Can a non OSMO upgraded 5800 kill a battery in 6 months?

Mastiff · Joined: 20 Sep 2007 Posts: 135

Annoying! I had the OSMO upgrade last week, and even with a long time on the charger (48 hours) it will only run for 5 minutes until I hear "da-da-da-daaaa" and see a solid red light in the power diode. Does this mean that the battery is probably dead after only half a year? And is that probably because it has been plugged in 24/7 with a non OSMO-ed Scooba that has killed it because the trickle charge was wrong? I have a battery and a charging base on the way, but should I get another battery at once, since the one I get will be spent in half a year with two runs every third day, or is this uncommon?

Edit: I measured the voltage on the battery (after the Scooba had stopped), and it shows more than 16 V! What the "#%¤ is that? I would have thought that it was at least below 14 V. Does this mean that the unit itself is shot? That would really annoy me, because I'd have to get a new one. My wife can't live without it now. Me, on the other hand, I'm pretty sure she could live without...

vic7767 · Joined: 14 Jan 2006 Posts: 3270 Location: Louisiana

You have most certainly cooked your Scooba battery. Even though there is a voltage level that is normal for that battery it does not hold up to a normal current demand from the drive motors and vacuum motor.

You should consider a new battery now that you have an OSMOed Scooba. Just remember that if you still plan to charge a Scooba battery by using an external charger, don't charge it for more than 3 hours before removing it from the charger.

Mastiff · Joined: 20 Sep 2007 Posts: 135

Thanks! But I have found something interesting: If I take out the battery and then run it again, it'll run for a few minutes again. And if I rip out the battery as fast as I can after it has topped, it's still well over 14V (around 15). Can this be a wheel problem? There's no beeps after the error sound, and that sounds like this from an old thread:
Quote: Number of additional beeps Problem description
0 Wheel drop (either a wheel is physically dropped or one of
the wheel drop switches/wires is broken). Usually happens when the
robot is picked up.

Or would the charging LED still be green?

vic7767 · Joined: 14 Jan 2006 Posts: 3270 Location: Louisiana

If you search back to some of the very early threads about the first 5900 Scoobas and the complaints that uncovered the need for the OSMO patch, it was the very short run times using the Scooba battery. 5 minute and 10 minute run times were all that could be accomplished.

You can place your Scooba into diagnostic mode and check for overcurrent motor issues but I suspect that your battery is finished for any useful running times.

Mastiff · Joined: 20 Sep 2007 Posts: 135

I guess so. Thanks! I will see what happens when I get my new battery early next week. I think I'm gonna get another one to charge in the charger I'm getting.

debugger · Joined: 20 Jan 2007 Posts: 720 Location: UK - Glasgow

Mastiff wrote: I think I'm gonna get another one to charge in the charger I'm getting.

Remember that you've got to treat the external charger as if it's an Un-OSMO'd Scooba!

Mastiff · Joined: 20 Sep 2007 Posts: 135

Yessir, I know that now! Thanks. I wish I had known that before I destroyed my original battery... I will have the charger on a countdown timer switch. Would four hours be quite correct for that?

RoombaHolic · Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 95 Location: Mountain Center, CA

Mastiff wrote: Would four hours be quite correct for that?
I think I've seen Vic mention that it should be disconnected after 3 hours on the charger, then if it's a while before you use it you should "top it off" before you run it.