Pfaff 130 starting hard--where is kay the sewing machine maven?
Just got a Pfaff 130, a freebie! When I got it, the motor smoked almost as soon as I turned it on. I have oiled it according to the manual, taken apart the motor and cleaned it up, and the machine now seems to be running quite nicely except for one thing. I can't get it to start at anything but full speed. When I press on the foot pedal, it hums a bit as foot pedals sometimes do and then runs full bore as soon as the pedal is far enough down. After it's started, I can alter the speed as I wish but not for the first few seconds. Any advice? I've never used one of these before and don't quite know what to expect.
Bad brushes? Bad pedal? Dirty pedal or rusty pivot? Are you using the handwheel to start, or just the stomp and go technique? Bad electrical connection or cord (check the resistance: NOT WITH IT PLUGGED IN, THOUGH!!!). Other possibilities: bad capacitor at the motor (if it's got one) or worn out spot on the rheostat of the foot pedal where it first makes contact.
Motors take 3x the running current when they start up (which is why lights dim when the refrigerator kicks on in a house with inadequate wiring). Which is why a little nudge to the handwheel helps.
I'd start by looking at the mechanical bits of the pedal and the quality of the wiring of the bits you can get to easily first.
If you've never used a VOM / Multimeter, it's good to find someone who knows their way around it for a few lessons. Handy little critters -- I was noticing what looked like an ok digital multimeter in the automotive department of Walmart for $18.
PS: one of the places I most often find electrical issues with cords is broken little wires that make up stranded wire, and it's almost always right at the end by the plug. This is usually caused by people pulling out cords by the wire instead of the plug, or letting the cord flex strongly in the area. Also look for spots that look like someone's bent the cord strongly or let something heavy sit on it for awhile and the insulation is dented. When the little wires are broken, the resistance goes up from what it should be. Bad cords are shock and fire hazards -- much better to replace than let them overheat.
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