motor malfunction (since apparently I am too stupid to diagnose it myself), then the tech would order the part, then I would have to PAY for the tech to come out a second time (about $100 more) after the part gets to him. Option C: I have to PAY for an extended service plan ($130 or so), but first I would have to PAY ($165 plus) for the tech to come out and inspect the machine for the warranty, plus I would have to PAY ($65) for the part that the tech would order and later install (for "free" since I'd be under the service plan). So I asked the customer service guy, since we know that it's almost certainly the motor and alternatively it might be one other part, can you just send the tech with those two parts so he can replace the one that is broken on the spot and I don't have to suffer the additional cost of the second tech trip or suffer the extra delay? No, he says, that's not how we do it. I told him that I was disappointed that, although I paid $2000 for a machine that's supposed to be "great quality" and it's supposed to be under a parts warranty, I have to pay through the nose for the part. Then, he had the audacity to say that this was NordicTrac's "sort of punishment" of customers for not buying the extended service plan. I told him that his suggestion that Nordictrac wanted to "punish" customers for not paying more is offensive. He said then, "It's not really punishment. That's just an analogy; it's more like when I child doesn't clean his room, that's what it's like if you don't get the extended plan . . ." So if you don't pay more for an extended warranty after dropping a bundle of cash for a machine that requires continued costs for the subscription, NordicTrac "punishes" you like "a child who hasn't cleaned" his room. The machine is great, when it's working that is, but there is NO WAY I would recommend anyone buy it after this because it should not break after one year and the parts warranty is a sham because of this ridiculous policy. And after 45 minutes on the phone with this guy, guess what he NEVER said: "I'm SORRY the ridiculously expensive bike started malfunctioning so soon after you bought it." But why would I expect a company that expressly sees me as a child who deserves "punishment" for not forking over more cash be the least bit sorry that I'm having a horrible experience with them? For these reasons, I would NOT recommend buying this bike. Bike when it's working: A+; Durability: apparently D; and customer service policy: F.
I believe you can order the replacement part from NordicTrack directly. As for non-oem parts bought online, I'm not sure. Some folks have said they found some on Amazon, but I don't have first hand knowledge of that.
Unless I missed it in your video, what did your screen show while you tried to adjust the resistance? Did the numbers change? For my bike, the resistance and incline numbers are two dashed lines. (- -) I’m trying to isolate which parts is actually at fault. Thank you.
Great video that I needed in order to replace the right crank arm (threads with pedal were stripped). When reassembling, there is a little circular plastic insert on the left crank arm side that I cannot get back in now that I have screwed the right crank arm in tight. Any thoughts on if I need to remove the crank arms again to get this piece back in or can I "pound" it in a bit? (Hoping the later or other fix!)
The sequence I used to put that back together, is to have the Allen screws on the crank arm loose. Then put the gray dust cap into position and tighten down. Then tighten the two allen screws on the crank arm. It looks like that shouldn't matter, but I think the allen screws do actually put a slight amount of pressure on the dustcap and that keeps it in place. Or in your case doesn't allow it to install at all. I hope that makes sense.
Do you ever use the fan while riding the bike? I'm getting an S15i bike delivered next week. Mine will only have 22 resistance levels. The S22i bike I believe has 24. I hope I won't notice a difference. Also, the screen on mine will be a bit smaller.
It’s rare for me to use the fan, but my wife uses it every ride. But a floor fan off to the side should help keep the air flow around you. As for the resistance I don’t think missing the additional 2 levels will be that noticeable. I’m sure you will enjoy the bike once it arrives.
This is starting to sound like it should be a recall issue. I have barely ridden my s22i and got on it today and the resistance wasn’t working. I just got it last year 2020.
I need help...I just watched your video over and over and then changed my resistance motor. This is sooooo not my thing but I did it with your help - before putting my bike back together I plugged in the bike and the motor is NOT working - did I do something wrong or could it be another problem? Kathy
I’m not sure on that. If you haven’t already try to disconnect the harness for the resistance motor and the main board. And see if reconnecting it seats them better.
