Stitch Regulator problem ( I think)

[Janice]

I am doing a panto using the stitch regulator.  My machine (Freedom)  just stops.  If I hit the stitch regulator button  & the blue button  on the controls the machine begins again and stitches fine until it decides to stop again (in the middle of a pattern).  It stops several times across the quilt.   I sewed without the stitch regulator and it sewed the pattern all the way across the quilt.  I checked and everything seems to be plugged in, also made sure I wasn't hitting any of the buttons by mistake. 

Any ideas what my problem could be?   Thanks for you help.  Janilce

[Anne from Guam]

Check to see if you have any thread or lint built up where the wheels meet the rails. One time I thought everything was clean and then I really checked that area. And on one of the wheels I used my air can to blow out a lint ball.

[ffq-lar]

Call APQS Monday. It could be static (do you have a static strap on your machine?) or some other problem causing a short. Have you checked your motor brushes? Or it could be electronics. They'll get you sorted out.

[DawnCavanaugh]

Janice,

 

Do you mean that the machine literally shuts off as if you hit a colored button, or that it simply refuses to move like it's stalled? Let us know. We do have a couple of avenues to explore for solutions, depending on the symptoms. 

[Janice]

Dawn,  The machine literallly shuts off  as if I had hit a colored button.  After it stops, If I hit the  stitch regulator button & the blue button it works again just fine but it stops (shuts down) somewhere down the quilt.  If I hit the blue button and do manual, it  seems to sews fine and does not shut down. It just shuts down, coasts and makes a few larger stitches.  I have been doing charity quilts and I don't think they will notice a few larger stitches.  It  is frustrating.  I use the stitch regulator a lot so I need to get the problem taken care of.  Thanks, Janice

[zeke]

How old is your machine.  It could be the control knob switches.  I've had to take the switches apart and clean them before and solves the problem.  This is one solution that I've come across.  This could take some time as the parts are small and some what fragile.  Regards,  zeke................

[DawnCavanaugh]

Janice, 

 

If you're not experiencing it in manual mode, then we'll focus on two things. One is the static issue that Linda mentioned. Do you have M & M wheels from APQS on your machine? If so, some of the early kits sent out did not include grounding hardware. We discovered after the wheels were in service that they can develop just a little static electricity in dry climates, and that static jumps from the wheel over to the encoder where it sends a sneaky little signal that shuts down the machine. If you didn't receive grounding hardware with the wheels (a grounding wire to go from your carriage axle to the sewing head and a grounding "clip" that mounts underneath the rear sewing head axle), then call us on Monday and we can send that out.

 

However, your answer also includes another clue. You mention that the machine seems to coast and make a few larger stitches before it stops. That could actually be an encoder issue. One of the encoder wheels may not be making good enough contact with the larger wheels any longer to keep the regulator constant. Here's a video that will show you what to check and how to adjust them:

 

Adjusting Encoder Wheels

 

Give us a call on Monday if you need more help or need the grounding kit!