Treadmill Console Button Panel Ribbon Cable Fail

[vestaviascott]

The buttons on the right side of the treadmill console are inoperable. The left side buttons operate as expected. After removing the panel and inspecting the ribbon cable that feeds the right side buttons it appears that the contacts are burnt (browning in one area across the cable). See pic below.

Can anything be done to repair the leads on this ribbon cable? De-oxit, 99% alcohol? Steel wool?

Failing that, can it be spliced? Cut out the bad section and piece it back and solder the contacts together?

Thanks in advance. Pics follow:

 

[Harald Kapp]

Can anything be done to repair the leads on this ribbon cable? De-oxit, 99% alcohol? Steel wool?

Cleaning will improve the optics, not the electrical conduction.

Cut out the bad section and piece it back and solder the contacts together?

It will most likely be too short after that operation.

Your best option is to get an original spare cable. If that is not available, you can try to repair the cable as shown in this video.

 

[duke37]

Do not go near it with steel wool. One little loose strand could be disastrous.

 

[Bluejets]

Normally these ribbons will crack and break.
Have never seen one with a short section which appears to have overheated.

I'm guessing somehow the cable has "corroded" internally (within the plastic shroud) just in the area of the "overheat mark".
There seems to be "internal corrosion" on adjoining conductors as well.
If it were a short or the like (faulty component ), the whole conductor would be the same over it's entire length.

Only options are to get a replacement part (probably never get one) or rewire with hook-up wire individual conductors.
I watched part of the supplied repair video (yuk) .....don't like that idea at all.

 

[vestaviascott]

This is a double layer ribbon cable. The cable on the top has two silver colored leads on the left side and one on the right. The cable below is where most of the damage appears. It appears to have 6 copper leads running through it.

Question? Perhaps I'm miscounting the number of leads in the wire, but this side of the console has 10 buttons for the speed controls, one for the Stop control, one for fan, one for "display" and 2 for up and down speed. Why does this cable not have 15 leads in it?

 

[Harald Kapp]

Why does this cable not have 15 leads in it?

Because keyboards are usually built as a matrix, see e.g. here.

 

[Emil George]

My treadmill console is not working, display is fine but no buttons are working . I think it may be because of the button pannel ribbon.. where could I get an exact same one to replace? It's a go plus fitness treadmill.. serial number on the ribbon is 170808

 

[Minder]

Ribbon cable can take many forms, post a pic, it may be possible to make one up easily?
Or is it the same as the OP's?
M.

 

[Emil George]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P6GXJ4QoeJKBn6fc7AUFf_w917VmkAwG/view?usp=drivesdk

 

[Emil George]

It's a like 2 ribbons attached togather

 

[Harald Kapp]

I think it may be because of the button pannel ribbon.. where could I get an exact same one to replace?

Before you replace that flexboard, check whether it is really the cause of your problem. Use an Ohmmeter and check connectivity of the traces from the buttons to the connector as shown in this example:

If the connections are o.k., the issue is elsewhere.