This was a big help. The difference with my s22i was, the engine was still working but the resistance didn't change. As I opened up the bike, I found the lever a little bent and loose (after 10 days of use). And it seems, the black disc doesn't held that well, too. I fixed it as good as I could... but the whole construction seems to be a little fragile. I am curious how long it will last :)
An interesting update... After six! weeks the customer service called me today, my spare parts (resistance motor and lever) have finally arrived (although I didn't order them, I just described my problem). I told them that I solved the issue by myself (and this vid of course). But instead of leaving things like that, they offered to send me the parts. They spoke really open and told me, that these parts are so rare and hard to get (here in Germany) that it would be a smart move to accept the offer. So on this Wednesday, a technician will bring me the parts and have a look at my bike (this is required, otherwise they would have to charge me for the spare parts)... we will see... :)
Might be an issue with the control board, if you are still having issues you could try a factory reset (might have to look that one up) and see if that helps. Maybe I'll do a video on that when I get home from deployment.
That side did take some maneuvering to get around the tension bits/axle. I tilted it back and forth and was able to slide it past some of the cut out openings.
I used the Facebook chat to begin the initial help desk ticket with NordicTrack. I then transferred it to a phone call and was able to get the replacement motor sent to my directly from NordicTrack. I’m not sure if there is a retail location to purchase the motor. m.facebook.com/nordictrack/ is where I started the conversation using the message option.
For the life of me, I can't get the bottom screw to the motor on the belt side off. I can't get a scre driver in there with enough pressure. It's like it's glued in or something. Any ideas??
Thank you for this! Icon didn’t send instructions so this is a huge help. I think we must’ve done something wrong though because the resistance is MUCH more difficult than it was. Is there a way to calibrate it?
At 9:38 in the video I mention two lock nuts that you can loosen/tighten to adjust the location on the rod of the magnet mount pin. That is actually a manual calibration method. So you can try and make the adjustments by moving that rod further up or down so the resistance is more accurate.
@@SargeLiftin Thanks for the great video. I just had a technician available the next day to replace the motor and power board, so I let him do it. However, the resistance was way too easy so I had to adjust using these two nuts. For anyone else having to do this, they should know that it's a very finicky adjustment - keep the covers off as you're likely to be making quite a few adjustments. It also shakes off any remaining confidence that I had in the leaderboard system ... any two bikes will likely have two different resistance settings from the factory, greatly skewing performance metrics that are compared on the leaderboards. Also, as it may be helpful for someone, here's a picture I made to share elsewhere. i.imgur.com/bzoUM2c.jpg
Thank you for posting for this. I recently had to replace my resistance motor on my s15i and this was extremely helpful. I also liked your hybrid pedals for cages and clip ins at 12:16. Would you be able to link where you got these or did you self modify?
I used these pedals www.amazon.com/SHIMANO-PD-M324-Pedals-2016/dp/B01F1GZXH2 and removed the cages from the oem pedals and installed on the new ones. Works great since 1/2 the riders in the house use cycling shoes and the other half use sneakers. I also was able to use my sneakers for the “Next Level Boot Camp” series. As there is some on and off bike exercises in the program.
I just received the bike 2 days ago and the resistance motor was already damaged. 🙄 I just called and I’ll receive a new one in 2 weeks. I’ll be watching again then.
Did you need a special screwdriver to screw in the base of the motor? It was cut off from view in the video. Our final screw is at such an angle we can't get the screwdriver in there at the matching angle to tighten it properly. Help!
It is a standard Phillips screw driver, and yes the angle was very tricky. I think is used a slightly larger driver so the angle still allowed the Phillips teeth to grab the screw. I just tightened it very slowly and carefully not to strip the head.
Resistance on my S15i just went out. I see a ton of replacement parts on the web but want to make sure the connectors are correct. Anyone have the part number for either OEM or aftermarket that is correct for the NordicTrack S15i? I assume it would be the same as the S22i since the model name variance is due to screen size not function.
The first one lasted about 4 months and no I didn’t have to pay for it. They shipped it to me at no cost. The replacement has been going strong for over 9 months now.
We just purchased our bike and are regretting it already, as the resistance does not change eventhough the motor is working. How do we simply adjust the resistance manually on that motor? (The Nordictrack customer service reps. told us to adjust it ourselves. We haven't even had one ride on it yet).
Maybe you have got the same problem I had with my s22i. You should open up the bike and have a look at the lever, which is the link between the Motor and the magnet....
At 9:38 in the video I mention two lock nuts that you can loosen/tighten to adjust the location on the rod of the magnet mount pin. That is actually a manual calibration method. So you can try and make the adjustments by moving that rod further up or down so the resistance is more accurate.
