Gold’s Gym Treadmill Incline Not Working

Gold’s Gym remains one of the most popular fitness brands when it comes to at home cardio machines. 

They feature an incline mechanism which uses gravity to create resistance. But like any other complicated machines, this incline feature may occasionally malfunction.

If your Gold’s Gym treadmill incline not working, you’re not alone. This is a common issue that many people experience with their treadmill. 

Let’s review some troubleshooting steps to follow in order to identify the issue and potentially provide a solution before calling the manufacturer or a repair person.

Without further ado, let’s get right into it!

Why Gold’s Gym Treadmill Incline Motor Is Not Working?

Sole f80 treadmill on a carpet behind a grey colored wall

There are multiple reasons for a Gold’s Gym treadmill incline to stop working.

The problem might be something you can fix yourself, ranging from simple possibilities such as the incline lever might not be in the right position. 

It is also possible that there is a problem with your console wiring or your controller board.

The following troubleshooting guides will help you identify and fix your Gold’s Gym treadmill incline problem.

Gold’s Gym Treadmill Incline Not Working – Troubleshooting Guides

1. Check for motor problems

First, we should check whether the incline motor receives the required voltage when you manually press the up and down key to adjust the incline level on the console.

For this purpose, simply use a multimeter and set it on the AC volts.

There is a schematic under the motor hood that indicates what the voltage should be when you press the up or down keys.

If the motor is getting voltage from the console when you manually change the incline level but still doesn’t run, then it needs to be repaired or replaced.

Next, check the main harness running down the treadmill leg for breaks in the wires or a loose connection. Through the use of a multimeter, check the continuity of the wire harness connections.

If any wires are no longer working, replace them immediately. 

a Proform treadmill picture in an empty room

Sometimes incline motors will get frozen in position and need to be broken free. Here is how to break free a Gold’s Gym Treadmill lift motor:

Take the motor cover off, and take the screw out of the bottom of the incline motor that is attached to the screw assembly.

Once you remove the screw you should be able to break the incline motor free. run the incline up and down with the screw still off. 

Once it goes up and down, reattach it and put it into calibration by doing the following:

  1. With the safety key off, press and hold the speed plus and stop buttons at the same time.
  2. Insert the safety key on the console, then release the buttons.
  3. Press the stop key once.
  4. Press the speed up til it reaches 85.
  5. If your max speed is 10 mph then it should read about 9.8-10.2.

2. Check the power board

If the power board is damaged, the signals running through the console to the incline motor will not work. Therefore, you need to check the wiring from the incline sensor to the power board.

Use a multimeter to see if you are getting the correct voltage coming from the console to the motor control board and then from the board to the incline motor.

If you receive power from the console and from the board with the motor not moving, the board is working fine, but the motor has a bit of a problem.

However, if you get voltage from the console but not from the board, the board is defective and needs to be replaced.

Make sure you are testing the voltage both when pressing the up key and the down key.

male and female trainers running on treadmill

3. Check the outlet

If a Gold’s Gym Treadmill incline is not functioning, one of the major things to do is check the machine’s main power source.

The treadmill power source is most likely the reason for the incline to stop working. It is what provides power to the incline motor to respond and operate. If it isn’t working, the incline motor won’t work either.

Check that your treadmill is plugged in properly and that there are no loose wires or other objects in contact with the power cord.

Make sure that the tread is plugged into an outlet that meets its power requirements, while it is not plugged into a GFCI outlet.

4. Check the power cord

If the electrical outlet works fine and the outlet meets the power requirements of your treadmill, unplug the machine to inspect the power cord. 

Make sure the cord is connected properly to both the electrical outlet and the Tread’s deck.

enduring man running fast on a treadmill

Next, check all wires between the power cord connection and the motor control board. Reconnect any loose wires and repair any broken ones.

If the cord has been damaged then you may need to replace it with a new one.

5. Check the console wires connections

If your treadmill incline motor doesn’t move, there could be a wiring issue. 

Double check that all connections are secure, especially the console cable. Unplug and reconnect the console cable at the top of the console mast .

Use a multimeter to see if you are getting the correct voltage coming from the console to the board. If no voltage is coming from the console, then the console is bad and will need to be replaced. 

However, you can try this first before replacing Gold’s Gym console:

  1. Remove the console from the treadmill and remove the back.
  2. Remove and reattach the ribbon cables that run from the keypads to the control board.
  3. Remove and reattach all the connections on the console
  4. Reattach the console and calibrate by doing the following:
  1. With the safety key off, press and hold the speed plus and stop buttons at the same time.
  2. Insert the safety key on the console, then release the buttons.
  3. Press the stop key once.
  4. Press the speed up til it reaches 85.
  5. If your max speed is 10 mph then it should read about 9.8-10.2.

Turn on Gold’s Gym treadmill and try measuring the voltage coming from the console one more time. If there still no power coming, then the console is bad and would need replacement. 

Weslo Cadence G 5.9 treadmill in my living room

Final Tip

If none of the above fixes work, then you need to contact the Member Support Team of your Gold’s Gym treadmill. They will help you diagnose the problem and offer solutions.

If your treadmill is still under warranty, the manufacturer may cover the cost to repair your machine. 

However, if you attempt to fix the tread yourself while it is under warranty, then you may void the warranty. 

In this case, only perform the troubleshooting tips recommended by your manufacturer.

Conclusion

A treadmill incline feature is an important part of exercising. With all the aforementioned information, you will be willing to know the reason behind your Gold’s Gym treadmill incline motor to stop working.

Once you find the origin of the problem, take the necessary steps to fix it or replace it if it can’t be fixed.

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