Help: brushes not rotating

timbo · Joined: 18 Feb 2008 Posts: 2

Hi Guys,

I'm pulling my hair out here... I've had my Roomba 560 for just 2 weeks. I have been cleaning the brushes after each run, and recently removed the brushes unit to clean out all the hair, and carpet fluff from there. Since then Roomba will only operate for a couple of minutes, then stopping with the "Please check Roomba's brushes" message. Further investigation shows me that the brushes are clear, the motor shaft rotates if I manually spin the brushes, but in operation the brushes just aren't spinning. I'm pretty sure this is an electrical problem.

Can anyone make any suggestions as to how to fix this. Yes I know it's in warranty, but I'd rather avoid the the hassle of repackaging and shipping it back again if I can.

Many thanks
Tim

Fraggboy · Posted: May 8, 2008, 5:05 am Post subject:

Tim,

A few things could be causing that. Drag(Tensioner is not working), or the motor and/or wiring could be faulty. You can perform a reset to see if it's software related. Turn on the Roomba, and press the Spot + Dock buttons for at least 15 seconds. Release. You should hear an ascending tone. Everything will be wiped, time and schedule. Try that. If you still get that error, you can take off the back plate, and remove the deck module, clean it out and re-seat it. It might be a connection issue. If those fails, I'm afraid that you will need to get it exchanged. If you start breaking down the deck and accidentally break something, that could bite you in your warranty.

tetonroomba · Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 8 Location: Teton County, Idaho

I'm getting this same issue! Very frustrating.
I've tried resetting as described here--To no avail. I do here a slight thumping when it is running....I to have checked brushes, cleaned out the roomba. I don't see anything blocking the brushes.

Very frustrating.

:evil:

tum · Joined: 26 Apr 2008 Posts: 41

tetonroomba wrote: I'm getting this same issue! Very frustrating.
I've tried resetting as described here--To no avail. I do here a slight thumping when it is running....I to have checked brushes, cleaned out the roomba. I don't see anything blocking the brushes.

Very frustrating.

:evil:

Perhaps the gearbox is full of hair/dust? It's a common problem with the 5XX series which can be prevented by using the bearing mod (do a search of this forum).

You might want to try opening the gearbox to see how clogged up it is.

tetonroomba · Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 8 Location: Teton County, Idaho

Well, I thought I'd keep you posted on my latest adventures on this issue.
I contacted Roomba Tech support....they make you go through a series of diagnostics...which I did....you test the brushes without the dust bin to see if they are rotating...if they are not, you just run the roomba without dustbin and brushes to listen to the gearbox...mine still makes the thumping noise even without the brushes...so I have to assume it's something wrong with the gear box.....I've emailed Roomba back the results of my diagnostics, and I haven't heard back from them....weird....guess I'll have to get them on the phone again.

Not for nothing, but I actually was really good about cleaning out the dust bin and brushes after every single use. I got my Roomba one month ago...frankly this is just unacceptable performance for something that was so expensive.....frustration turning to anger.... :twisted:

tetonroomba · Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 8 Location: Teton County, Idaho

Sorry, I missed that last thread.....how do I open the gearbox? If I do, do I risk anything with the warranty?

vic7767 · Joined: 14 Jan 2006 Posts: 3099 Location: Louisiana

This is becoming a very very large issue with the 5XX series Roombas. IRobot will eventually be sending you a new Cleaning Head Module. You can open your existing one and clean out the hair and other debris that is inside the gear case. Your warranty will be void "only on the Cleaning Head Module" not the whole Roomba. And since they don't require you to return the Cleaning head module you now have, they won't even know what you do to it.

The quick fix is to clean out the gear case before the "clean Roombas brushes" or the clunking sound. Of course the best approach is to contact IRobot and they will send another Cleaning Head Module. When it arrives take your first one and add the ball bearing mod to it. That will stop the introduction of hair and other debris into that module. Then you can mod the new one when and if you want to at a later date.