Do you notice a full range of resistance throughout the levels (1-24), even at the lower inclines? At inclines lower than 10%, I get no change in resistance until I get above level 11 or 12, and then it starts to kick in. If I'm at 10% (or higher), then I get a smooth increase in resistance through the entire range. NordicTrack says it's supposed to be this way, but it seems strange that there would be no resistance kicking in through the lower half of the low inclines. I'm just looking for someone with a functioning machine to let me know how theirs works.
I believe the resistance and incline do work in tandem. This is to simulate riding up hill or down hill. And the resistance level would correspond with that incline. For example, while riding at a 10% incline and 4 resistance would feel as difficult as if the incline were at 0% and 10 resistance (give or take). So I do believe that your bike is functioning properly.
@@SargeLiftin Thanks for the response. That concept makes sense, but I'm not sure it's working on mine. I have no noticeable change from levels 1-11 at inclines less than 10%. 0% Level 1 is essentially the same as 6% Level 10, which doesn't seem right. I think I might need to adjust the tensioner to move the magnets closer to the flywheel, so I get SOME resistance change from 1 through 11 on a given incline. Thanks for the video - it made it easier to access the motor!
@@321JCWeis there is an adjustment/calibration method. I mention it somewhat in error in the video it’s a sliding nut featured at 9:31 that you can use to adjust the mechanical calibration of the resistance motor.
Has anyone ever had the issue of resistance fluctuating? I opened up the bike to view the resistance motor, and it constantly fluctuates as if it is searching for the correct place. When pedaling, it is a noticable up and down in resistance. I noticed that the wheel on the motor is 180 degrees different from the one in the video- in other words, the wheel has the pin/extra hole 4-5 oclock position instead of the 10-11 oclock position on the motor. I guess my first question is has anyone experienced the fluctuating motor and do you know what would cause that?
For those I had a very small ratchet that I put a drill bit inside and it was a "bugger" to get them loose. I hope you have been successful with your project.
The bolts in the leg of the left pedal do not budge for me. I am able to get one off but the other one does not move at all no matter how much force I use.
That is quite odd, I’m planning another video for the S22i tomorrow and while taking off the left pedal I’ll keep this comment in mind and let you know if I find any options.
Just brainstorming here, but as the pedal arm does sort of pinch onto the hub, I wonder if taking the bolts out slowly by alternating the loosening of the bolts so that they both back out equally? Maybe, by taking just the one out cause excess force onto the other side, which now makes that one very tight?
So I rode my bike 4 times before this went bad. They sent me a part in the mail with 0 instructions. I’m having an issue getting to cover off. I’ve undone all the screws so I’m not sure what the issue is!
Sorry about to slow reply, I hope you’ve figured it out by now, but if all the screws are out (make sure to check both sides of the covers) there are some pressure tabs that might be still hanging up the removal process.
Problem since latest update. Incline/decline and resistance buttons do not work anymore. However, changes by instructors and via touchscreen work well. Anyone else having the same issues?
I had that same problem, the clicking noise. Sorry to hear about the delay in shipping. It’s a fairly easy fix once you get the motor. I was able to still ride while waiting I just left the resistance as it was, slight resistance so I could still get some rides in.
Do NOT buy a nordictrack bike!!! I rode my bike maybe 8 times and the resistance or incline/decline doesn’t work. It randomly will just incline and decline on its own tho. They have sent me all kinds of different parts and wires to replace and it still doesn’t work!!! I paid over 2k for this when it was all said and done and it’s a piece of junk!!!! Now I’m sure they’ll send a new motor and I’ll rip the blasted bike apart again!
Fortunately, I adjusted the seat from my Daughter's height position to mine so the ride was a bit more comfortable.
Thank you for the video. This was very helpful. It is kind of sad for the cost of the bike that when it is under warranty our best help it fixings the failure is by the kindness of a gentleman making a video on UA-cam. It really shines a light turned on the tracks customer service failures.
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Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for posting this! It helped me replace my resistance motor quite easily. My motor wasn't completely frozen up like yours, but it was not responding to the increment buttons. I also found that I could work without having to remove the pedals. The screws that hold the motor onto the bike are kind of tough to remove - they're at a difficult angle, and lots of things are in your way. I had to use several screw drivers to finally get them off.
I appreciated this step by step video. NordicTrac should include one like it on their site.
