RowErg Troubleshooting and Repair

Symptom

There is black residue on the top of the monorail.

Resolution

Black flecks on your rail are normal. They are a combination of dirt, perspiration, molydisulfide (a lubricant from the plastic rollers) and a very small amount of the nylon plastic that the rollers are made of. These four components are subjected to the mechanical action of the rollers and can dry and harden on the rail. To remove the black residue, clean the monorail. Wipe the monorail with a cloth or non-abrasive scouring pad after use. You can use soap and water or any glass cleaner. Do not use mineral acids, bleach or coarse abrasives.

Symptom

Seat is bumpy or making clicking, ratchet-like sounds when rowing.

Resolution

This is usually caused by worn out seat rollers or by dirt on the seat rollers or the monorail. Clean the rollers and monorail. Replace the top seat rollers if problem persists.

Symptom

The chain is skipping or running roughly.

Resolution 1

If caused by stiff links in the chain you should clean and lubricate the chain. See Chain Lubrication (PDF). If the chain continues to skip, the machine should not be rowed and you should contact Concept2 immediately.

Resolution 2

If caused by a worn out sprocket, you should replace the sprocket. See Sprocket Replacement (RowErg, Model D and E Indoor Rowers) (PDF).

Note: When replacing a chain or a sprocket, Concept2 highly recommends replacing both the chain and the sprocket at the same time due to how these parts wear together over time.

Symptom

The handle does not retract all the way and is hanging loose.

Resolution

The shock cord is possibly too loose due to normal stretching or cold temperatures. Adjust the shock cord tension. See Shock Cord Adjustment (PDF). Replace the shock cord if it is frayed through the outer cover or if it is losing its elasticity. If the shock cord is cold, allow it to warm up.

Symptom

There is not enough resistance in the flywheel regardless of damper setting.

Resolution 1

You may not be generating enough power on the drive to feel resistance from the flywheel. The indoor rower generates resistance through moving air. The more air the fan moves, either by turning faster or by having more air available because of a more open damper, the harder it will be to spin the fan and the harder the resistance will be. By increasing your work output on the drive, you will be increasing your resistance. This can be proven out by doing the following: Try rowing at a low stroke rate (16–20 spm) and concentrating on rowing each stroke separately with lots of power on the drive, pushing hard with the legs. Try rowing like this at a damper setting of 10 for a minute or two, then 5 for a minute or two, then 1. Click for more technique help.

Resolution 2

The flywheel is dusty and needs to be cleaned out. See Flywheel Opening and Cleaning (RowErg, Model D and E Indoor Rowers) (PDF).

Symptom

The seat hits the end of the track while rowing.

Resolution

This is more likely to happen when the athlete has long legs. It is possible that you will hit the end of the monorail while just sitting, but not while actually rowing. We recommend that you try a test row before making adjustments.

If you hit the end of the monorail while rowing with the seat rollers in the standard position, you can extend the travel distance of the seat by 1 inch:

1. Use two 9/16" or 14 mm wrenches to loosen the bolt holding the rear top seat roller in the seat carriage.
2. Remove the roller and hardware on the rear of the seat.
3. Place the roller and hardware in the next hole over in the same order in which you removed it.
4. Tighten the nut.

If this doesn't extend the seat far enough for you, please contact us to purchase an extended length monorail.

Symptom

The seat wobbles from side to side on the monorail.

Resolution

After extended use, the fit of the seat on the monorail may become loose due to wear on the rollers. To adjust the fit, you can move the bottom rollers to a tighter hole toward the front of the seat as follows:

1. Gain access to the bottom rollers by removing the seat from the monorail using one of the following methods:
   • Disconnect the monorail from the flywheel (as you would for storage). Then, use two 9/16” or 14 mm wrenches to remove the top seat roller and slide the seat up to and off the front of the monorail.
   • Use a 7/16” wrench and an Allen wrench to remove the top of the rear leg from the monorail, and then slide the seat off the rear of the monorail.
2. Use a 9/16" wrench and an Allen wrench to loosen and tighten the bottom rollers.

Symptom

There is a complete loss of resistance during the drive. There is no noise associated with this loss of resistance.

Resolution

This usually means that the clutch is not engaging due to the lubricant within the clutch becoming contaminated or dried out, preventing the clutch from engaging. A new balanced flywheel assembly will fix the problem.

• Part number 2940 for RowErgs, Model D and E Indoor Rowers manufactured from October 30, 2006–present

Flywheels are not available for purchase on our website. Please call 800.245.5676 (US and Canada) to order.