April 19, 2023

Sewing Machine: Why does my sewing machine make a knocking sound?

Poorly lubricated sewing machine parts often cause a knocking noise in a sewing machine. An internal gear problem can also cause knocking.

Oil the sewing machine when it's knocking. Prevent knocking by oiling the machine at least once a year or every 3 months if you use the sewing machine regularly. If the machine has been stored for an extended period, oil it before use.

If the sewing machine continues to knock after being oiled, an internal failure likely is causing the knocking. Have a technician service the sewing machine.

sewing machine

THESE REPAIRS MAY HELP SOLVE YOUR SEWING MACHINE PROBLEM

JC-SEW-Oil-the-sewing-machine

Oil the sewing machine

Oil the machine at least once a year. If you use the sewing machine frequently, oil it every 3 months. The machine runs sluggish or knocks loudly if you don't oil it regularly. If the sewing machine is idle for an extended time, oil it before sewing. Follow the directions in your owner-s manual to oil the sewing machine. Wipe off any excess oil to avoid staining your fabric when sewing. Clean dust and debris from the machine while oiling.

Oil the sewing machine

Find the required part specific to your product.

Most common symptoms to help you fix your sewing machines

Choose a symptom to see related sewing machine repairs.

Main causes: power supply failure, bad power cord, faulty On/Off switch…

Main causes: lack of lubrication, lint buildup, worn drive belt, faulty drive motor…

Main causes: problems with the feed dogs, setting stitch length to 0…

Main causes: dirty shuttle race, improper thread routing, incorrect thread tension…

Main causes: disengaged clutch, broken drive belt, internal drive gear failure…

Main causes: faulty foot pedal, locked drive gears, wiring failure, bad drive motor…

Main causes: dirty shuttle race, wrong thread tension, bad needle timing, damaged needle, using the wrong type of needle…

Main causes: thread bunched up in the shuttle race, bad needle timing, internal drive gear failures…

Main causes: machine needs lubrication, internal gear failure…

Most common repair guides to help fix your sewing machines

These step-by-step repair guides will help you safely fix what’s broken on your sewing machine.

How to replace a sewing machine drive motor

How to replace a sewing machine drive motor

If the drive motor on your sewing machine runs roughly or doesn't run at all, you can replace it in about 30 minutes usi…

Repair difficulty
Time required
 15 minutes or less
How to replace a sewing machine drive belt

How to replace a sewing machine drive belt

You can replace a broken sewing machine drive belt in about 15 minutes. …

Repair difficulty
Time required
 15 minutes or less
How to replace a sewing machine on/off switch

How to replace a sewing machine on/off switch

If the sewing machine is completely dead, replace the On/Off switch using these 6 steps.…

Repair difficulty
Time required
 30 minutes or less

Effective articles & videos to help repair your sewing machines

Use the advice and tips in these articles and videos to get the most out of your sewing machine.

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Learn about all the convenient features on our Sears PartsDirect website that make your parts purchases easier.…

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