Going 20 months with my peloton and never had one issue with it yet. Classes and instructors are great music is great you get to connect your apple music or spotify account to it and it will create a peloton playlist of songs you like. Was on here just curious about the competition and amazed that you have to do your own repairs ... That's crazy. Definetly made the right choice with peloton.
That's awesome. I'm glad that your equipment has been running flawlessly. Since my repair that I made a few months back, I'm happy to say that mine too, is running exceptionally well.
I’ve had Nordictrack treadmill that quit working after a short time of light use and a Nordictrack S22i bike whose incline and resistance stopped working. Will never buy Nordictrack again. Very poor quality products.
Thanks for putting this together. Liked my first four rides on the bike, but then the resistance quit. Ordered the new part this morning. She said she'd send me a video on how to replace. The video shows how the magnetic resistance works, but not how to replace. Your video is clear and straight forward so I'm confident I can get it done when the part arrives. She said I could've scheduled a tech to come in but it would be a longer wait.
It is quite easy to perform the replacement. Im looking forward to you being able to replace it and get back to spinning.
Thank you for posting this! I just received my replacement motor today without any instructions. After watching this, I feel ready to tackle it. I’ll try to remember to report back.
I hope it helps and you are able to make the change.
@@SargeLiftin It did! I got through it, though not a smoothly as you did--ha ha. I had a few stumbles... First, when I put it all back together, after having tested it like you did while it was open, nothing worked. Ugh. I thought I busted something while I was closing it all up. Then--gah!--I forgot to plug it back in to the power strip. Ok, so operator error. 😊 Second, and the problem I still have, is the tension is WAY too hard. What was easy when set to tension 1, now is not so easy. As I increase the tension setting on the bike, it gets ridiculously hard for me to pedal. So much so that it is pretty much unusable as is. Do you have some advice?
@@gany50 you can calibrate the resistance using the adjustment nuts at 09:35 section of the video. Try adjusting the position on the bar from side to side to determine what feels most appropriate for easy to hard resistance levels.
@sargeliftin - I did the calibration! Thanks for guidance; we are riding again.
@@gany50 Can we get clarification of calibration?
Just used the video to replace my motor. Worked great. Bike is back in action. Thanks! See ya on the virtual trails!
I’m glad it worked out.
Thanks so much. My new resistance motor is on the way. I was hoping someone has gone through the process before. Liked and subscribed!
Thank you for the support, and I’m hoping you have a smooth replacement process, so you can get riding soon.
Thanks for the video. The left crank arm of my bike has habitually fallen off. I had not considered changing the sequence of the fastener installation and NordicTrack has been of no help. This was the first video I have found online that is of any help. I reinstalled the left crank arm per your instructions and am hoping for the best. Thanks again!!!
Sequence was recommend by the NordicTrack tech support. Mine is still holding strong weeks/months later. I hope you can correct yours.
I have to wait on this part. Been waiting 3 weeks so far. Nordic trac sent me the wire harnesses but I’ll have to self install all this stuff myself.
Very helpful and instructive .... You took the time to go through all the details and film yourself doing the step-by-step process. Thanks!
You’re welcome. I had searched out a video and having found none figured that I would make one while performing the repair. I sure hope that it has helped others. Thank you for the kind words and support.
I used a 9 volt battery to the blue and yellow wire to see if the motor was working. It was and I rotated it all the way one way, then reversed the yellow and blue wires to let the motor return. Plugged it back in and now it works fine. Turned it off and on, ran programs and manual and everything appears to be working ok again. I suspect, while riding a steep hill perhaps the resistance motor adjusts along with the elevation and got out of range on the motor and circuit board perimeters. Just a guess, especially since so many people are having these issues.
If anyone orders this part, make sure you confirm your model number with the support personnel at icon. There are model number variations that have different connectors in the wiring harness. Our model number ends in NB.4, and has a motor similar to the one shown in this outstanding video. Our first call with icon assured us it was the control board. The control board arrived with connectors that were incompatible with our bike. The second call with icon assured us if the incline is working (it is), then the problem is the resistance motor. No problem, the bike is torn down and ready for it to go in. Icon shipped us a resistance motor with the same type of wiring connectors as the control board that was sent to us, incompatible with our bike.
