In my forced time away from home, I brought my lightest, smallest sewing machine so I would be able to create. I bought the Brother PE400D (home embroidery) machine in 2003. I know 20 years is a long time for an electronic machine to keep working well, but I really did hope for more.
I’ve had trouble with it in the past. The LCD screen needed calibrating at one time, and I took it to an authorized repair spot. The fellow looked it over and said he needed to do some research. He ended up calling me after about a week, said he couldn’t do anything for me, and I could pick it up with no charge. I got on the internet and stubbornly searched until I found step-by-step instructions. It worked and I was again able to use the LCD touchscreen.
Lately I’ve had vertical lines in the display and wanted to recalibrate again. I searched stubbornly again but this time I find no mention of how to calibrate this machine. I find instructions for other machines with buttons and features that I don’t have, so I can’t even guess how to do it again. I called the Brother service center and the tech listened patiently but would only suggest I take it to an authorized service center.
The situation got a little worse but I worked with it. I found out I would not be able to change stitch functions if I had been sewing a while, unless I turned it off, unplugged it, and waited at least a half a day or overnight. Recently that changed again. Now the LCD screen won’t respond at all. It lights up but the screen won’t accept my touch, and it has dozens of vertical lines in the display.
I left it unplugged overnight and I get the same non-response, and the same with several days of it being unplugged. Is there anyone with the calibration instructions? Do you have any advice for me? I didn’t want to upgrade my embroidery machine yet, but if there is nothing else offered for advice, I may have to do that. Or I could abandon the embroidery. Meanwhile, my 11-year-old granddaughter is lending me her small sewing machine so I can keep busy.
Quilt in Progress 