Model B Troubleshooting

This section is designed to help you diagnose and fix problems with your indoor rower. New problems may arise that are not discussed in this troubleshooting section. We would appreciate any information you may have to help us deal with these situations.

To obtain indoor rower schematics and detailed instructions for repair and/or replacement of parts, please visit the manuals and schematics page. If you need further troubleshooting assistance, please call Concept2 at 800.245.5676 (US and Canada), or email [email protected].

Chain/Shock Cord Problems

Symptom 1

Chain skips on sprocket during the drive or runs roughly during the recovery.

Resolution 1

Stiff links in chain. Clean and lubricate the chain. If it continues to skip, the machine should not be rowed and you should contact Concept2 immediately.

Symptom 2

Handle does not retract all the way to the cage and hangs loose.

Resolution 2

The shock cord may be too loose due to normal stretching. To adjust the shock cord tension, pull the S.C.A.M. (see Return Mechanism Instructions (PDF)) out the back of the monorail with a pair of pliers and feed enough cord through the S.C.A.M. to achieve the desired tension. If you have more than 6" of excess cord, it should be trimmed after taping the area to be cut to prevent unraveling.
The shock cord may be too loose due to cold temperatures. If it is cold, allow it to warm up.

Noise from Monorail

Symptom 1

Scraping noise inside the monorail.

Resolution 1

The skewer may not be properly positioned in the monorail. Loosen the four screws holding the skewer in the monorail, then retighten starting with the front right side (as you sit on seat facing the wheel), followed by the right rear, then the left front, and finally the left rear. If this doesn't help, shine a flashlight in one end of the monorail while looking through the other end, and have someone row very slowly. Check for any interference of moving parts which might be causing the noise. Next, try pulling out the skewer. Compare it to the skewer drawing below, being sure there aren't any twists in either the chain or the shock cord. If you still haven't found anything wrong and the noise persists, try bending the skewer very slightly away from the traveling pulley. When you put it back in the monorail, be sure to position it as described above. If the noise still persists, contact us for help.

Symptom 2

Tinkling/clinking sound in the monorail.

Resolution 2

The shock cord may be too loose. To tighten the shock cord, pull the S.C.A.M. (see Return Mechanism Instructions (PDF)) out the back of the monorail with a pair of pliers and feed enough cord through the S.C.A.M. to achieve the desired tension. If you have more than 6" of excess cord, it should be trimmed after taping the area to be cut to prevent unraveling.

Seat Problems

Symptom 1

Seat sticks on monorail.

Resolution 1

The monorail may not be clean or the bottom seat roller may be installed such that the seat fits too tightly on the monorail. Clean the monorail. Rollers often wear rapidly at first until they conform to the shape of the monorail. If this is the case, your seat may feel tight and your monorail may need more frequent cleaning until this wearing process is complete. If the seat is still very tight on the monorail, the bottom seat roller will need adjustment. See Seat Roller Installation (PDF).

Symptom 2

Seat is wobbly.

Resolution 2

The seat rollers may need adjustment. Adjust seat rollers as described in Seat Roller Installation (PDF).

Symptom 3

Seat falls off the back of the monorail.

Resolution 3

The seat carriage is on backwards. Remove the bottom seat roller, turn the seat around and reinstall the bottom seat roller. See the correct orientation as described in Seat Roller Installation (PDF).