At this point, my wife is livid. The bike is under warranty, so she contacted Icon to have a service tech fix the bike. We were told by the support staff someone would call us within a couple of days to set up the service call. A week later, no one has called. Call number four gets us to someone on the help desk that recognized the model number variations, and sent us the correct motor. I'm getting ready to put it on and bolt the bike back together. I plugged the replacement motor into the wiring harness and powered up the bike. I felt the motor move when the bike powered up, so I like my chances. I don't think the control board is the issue, since there is a signal going through it to get to the motor.
*EDIT- Got the bike together working like it should. Your video is huge!!!!! Thanks for blazing the trail for us.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience.
Do you know what part number you had?
This helped tremendously since Nordictrack didn’t bother to send instructions. And I’m wary it’s going to happen again because my bike is only a few months old. But at least I know what to watch in case it happens again!
After making my repairs I haven't had any issues with the bike for the past couple months. I'm hoping to that it stays true to form and functions well long into the future.
I hope I never need to perform that repair but now I know that it's a manageable process. Thanks very much.
I hope your cycle works well for it’s lifetime. But the cycle is pretty basic and most repairs can be done by average joes like myself. As or if any new issues develop I will post more videos. I had the knocking sound that a lot of folks experience, but I made the adjustments and it was corrected. So if that comes back I’ll post another video on that. Would there be any value in a monthly maintenance repair/tighten video?
with the poor reliablity of anything nordictrack you will be performing this within a year or so. The replacement is easy. the hard part is trying to get any support at nordictrack as they operate from the philosophy of if we ignore them long enough they will stop asking. Took us about 3 months of nagging to finally get someone to send us a replacement.
Great video, very helpful. Turns out on my mine that the bolt that the magnet assembly self tightened to the point where the Moro couldn’t move the assembly. Loosened up the bolt and everything seems to work now.
Thanks for posting this. But today I'm presently steaming over NordicTrack's customer service policies. I bought my S22i exercise bike 13 months ago. We have not used it extensively -- probably 30 to 40 times total in that time. The resistance motor stopped working suddenly two weeks ago. For $2000, you'd think that would not happen so soon. But it's still under the 2-year parts warranty, so I could just order the part for free, right? WRONG. According to the NordicTrac customer service tech, because I did not purchase an extended labor warranty, they refuse to send the part for free, even if I sent them the malfunctioning part so they could confirm that it is not functioning. So here are my three bad options.
Option A: I have to PAY for the part despite my supposed parts warranty, totaling about $65 plus another $30 or so for tax and shipping, and then I install it myself.
Option B: I have to PAY for a service tech to come out ($165 plus other costs) and diagnose the problem as being a motor malfunction (since apparently I am too stupid to diagnose it myself), then the tech would order the part, then I would have to PAY for the tech to come out a second time (about $100 more) after the part gets to him.
Option C: I have to PAY for an extended service plan ($130 or so), but first I would have to PAY ($165 plus) for the tech to come out and inspect the machine for the warranty, plus I would have to PAY ($65) for the part that the tech would order and later install (for "free" since I'd be under the service plan).
So I asked the customer service guy, since we know that it's almost certainly the motor and alternatively it might be one other part, can you just send the tech with those two parts so he can replace the one that is broken on the spot and I don't have to suffer the additional cost of the second tech trip or suffer the extra delay? No, he says, that's not how we do it. I told him that I was disappointed that, although I paid $2000 for a machine that's supposed to be "great quality" and it's supposed to be under a parts warranty, I have to pay through the nose for the part. Then, he had the audacity to say that this was NordicTrac's "sort of punishment" of customers for not buying the extended service plan. I told him that his suggestion that Nordictrac wanted to "punish" customers for not paying more is offensive. He said then, "It's not really punishment. That's just an analogy; it's more like when I child doesn't clean his room, that's what it's like if you don't get the extended plan . . ." So if you don't pay more for an extended warranty after dropping a bundle of cash for a machine that requires continued costs for the subscription, NordicTrac "punishes" you like "a child who hasn't cleaned" his room. The machine is great, when it's working that is, but there is NO WAY I would recommend anyone buy it after this because it should not break after one year and the parts warranty is a sham because of this ridiculous policy. And after 45 minutes on the phone with this guy, guess what he NEVER said: "I'm SORRY the ridiculously expensive bike started malfunctioning so soon after you bought it." But why would I expect a company that expressly sees me as a child who deserves "punishment" for not forking over more cash be the least bit sorry that I'm having a horrible experience with them? For these reasons, I would NOT recommend buying this bike. Bike when it's working: A+; Durability: apparently D; and customer service policy: F.
