Brushes wont turn and don't have warranty :( Roomba 560

brianharte · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 8 Location: UK

Hi All,

I got my Roomba from USA (didn't know at the time I could have bought a UK one with warranty) about 10 days ago. I had a problem with the battery which I managed to diagnose and fix. I will post this soon as I think by the sounds of it many people could be suffering the same. I am learning a lot with my new Roomba and this board.

My current problem is that the Roomba works but the main brushes do not turn. I have opened up the gearbox (I don't have any warranty to loose) and there was only 2 or 3 hairs in so its not that. The problem may have started after I used compressed air to clean around the cliff sensors.

I have had the unit open right down to the motor and had a look at it. The gears/brushes move freely and spin the motor spindle. I don't know how to do a dianostic mode on this Roomba and wthether that would be any good.

Roomba runs for a minute before beeping a problem telling me to inspect the brushes (as they are not turning).

Any advice?

fancyfreewv · Posted: May 12, 2008, 1:29 pm Post subject:

The problem (if you opened the end and checked the gears) could be the brush deck itself or the brush motor which is part of the assembly. Did you carefully inspect the wiring there when you had it out?

Also, have you tried running it without the brushes in it to see if the same thing happens?

I have used compressed air to clean mine daily since last fall and no issues whatever so I doubt that is your issue.

brianharte · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 8 Location: UK

Thanks for the pointers.

I tried running it without brushes and the same error occurred after a minute of it running around.

I had Roomba opened again tonight and even went right down to unscrewing the motor (all straight forward). All electrical points were ok and everything seemed free of fluff.

I've taken a 9v battery and hooked it up to just the motor and that is spinning and seems to be working ok. I hooked it up to the points on the green circuit board in the brush deck so to me all the connections from that to the motor are ok.

Im not an expert but that means the connection problem (if thats is what it is) lies between the roomba battery and the brush deck which sounds expensive.

I could do with some more advice.

Brian

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

Try running your Roomba on a cleaning mission with just the brush motor electrically connected and the main gear removed from the motor shaft.

If it still stops and complains then the motor is pulling to much current and the Roomba sensors detect the over current and shut down. If the mission continues to run without a problem then you may have a gear drag problem. Check the gears and housing for additional binding.

fancyfreewv · Posted: May 12, 2008, 6:22 pm Post subject:

You said you opened the end and looked at the gears and didn't find much in there.

Question? Did you actually remove the white gears separately and look under each one for junk and then regrease when you put them back? Possibly there is drag there causing an issue.

Just a thought.

brianharte · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 8 Location: UK

Hi Vic (and fancyfreevw),

I have ready many of your posts and studied your gear modification at length.

I disconnected (took out) the top cog from the housing of the motor and reassembled everything else as it should be. When roomba was sent on a clean it seems to have no fault come up this time.

So that means there is a gear problem and that the motor is functioning ok?

I'll have a go this afternoon at taking the gears apart again, and as you said fancyfreevw, I'll look under the cogs this time for anything causing drag. If I find anything it might be time to buy some dremel pieces for vics gear mod. (in case anyone would like to see the mod chat here it is) http://www.roombareview.com/chat/viewtopic.php?t=8573

Brian

ps. on the gear mod. It's very hard to get the exact size bearing described here in the UK. There are these which are slighty bigger only 1mm bigger in the width http://www.bearing-king.co.uk/product/3611 and http://www.bearing-king.co.uk/product/3602 will they be ok?

brianharte · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 8 Location: UK

Fixed!

It seems you were right. The dust had entered the gearbox and was on the underside of the cogs. I've has it running and will do some tests later on how it picks things up.

I've attached two photos. The first to show how clean the gearbox can appear to be yet still be malfunctioning...

(photos attached)

and the second to show you how little the amount of hair it takes to stop roomba dead in her tracks! (The text is a reference for the size and is a standard text on a bill or letter)...

(photos attached)

Thanks for the help I hope this doesnt happen too often or it will be a big pain. If Vic could look at those UK bearings and tell me if he thinks they are suitable I would be grateful and I will write a post today on how I overcame my battery not charging fault.[/img]

igors48 · Joined: 17 Apr 2008 Posts: 57 Location: Ukraine

Congratulations!!!

You must send that photos to IRobot! Or its marketing specialists! :lol:

fancyfreewv · Posted: May 13, 2008, 7:04 am Post subject:

Glad I was able to help, Brian. Since I have three hairy shelties, I am well experienced in cleaning this and wrote the procedure on our WIKI. www.roombareview.com/wiki/cleaning.

The dog hair enters the side gearbox via the small openings around the red brush ends in between so it always ends up on the underside of the white gears where it works into the grooves of the gears. Very little is evident when you just look at the gears the way you show them in the picture here.

I have to take my side gearbox apart about every month or so and clean it out and regrease. Maybe 6 weeks at most. I want to keep it running well for years to come so I'm careful.

One of my 5xx is modded with Vic's bearings and works wonderfully. I have yet to open that gearbox but will soon and expect to find nothing in there. The other one is not yet modded so it's got to be watched carefully.

:lol:

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

Brian, the 1 mm difference should be OK. Get the ball bearings do the mod and post here so we know you folks in the UK can keep running your 5XX Roombas.

richnorto · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 246

WOW!!! I removed 50x that from my 4xxx gear boxes last week and I couldn't believe they were still running. In one of them, the grease was like sawdust a little soggy. I have a 5xx running through a bedroom and ordered 3 more for kids bedrooms. If this stops them, iRobot is going to get tired of hearing from me! :roll:

fancyfreewv · Posted: May 14, 2008, 4:21 am Post subject:

what he shows there must have been in just a critical place because I take much more than that out of mine when I clean them and they are still running fine. I can see where if a large clump got stuck in the wrong place it would slow down the gears enough to cause the robot to notice it however.

I don't think you have much worry with your new ones. :lol:

And look at the plus side. If they have to replace the brush deck you can modify the old one with the bearings. (that is if they don't demand it back) They let me keep mine.