wsngmartin · Posted: May 9, 2008, 12:22 pm Post subject:

vic
i bought my 535 in september, right after its debut. DH did first thorough cleaning per nancy's wiki directions in dec, found a *lot* of hair 'round the gears. at the time the bot was working fine, it was just a prophylactic cleaning. not even a month later the bot would stall after running a couple of feet, and tell us to check and clean brushes. the brushes were of course pristine. at that time i got some funky answer from a CS rep about a brush design that never materialized (they sent me the exact same brush) but they did end up sending me a new brush deck module after a second call. in the meantime DH took apart the bot again, cleaned out a considerable amount of hair from the brush deck gears, greased everything up, but the malfunction (old deck) did not improve. i describe it as the bot traveling like it's going over little speed bumps (jerking motion) and then stalling after a few feet on carpet, but sometimes able to travel quite "normally" on hard surfaces like laminate. would doing one of yr bearing mods on the "bad" deck be a possible fix? it's sitting in the parts cabinet in the garage right now. i was going to mount it on a stick to scare off the crows.........

the replacement brushdeck module working fine after 3.5 mos.

tetonroomba:
i don't remember now when you bought your 560 but if it's within 60 days you can return it to BB and B.

tum · Joined: 26 Apr 2008 Posts: 41

All these reports make me glad I performed vic's prescribed ball bearing mod the first week I got my roomba!

Mine has been cleaning the house automatically every day for a month and is still going strong :D

wsngmartin · Posted: May 9, 2008, 12:45 pm Post subject:

how's that saying go....an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?

that's the great thing about this forum, you have access to a lot of information and experience.

the question i'm mulling in my mind in regards to this issue is if the brush deck problem we are seeing is related to the hair going into the gearbox and possibly harming the rest of the brush deck mechanism, or if it's due to some manufacturing spec problem. one of the things i noticed with my original (now defunct) brush deck was that there were dark rubberlike rubbings on the red plastic of the brush deck after each and every run, even if i used clean brushes, and even after i switched to new brushes, and always in the same spot, closer to the end without the square peg. this leads me to believe that that brush deck was off-spec.

a couple of people i know here locally bought 550's around Christmas time, and have run up against similar problems, if not exactly the same one. i'm not sure about one, but the other does not have pet hair issues.

so my question is:
is this problem caused by
a. brush deck spec problems
b. hair in gearbox
c. both of the above, and possibly other yet-to-be-id'd factors.

fancyfreewv · Posted: May 9, 2008, 4:57 pm Post subject:

FYI the directions are here:

www.roombareview.com/wiki/cleaning

linden · Joined: 15 Nov 2007 Posts: 6

I just wanted to say THANK YOU! The advanced cleaning directions fixed my roomba (at least so far.. I only ran it for 2 seconds, but the brushes were spinning)

The gear box was full of fur!! I have 3 cats, 2 dogs .. so its a house of fur!

Jeff Carver · Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 94 Location: Massachusetts

Yesterday I opened up my 535 gearbox for the first time for a check of its condition. (I'm 7 months into my warranty, and 3 or 4 months into this particular unit.) Since I have a dog and a cat, I expected to find a lot of fur inside, since I always have a blob of it on the ends of the brushes. In fact, I found only traces inside. It was really pretty clean, and still well greased. The brush motor was also pretty dust-free.

I wonder if the reason is the cleaning protocol I've been using. After every major run, I clean the brushes and use the crevice attachment on my regular vacuum to suck whatever I can from around the bearings, wheels, sensors, filters, and any opening I can find. I spend maybe 5 minutes each time. Oh, and I put a drop of 3-in-1 oil on the plastic brush bearings and give them a little turn. That's it. (I wonder if that bit of oil is helping to keep the hair out.)

The cleaning instructions posted on this forum are good and thorough, but honestly I'm not going to do all that very often. I was really curious whether simply vacuuming the vacuum after each run would be effective. I think the answer is yes.

I'll probably still do the ball bearing mod once the warranty is up, or if I ever need to get a replacement brush deck. But in the meantime, it seems that you can do a lot to help your Roomba just by vacuuming it regularly. (And oiling it.)

fancyfreewv · Posted: June 16, 2008, 9:02 pm Post subject:

The major difference appears to be the type of hair you have and how your home environment allows this hair to settle. Some people with labs and other shorter haired dogs and cats find it leaves itself on the carpet in the form of roombarf. I've never seen this as my dog's hair is much longer.

With long haired pets and my humid environment as well as my freise carpet, the hair winds around the brushes and collects at the ends in great gobs. Some of it is bound to get into the gearbox.

As to doing the more lengthy procedure, one of mine is modded and it has no hair in it. The other one I do about every 6 weeks and keep it well greased. So far so good.

If your method is working then of course don't mess with a good thing. :D