I recently had to replace my flywheel and cannot walk the belt back on to the wheel. Any advice on how to get it on? I can’t find any videos for help.
Thanks I ordered my motor. Anything to save $150 service call!!!
Where can I buy a replacement motor if I'm out of warranty? Can't find th exact part online.
I believe you can order the replacement part from NordicTrack directly. As for non-oem parts bought online, I'm not sure. Some folks have said they found some on Amazon, but I don't have first hand knowledge of that.
Very helpful - thank you!
Unless I missed it in your video, what did your screen show while you tried to adjust the resistance? Did the numbers change? For my bike, the resistance and incline numbers are two dashed lines. (- -) I’m trying to isolate which parts is actually at fault. Thank you.
How do you recalibrate the tension after changing the motor if you did loosen the nuts ?
Thanks I have same issue
How long did u wait for the new motor? Days, weeks or months?
I think the motor took about 7 days to arrive.
Great video that I needed in order to replace the right crank arm (threads with pedal were stripped). When reassembling, there is a little circular plastic insert on the left crank arm side that I cannot get back in now that I have screwed the right crank arm in tight. Any thoughts on if I need to remove the crank arms again to get this piece back in or can I "pound" it in a bit? (Hoping the later or other fix!)
The sequence I used to put that back together, is to have the Allen screws on the crank arm loose. Then put the gray dust cap into position and tighten down. Then tighten the two allen screws on the crank arm. It looks like that shouldn't matter, but I think the allen screws do actually put a slight amount of pressure on the dustcap and that keeps it in place. Or in your case doesn't allow it to install at all. I hope that makes sense.
Do you ever use the fan while riding the bike? I'm getting an S15i bike delivered next week. Mine will only have 22 resistance levels. The S22i bike I believe has 24. I hope I won't notice a difference. Also, the screen on mine will be a bit smaller.
It’s rare for me to use the fan, but my wife uses it every ride. But a floor fan off to the side should help keep the air flow around you. As for the resistance I don’t think missing the additional 2 levels will be that noticeable. I’m sure you will enjoy the bike once it arrives.
Thanks for the UA-cam. I have to do it on an S15i which looks similar
This is starting to sound like it should be a recall issue. I have barely ridden my s22i and got on it today and the resistance wasn’t working. I just got it last year 2020.
I’ve had mine for about a year. Light use. Now the resistance and incline don’t work. This bike is certified junk.
I need help...I just watched your video over and over and then changed my resistance motor. This is sooooo not my thing but I did it with your help - before putting my bike back together I plugged in the bike and the motor is NOT working - did I do something wrong or could it be another problem? Kathy
I’m not sure on that. If you haven’t already try to disconnect the harness for the resistance motor and the main board. And see if reconnecting it seats them better.
This was a big help. The difference with my s22i was, the engine was still working but the resistance didn't change. As I opened up the bike, I found the lever a little bent and loose (after 10 days of use).
And it seems, the black disc doesn't held that well, too.
I fixed it as good as I could... but the whole construction seems to be a little fragile.
I am curious how long it will last :)
I hope you were able to fix it. Is it still working well for you?
@@SargeLiftin It still works. After more then a week with the s22i (and following your ergonomics tips), I can say I'm pretty satisfied with the bike.
An interesting update...
After six! weeks the customer service called me today, my spare parts (resistance motor and lever) have finally arrived (although I didn't order them, I just described my problem).
I told them that I solved the issue by myself (and this vid of course).
But instead of leaving things like that, they offered to send me the parts.
They spoke really open and told me, that these parts are so rare and hard to get (here in Germany) that it would be a smart move to accept the offer.
So on this Wednesday, a technician will bring me the parts and have a look at my bike (this is required, otherwise they would have to charge me for the spare parts)... we will see... :)
I have no resistance. Incline. Cadence readings or power readings. Any thoughts?
Might be an issue with the control board, if you are still having issues you could try a factory reset (might have to look that one up) and see if that helps. Maybe I'll do a video on that when I get home from deployment.
Any tips on how to get the right cover back in? I managed to take it completely out but now I can not get it past those axel and tension nuts!
