My DD has the exact problem with her 201. I thought it was just her, but there may be more to it. Guess a new controller is in her future. They aren't painfully hard to change if you have an extra. I put a solid state controller from Sew-Classic.com on mine and it works like a charm, so will probably take one to her. Good thing I bought an extra one since I like them so much. It makes a difference and they don't get hot and full of dirt. It was under $20 and if you have questions, Jenny put instructions and diagrams on the website. You can also call her for help. If you get a cord, they will wire it for you for about $2.50 extra, well worth it if you aren't sure of how to go about it.