Millie starts on her own, HELP!!!

[nineva]

Today was the final straw for me. I was threading my needle, barely bumped the handles and Millie started running. This time I was a fraction away from having a quilted index finger. My black safety button on the back side of the handle--the one you are supposed to press in at the same time as the blue button-- has never worked. I only press any button, without touching the black button on the back, and the machine takes off. I have had several close calls. A couple weeks ago when I was doing my annual maintenance, the machine started as I was taking off my needle plate, causing the needle to break, and I had to re-time my machine as well as re-set the needle bar. This is very scary. I looked in the manual and this is not addressed. I don't have a problem with the single stitch, etc. Just with Millie having a mind of her own. This is actually a dangerous situation as many times I have moved the machine to check my stitching, and it starts stitching in the new place. I also am leery everytime I clean the bobbin area. I would love some suggestions on how to fix this. I called APQS several hours ago, but no call back. Help please.

Nancy Jo

[Laurie]

Wow, that sounds very scary!!!! I hope someone gets back to you soon.....

In the meantime, I think I\'d stay away from it!

[barbm]

Oh, Nancy - that is sooo scary! I\'m confused by the lack of response from APQS - usually they\'re so good at helping us out. Obviously, you\'ve called them back and tried e-mail? Don\'t know what their weather conditions are, but here in Eastern Washington, a lot of businesses are closed and folks are being asked to stay home so there\'s less danger on the highways - maybe that\'s happened there, as well.

I\'ll be praying for your safety (and sanity!) - and a healing for your Millie!

[quiltmonkey]

Nancy Jo, until you hear from APQS, please TURN OFF YOUR MACHINE when doing any needle threading or general maintenance like working in the bobbin case area. I know this is a PITA to do, and will take extra time, but better to be safe than take a risk with unfortunate consequences!

This problem needs to be repaired soon and all buttons should work properly and safely. It is very dangerous to accept the operations as is and besides, it all should work as designed and you should never put yourself in danger from a big heavy duty machine like this. Please be careful

Love, Safety Shana (that\'s what my DH calls me...I\'m always nagging him about being safe!)

[ffq-lar]

OMG Nancy--that\'s an accident waiting to happen! APQS wants us all to be safe and if they knew you were having this problem at the first, I am sure they would have jumped all over it!! PLEASE don\'t use the machine until the black button is fixed. Does the safety button on the back handle work correctly? If so, swap those two out until APQS can jet you out a new mushroom. Good luck and be safe--as Shana would say!

[Guest LA]

Hi Nancy,

Please wait to use your machine until Amy can get back to you!

Is the CQ motor/run switch on?

[nineva]

UPDATE!!!! OK, everyone, of course I turned the machine off. Amy called me back, (Mark is gone so she is swamped) and I would have waited for her to call, but needed to get a quilt done then run to a meeting. I turned it off. Amy was stumped too cuz it was both the front and back handles. She had me put extra sticky foam tape between the back circuit board and the machine, but still no luck. I was doing this after she called me and I had to run to a meeting. Since the sticky foam did not solve the problem, I started re-thinking what she had said when I told her I had the CQ connected. She said CQ keeps the handles engaged so the computer can start and stop as it needs to. Red light is on, indicating the handle was staying engaged. RED LIGHT CAME ON IN MY HEAD. What can I do to stop CQ from engaging? You have to have CQ on to run the machine even in manual mode, unless the computer is turned all the way off, so I turned it all the way off. Still engaged. So yes, Linda. THe motor switch on the CQ control panel was ON. I turned the motor off, and good ole Millie is running right again. Of course I thought this was an ongoing problem, because I have never turned the motor off. I always left it on. Not anymore. That motor will be off off off unless I am running a CQ pattern.

And Shana, you are right. I am so safety conscious with the little grandsons and everyone else. I am going to get another power strip so I can turn the machine on and off from the front of the machine. You are so right on the money. I even unplug my toaster and other appliances when they are not in use!

Wow, am I glad this is fixed. I wish I had been online to see Linda\'s answer sooner, but then I figured it out on my own so I guess that\'s a good thing too. Thank you everyone. I learned a lesson in all this too. Turn the darn power off when doing anything to these very powerful machines!!

Nancy Jo

[smorris]

Hi Nancy

I often change from CQ mode to freehand mode and this is what I do, I think this is how its explained in the CQ manual.

After stitching with CQ leave the black box motor turned on but flick the run/stop and motor switches on the machine head to the down position, then disengage the tension blocks.

When you want to use CQ again, just reverse this.

Glad to know you have it all figured out.

Sue in Australia