My Janome 6500 did the same thing. I took it to 3 cities and 3 repairmen. One said it was an internal maintenance problem, another sold me a new foot, and the last declared it was in my imagination. No one ever has problems with Janomes! I mailed my old foot pedal to Janome asking for information. Nine months later they mailed it back without a note of advice or concern. So I bought a 7700 and it's a piece of junk, parts falling out of it, repairs repeated that last days. Explains why they've quit making it but don't do recalls like cars. Blind eye is cheaper.