Troubleshooting Guide for Sewing Machine

It is very annoying when your sewing machine don’t cooperate properly. Suppose you want to start a project with full enthusiasm but your sewing machine don’t work properly. I think it will be very frustrating experience for a sewer. But in maximum case troubles of sewing machine are not major. If you know few tips for troubleshooting of sewing machine then you can easily handle it. In this article I will list out of tables for sewing machine problems, causes and remedies.

Troubleshooting for Sewing Machine — Fig: Troubleshooting for sewing machine

Problem, Causes and Remedies of Sewing Machine:

Sewing machine problems	Possible causes	Remedies
Skipping stitches, shredding and breaking thread	Bent needle	When to change needles
	Needle in backward	When to change needles
	Wrong needle for fabric	Relationship 2: Needle style and fabric
	Damaged needle tip	When to change needles
	Needle not pushed all the way up into needle clamp	Push needle all the way to stop
	Needle too fine for thread thickness	Relationship 1: Needle size and thread
	Too much basting spray	Switch to a different basting spray
	Glue too sticky in fusible stabilizer	Switch to a different stabilizer
	Not enough presser-foot pressure	Presser-foot pressure adjustment
	Thread getting caught somewhere in thread path	Wrong size of thread stopper
	Incorrect threading	Correct threading
	Old thread	Change thread
	Damaged needle plate	Needle plate damage
	Tarnished or damaged bobbin case	Damage to the bobbin case
	Burr on hook	Smoothing burrs on the hook
	Timing not set right	Take your machine in for servicing
	Hook to needle distance off	Take your machine in for servicing

Sewing machine problems	Causes	Remedies
Loops on back of fabric	Machine threaded with presser foot in down position	How the presser foot is involved
	Take-up lever not threaded	Missing the take-up lever
	Thread not in tension discs	Presser foot up
	Thread or lint caught in tension discs	Clean the tension discs
	Burr on hook	Smoothing burrs on the hook
	Damage on bobbin case	Damage to the bobbin case
	Top tension set too low	Making top tension adjustments
	Thread too thick for needle	Relationship 1: Needle size and thread
	Metallic thread too stiff	Try a softer thread
	Tarnished metal bobbin case	Damage to the bobbin case
	Thread is not supply enough	May be designed for hand stitching
	Thread too thick for sewing machine	Relationship 1: Needle size and thread
	Knee resting on knee-lift lever when sewing	Reposition so you are not resting on the knee-lift lever

Sewing machine problems	Causes	Remedies
Inconsistent tension	Thread and needle mismatched	Relationship 1: Needle size and thread
	Damaged bobbin case	Damage to the bobbin case
	Burr on hook	Smoothing burrs on the hook
	Tarnished bobbin case	Damage to the bobbin case
	Wrong thread stopper	Wrong size of thread stopper
	Catch on outside edge of thread stopper	Wrong size of thread stopper
	Burr on hook	Smoothing burrs on the hook
	Damaged needle plate	Needle plate damage
	Damaged needle	When to change needles
	Low quality thread	Use good quality thread
	Thread too stiff	Try a softer thread
	High contrast in color between thread and fabric	What could go wrong?

Sewing machine problems	Causes	Remedies
Fabric won’t feed	Not enough presser-foot pressure	Presser-foot pressure adjustment
	Lint buildup in feed dogs	Clean out lint and felt by using a fine screwdriver, tweezers or any other object that will fit.
	Damaged needle plate	Needle plate damage
	Thread caught somewhere	Remove thread
	Stitch length set too short	Increase stitch length
	Walking foot lever not on needle clamp	Remove and reattach the walking foot on the needle clamp.
	Presser foot damaged on underside	Replace the presser foot
	Knee resting against knee-lift lever	Reposition so you are not resting on the knee-lift lever
	Rubber feed dogs may be distintegrating	Take your machine in for servicing
	Feed dogs down	Raise the feed dogs

Sewing machine problems	Causes	Remedies
Uneven stitch length	Incorrect pressure on presser foot	Presser-foot pressure adjustment
	Presser foot worn underneath	Replace the presser foot
	Wrong foot for job	Change presser foot
	Lint buildup between feed dogs	Clean out lint and felt by using a fine screwdriver, tweezers or any other object that will fit.
	Heavy fabric needs more support	Help fabric to feed
	Pulling fabric	Guide fabric without pulling
	Pushing fabric	Guide fabric without pushing
	Rubber feed dogs may be disintegrating	Take your machine in for servicing
	Walking foot lever not correctly mounted on needle clamp	Remove and reattach the walking foot on the needle clamp

