can't get parts anywhere please help

pcfink · Guest

I have a roomba discovery model and the brush motor with the black gear box attached to it has melted and burnt the motor out. I have got in touch with Irobot but they are absolutely useless when it comes to customers outside the US/Canada region as they only post parts to these areas. I hunted everywhere on the net and no repairers available anywhere that I can purchase this item and get it sent to Australia. Can anyone help on this issue.

Guest · Guest

Yes, Probably the best you can do is to buy a non-working unit and have it shipped to you, as most people will not take one apart and sell you just that piece.

But look on Ebay and you can find non-working ones or ask someone here on this board if they will sell you a unit.

I understand this happens when the roomba gets hair wound around the brushes and works into the housing. Causes the meltdown if not cleaned out.

Goodluck

pcfink · Guest

I have looked on Ebay Before but unfortunately I cannot justify paying for a whole unit if I only need one part. And you are right with the cause of the motor melt down, but in this case it was one of my child's hair ribbon that caused the jam.
Has anyone on this site reading this got that particular part or can you help in becoming the middle man . by this I mean if you live in the US/Canada, irobot will send the part to you and you could redirect it to me. I will make it worth your while.

rovermaster · Posted: June 2, 2005, 8:32 pm Post subject:

Fink,

I just had the same problem happen to me. Part of the trouble was due to a small IC on the main board that got fried and later the motor fried. I have a post about it at the thread below. Gordon has a great write up that is linked in the thread.

http://roombareview.com/chat/viewtopic.php?t=472

pcfink · Guest

thanks for that rovermaster I will check it out, however it still doesn't help me getting new parts.

Gordon · Posted: June 2, 2005, 11:08 pm Post subject: Re: roomba parts

pcfink wrote: ... . by this I mean if you live in the US/Canada, irobot will send the part to you and you could redirect it to me.... At this time, we must unscrew your head and screw it back on -- straight! It is iRobots's policy to not supply internal Roomba parts to anyone -- not even the USA owners.
The Company will not even provide a list of the parts they normally provide; things like tire-tread, brushes, yellow-bushing caps -- all free. Of course a few other items (batteries, filters) are sold. They will not even provide replacement O-ring drive-belts for wheels!
You need an entire Brush-Deck Assembly, and, as rovermaster points out, you may need a main-PWB replacement if IC U11 was fried when the motor cooked. Your best bet is to obtain a unit that is out of commission due to a non-Brush-deck fault. One place you can look, and leave a want-ad for a carcass, is at junkyard-exchange. You will need to register.
Good luck!

pcfink · Guest

well thanks for the polite input Gordon, if you haven't already seen I have already placed an ad for spare parts. Quote: junkyard-exchange .
Well the whole story I believe is not all correct as Irobot was willing to post an exchange motor to me if I had a postal address in the US/Canada or new someone to post it to.

Gordon · Posted: June 3, 2005, 9:13 am Post subject:

pcfink wrote: ...I have already placed an ad for spare parts .Yes. I just took a look. But, let me add a couple points which I didn't want to take time to do earlier. 1) Very few members actually *look* at that database; thus it is useful to *also* post a message which outlines your needs/desires to bring their attention to a new record at the Exchange. And 2), the database 'crafter' also published some Rules about making field entries -- to assist with useful sorting if ever the DB were to grow to a large size. You might want to review them and adjust your fields A/R. In addition, it could be useful to insert a second ad which requests an entire Disco (as 'Guest' indicated, few owners will want to pull a motor for you). In your post to the members, detail the fact that the brush-motor must function OK. Then, after you post is released by the moderator, it will have a serial number assigned to it, and that number should then be inserted in the 'Part'-field of your ad. Quote: Well the whole story I believe is not all correct as Irobot was willing to post an exchange motor to me if I had a postal address in the US/Canada or new someone to post it to. To that I say, Yes Sir! you are one up on me! So it now looks like iRobot is just not publicizing their supplying of technical components to owners outside the US. I do find that odd, because a long-time Roomba owner in the UK has been pleading with iRobot for internal parts, without success. He finally resorted to adapting commercial gears to one of his Brush-Decks!
Back to your failed part: I had misinterpreted your initial post by concluding your Brush-Deck gearing was also duff; so indeed, at this instant, it seems all you need is the main-brush motor, or motor-gear-head assembly. I'll give you a PM about forwarding that package to you, but have you made certain your main-PWB is still able to control the motor?

pcfink · Guest

thanks for that Gordon. As soon As I get Home from the Mines I will have a look at the board, However the way the gearbox looked and the motor heating up as soon as you put power to it seems to me like a faulty motor,probably due to dust build up that may have damaged the winding coating of the motor. That's what an electrician at work told me anyway when he tested it. Don't know could be wrong, either way my wife is praying that it will get fixed soon or she might lock the kids outside.hahaha