That side did take some maneuvering to get around the tension bits/axle. I tilted it back and forth and was able to slide it past some of the cut out openings.
where do you bought the motor? any links? thx
I used the Facebook chat to begin the initial help desk ticket with NordicTrack. I then transferred it to a phone call and was able to get the replacement motor sent to my directly from NordicTrack. I’m not sure if there is a retail location to purchase the motor. m.facebook.com/nordictrack/ is where I started the conversation using the message option.
Thanks for the video. You had mentioned the petals in the video. Can you share what brand and model they are and or share a link for them? Thanks.
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For the life of me, I can't get the bottom screw to the motor on the belt side off. I can't get a scre driver in there with enough pressure. It's like it's glued in or something. Any ideas??
Thank you for this! Icon didn’t send instructions so this is a huge help. I think we must’ve done something wrong though because the resistance is MUCH more difficult than it was. Is there a way to calibrate it?
At 9:38 in the video I mention two lock nuts that you can loosen/tighten to adjust the location on the rod of the magnet mount pin. That is actually a manual calibration method. So you can try and make the adjustments by moving that rod further up or down so the resistance is more accurate.
@@SargeLiftin Thanks for the great video. I just had a technician available the next day to replace the motor and power board, so I let him do it. However, the resistance was way too easy so I had to adjust using these two nuts. For anyone else having to do this, they should know that it's a very finicky adjustment - keep the covers off as you're likely to be making quite a few adjustments.
It also shakes off any remaining confidence that I had in the leaderboard system ... any two bikes will likely have two different resistance settings from the factory, greatly skewing performance metrics that are compared on the leaderboards.
Also, as it may be helpful for someone, here's a picture I made to share elsewhere. i.imgur.com/bzoUM2c.jpg
Thank you for posting for this. I recently had to replace my resistance motor on my s15i and this was extremely helpful. I also liked your hybrid pedals for cages and clip ins at 12:16. Would you be able to link where you got these or did you self modify?
I used these pedals www.amazon.com/SHIMANO-PD-M324-Pedals-2016/dp/B01F1GZXH2 and removed the cages from the oem pedals and installed on the new ones. Works great since 1/2 the riders in the house use cycling shoes and the other half use sneakers. I also was able to use my sneakers for the “Next Level Boot Camp” series. As there is some on and off bike exercises in the program.
I just received the bike 2 days ago and the resistance motor was already damaged. 🙄 I just called and I’ll receive a new one in 2 weeks. I’ll be watching again then.
I’m sorry that your resistance motor was D.O.A., it’s not a hard fix and I’m glad the video will help you get back “on the road”
How did you get right pedal off?
If I remember correctly, I didn't. I just worked around it.
Did you need a special screwdriver to screw in the base of the motor? It was cut off from view in the video. Our final screw is at such an angle we can't get the screwdriver in there at the matching angle to tighten it properly. Help!
It is a standard Phillips screw driver, and yes the angle was very tricky. I think is used a slightly larger driver so the angle still allowed the Phillips teeth to grab the screw. I just tightened it very slowly and carefully not to strip the head.
Resistance on my S15i just went out. I see a ton of replacement parts on the web but want to make sure the connectors are correct. Anyone have the part number for either OEM or aftermarket that is correct for the NordicTrack S15i? I assume it would be the same as the S22i since the model name variance is due to screen size not function.
How long did the first one last? Did you have to pay for the second one??
The first one lasted about 4 months and no I didn’t have to pay for it. They shipped it to me at no cost. The replacement has been going strong for over 9 months now.
We just purchased our bike and are regretting it already, as the resistance does not change eventhough the motor is working. How do we simply adjust the resistance manually on that motor? (The Nordictrack customer service reps. told us to adjust it ourselves. We haven't even had one ride on it yet).
Maybe you have got the same problem I had with my s22i. You should open up the bike and have a look at the lever, which is the link between the Motor and the magnet....
At 9:38 in the video I mention two lock nuts that you can loosen/tighten to adjust the location on the rod of the magnet mount pin. That is actually a manual calibration method. So you can try and make the adjustments by moving that rod further up or down so the resistance is more accurate.
Can you post a video how to replace cage pedals with clip on pedals on a NordicTrack S15i spin bike? Thank you🤗
That’s a good idea. I’ll see about putting that video together soon.