Sewing machine problems	Causes	Remedies
Won’t climb seams	Too much presser-foot pressure	Presser-foot pressure adjustment
	Wrong foot	Refer to your machine’s manual to select the correct foot.
	Seam needs to be flattened	Flatten the seam with a wooden clapper or rubber mallet before stitching.
	Feed dogs not all the way up (some older machines)	Raise the feed dogs.
	Lint buildup in feed dogs	Clean out lint and felt by using a fine screwdriver, tweezers or any other object that will fit.
	Stitch length set too short	Adjust length

Sewing machine problems	Causes	Remedies
Fabric puckering	Tension too tight	Tension in the relationship
	Stabilizer required	Fabric puckering
	Wrong needle plate	Refer to your machine’s manual to select the correct needle plate. Needle plate damage.
	Needle point damaged	When to change needles
	Wrong needle for fabric	Relationship 2: Needle style and fabric
	Top thread hung up somewhere in thread path	Rethread machine
	Not enough presser-foot pressure	Presser-foot pressure adjustment
	Thread too heavy for fabric	Change thread.

Sewing machine problems	Causes	Remedies
Needle hitting	Bent needle	Change needle
	Pulling fabric	Guide fabric without pulling
	Pushing fabric	Guide fabric without pushing
	Wrong presser foot	Refer to your machine’s manual to select the correct foot.
	Wrong needle plate	Refer to your machine’s manual to select the correct needle plate.
	Top thread caught	Wrong size of thread stopper
	Drop-in bobbin case has spun around	Missing the take-up lever
	Timing out	Take your machine in for servicing

Sewing machine problems	Causes	Remedies
Noise in bobbin area	Hook needs lubrication	Refer to the manual for your machine and oil hook
	Damaged plastic drop-in bobbin case	Drop-in bobbin case
	Bent needle hitting hook	Change needle
	Tarnished metal bobbin case	Damage to the bobbin case

Sewing machine problems	Causes	Remedies
Machine jammed	Thread caught in hook	Thread lock
	Lack of lubrication	Refer to your machine’s manual and lubricate as directed.
	Use of inappropriate lubricant	Refer to your machine’s manual and lubricate as directed.
	Thread cutter jammed	Automatic thread cutters
	Thread caught and wrapped around handwheel	Unravel thread
	Thread caught in take-up mechanism	Using gentle force, try to remove the threads. If this doesn’t work, let your sewing machine technician do this at the next service.

Sewing machine problems	Causes	Remedies
Machine won’t turn on	Cord not properly plugged in	Check cord placement
	Fuse blown after needle hitting	Take your machine in for servicing
	Fuse blown after thread jam	Take your machine in for servicing.
	Damaged power cord	Replace cord
	Surge protector turned off	Turn on surge protector
	Problem with power print	Take your machine in for servicing

Sewing machine problems	Causes	Remedies
Erratic on high speed only	Burned contacts in rheostat	Take your machine in for servicing or replace with an electronic foot control.
	Grease or debris on resistor of electronic foot control	Unplug the control and press it up and down through its entire range of motion for a minute.
	Blown capacitor in foot control	Take your machine in for servicing.

Sewing machine problems	Causes	Remedies
Low bobbin sensor not working	Lint in sensor area	Remove loose thread, debris and lint.
	Damaged bobbin	Damaged bobbins
	Wrong type of bobbin	Using the right bobbin
	Using prewound bobbins	Prewound bobbins
	Bobbin door open while sewing	Close bobbin door
	Malfunctioning sensor	Take your machine in for servicing.

Sewing machine problems	Causes	Remedies
Upper thread warning comes on	Lint or thread in sensor	Clean thread path
	Incorrect threading	Rethread machine
	Sensor activator has jumped out of check spring	Take your machine in for servicing.
	Sensor malfunctioning	Take your machine in for servicing.

Sewing machine problems	Causes	Remedies
Machine is on and makes buzzing noise but won’t sew	Bobbin-winder activating lever may be engaged	Disengage bobbin winder mechanism.
Thread nest after using cutter	Pulling extra top thread after using cutter	Thread cutter
Buttonholes won’t feed properly	May need compensation plate	Troubleshooting buttonholes
Buttonholes won’t feed properly	Stitch length may be set too short	Making great-looking buttonholes.