Ping@Ron

How can I help?

OK, my darling Bernina aurora 440 QE is suffering from problems with the  
foot control. It was like a loose connection: When starting after a while of  
not sewing, the thing wouldn't work, only after pushing my foot down real  
hard a couple of times. So I took the blasted thing to the repairman who  
said there was nothing amiss, and he'd tried the thing both on the machine  
and on a diagnose unit. And if something was amiss with the electronic in  
it, I'd have to get a new one ( EUR 85,- , p & p included). So I took it  
home. Tried it. Nothing happened. Fortunately, the machine has an on/off  
button so I could still use it but only very slowly.

Now my sewing course ended, I thought I might as well take a look inside the  
thing, as it was broken anyway, and there was no warranty left on it anyway.  
I looked, cleaned a part where two little carbon things slide up and down on  
a ??? and the machine took the Go from the foot control again.  
Unfortunately, it neither took the stop nor any speed variations.

DH googled, and it seems that the carbon thingies are worn down. So I  
ordered new ones. We'll see if they are the right ones (the guy from the  
spare parts shop wrote they were the correct ones). However, all the dark  
lanes on the ??? were covered in some grease, which I removed with  
methylated spirit. What was that and will I have to replace it? Petroleum  
jelly?

All this googling happened after I had sent out my ping to you, so sorry if  
I inconvenienced you. Anyway, I wonder if you would agree to this diagnose.

Thanks,

U.  

Yes the carbon tracer pins do wear out. Not aware of grease there but if it  
is then it is likely dielectric grease. .
Seems odd it would work in the shop but not at your place.

Ron Anderson A1 Sewing Machine
18 Dingman Rd Sand Lake, NY 12153
http://www.a1sewingmachine.com
www.facebook.com/A1SewingMachineSpecialists

  

Well, I have been able to fix the problem today. I got the tracer pins and  
had trouble inserting them. So I called the shop where I had ordered them  
and they gave me a vital clue how to do it. No, actually two clues. I loved  
the guy! While being at it, I asked him about the grease and he said that,  
up to this day, they hadn't found out what it was good for since it tends to  
go solid after a few years. And he didn't think I had to replace it. What is  
dielectric grease? I guess I'll have to look it up in a quiet minute.  
Anyway, my darling works properly again. And what has been the problem? It  
was, in a way, indeed a loose contact. The carbon tracer pins had broken! I  
remembered that the foot control had landed more than once quite hard on the  
floor for various reasons, one of them carelessness. So I resolved to guard  
it more closely than Nerissa's Ring in future. ;-)

Thanks for caring!

U.