Do you notice a full range of resistance throughout the levels (1-24), even at the lower inclines? At inclines lower than 10%, I get no change in resistance until I get above level 11 or 12, and then it starts to kick in. If I'm at 10% (or higher), then I get a smooth increase in resistance through the entire range. NordicTrack says it's supposed to be this way, but it seems strange that there would be no resistance kicking in through the lower half of the low inclines. I'm just looking for someone with a functioning machine to let me know how theirs works.
I believe the resistance and incline do work in tandem. This is to simulate riding up hill or down hill. And the resistance level would correspond with that incline. For example, while riding at a 10% incline and 4 resistance would feel as difficult as if the incline were at 0% and 10 resistance (give or take). So I do believe that your bike is functioning properly.
@@SargeLiftin Thanks for the response. That concept makes sense, but I'm not sure it's working on mine. I have no noticeable change from levels 1-11 at inclines less than 10%. 0% Level 1 is essentially the same as 6% Level 10, which doesn't seem right. I think I might need to adjust the tensioner to move the magnets closer to the flywheel, so I get SOME resistance change from 1 through 11 on a given incline. Thanks for the video - it made it easier to access the motor!
@@321JCWeis there is an adjustment/calibration method. I mention it somewhat in error in the video it’s a sliding nut featured at 9:31 that you can use to adjust the mechanical calibration of the resistance motor.
How long would you estimate that took you? I just got my new motor yesterday and with this pandemic, I may be installing myself. Thanks for the video.
It didn’t take too long actually, I’d guess about an hour tops to make the swap.
@@SargeLiftin much appreciated!
Has anyone ever had the issue of resistance fluctuating? I opened up the bike to view the resistance motor, and it constantly fluctuates as if it is searching for the correct place. When pedaling, it is a noticable up and down in resistance. I noticed that the wheel on the motor is 180 degrees different from the one in the video- in other words, the wheel has the pin/extra hole 4-5 oclock position instead of the 10-11 oclock position on the motor. I guess my first question is has anyone experienced the fluctuating motor and do you know what would cause that?
How the hell did you loosen screws to resistance motor?
For those I had a very small ratchet that I put a drill bit inside and it was a "bugger" to get them loose. I hope you have been successful with your project.
The bolts in the leg of the left pedal do not budge for me. I am able to get one off but the other one does not move at all no matter how much force I use.
That is quite odd, I’m planning another video for the S22i tomorrow and while taking off the left pedal I’ll keep this comment in mind and let you know if I find any options.
Just brainstorming here, but as the pedal arm does sort of pinch onto the hub, I wonder if taking the bolts out slowly by alternating the loosening of the bolts so that they both back out equally? Maybe, by taking just the one out cause excess force onto the other side, which now makes that one very tight?
So I rode my bike 4 times before this went bad. They sent me a part in the mail with 0 instructions. I’m having an issue getting to cover off. I’ve undone all the screws so I’m not sure what the issue is!
Sorry about to slow reply, I hope you’ve figured it out by now, but if all the screws are out (make sure to check both sides of the covers) there are some pressure tabs that might be still hanging up the removal process.
Problem since latest update. Incline/decline and resistance buttons do not work anymore. However, changes by instructors and via touchscreen work well. Anyone else having the same issues?
I have the same problem now. My plan is to trash this worthless bike and move on to another brand.
Same drama here
Good video bro keep it up
Appreciate it
5 mm nut will not budge on left pedal!
I struggled at first on this one too, I had to loosen the bolts on pedal arm first then the 5mm nut would release.
NordicTrack VR21 : Resistance motor is now slipping in two months time when set below 9.
Oh, due to the slipping, it makes alot of clicking noise when set below 9.
I had that same problem, the clicking noise. Sorry to hear about the delay in shipping. It’s a fairly easy fix once you get the motor. I was able to still ride while waiting I just left the resistance as it was, slight resistance so I could still get some rides in.
Do NOT buy a nordictrack bike!!! I rode my bike maybe 8 times and the resistance or incline/decline doesn’t work. It randomly will just incline and decline on its own tho. They have sent me all kinds of different parts and wires to replace and it still doesn’t work!!! I paid over 2k for this when it was all said and done and it’s a piece of junk!!!! Now I’m sure they’ll send a new motor and I’ll rip the blasted bike apart again!
nordictrack is pure junk. My s22i bike didn’t last a year of light use before the resistance and incline stopped working. Disgraceful product.