I am taking the old motor out of my Rainbow SE

The schematics for all models are at this link. Rainbow Vacuum Schematics

You can find a wiring diagram here, Rainbow changed the switch and this is how you wire in the new switch.
Rainbow D3 D4 SE power switch with wiring diagram

GoodVac.com Technician
www.goodvac.com
1-800-775-6586

Hi, here is a walkthrough on how to get to that part here. Steps 1 - 14 on how to access it, you will need to take apart the housing to get at it. If you need a new switch you can find that here. Rainbow did redesign this switch, so you will need to look at the wiring diagram if you are installing a new switch.

GoodVac.com Technician
www.goodvac.com
1-800-775-6586

Are you talking about the power switch. The new power switches have 4 wires sautered to the power switch, where the old ones have 6 wires that slip in and lock into the power switch.

The blue ones are for your power cord, and the black ones are for your vacuum motor, and your power nozzle plug.

Secure one motor wire and one power nozzle plug wire to one of the black wires out of the new switch, and secure the other two, to the other black one from the power switch. It does not matter which ones that you match together. Secure one of each of the power cord to the two blue wires from the power switch. It does not matter which one of them goes to each wire neither. It is AC so power goes both ways.

Use twist on wire nuts to secure the wires to each other, and put some electrical tape around each of them, after you secure them securly with the wire nuts.

It is best to secure the cluster of wires to each other with a pull tie, after you are finished wiring everything.

If you have any more questions let me know. I am a Rainbow seller, and a Rainbow expert also.

Thank you,
Ralph

Hi, there is no reset button on a Rainbow vacuum.

All SE series vacuums have a built in thermal and load fuse on the motor, and if it blew, it has to be replaced, or wired directly, with out it on there.
Motor brushes are usually the source of a non working Rainbow D4 and SE and all model Rainbow vacuums and when they burn out, they usually take the motor armature with them, from excessive heat and flare electrical arking to the armature. It is probably the thermal and load fuse, that is your problem, if you did not smell any electric burning type of smell, before it quit. It could be the power switch, but not as likely as the fuse. If you have any more questions let me know. I am a Rainbow seller, and a Rainbow expert also.

Thank you,
Ralph

Simply pair 1 each of the power head leads and motor leads on to one terminal and wire the cord as on previous switch.

Bad idea.... I think the foam got through the separator and into the fan system. When it dried it hardened and now it need to be taken apart and cleaned.

Turn it on for less than 1 sec and if you hear motor making humming sound - it is ALIVE and cleaning (maybe new fan blades too) may be all that it needs. If no sound at all it may be KAPUT. You must have smelled something burning when you turned on and it did not work.

for D4 and SE models - When cleaning I would recommend to replace bearings as they are not that expensive and if you took it apart - maybe a good idea to replace them. Also you probably will need a new gasket as when taking old one off (it is glued) it may rip apart.

For e-series - you will need a new HEPA filter.

(parts HERE)

For Parts see

I recently took mine apart because the motor stopped working. Realized the brushes were pretty well worn down and one side was completely gone. I was looking on the internet for detailed instructions on how to take it apart. I ended up just ripping it apart with no problems but made a tutorial to help you guys out. Here's a link to it

http://www.vacuumcleanerforum.com/f20/21715-how-take-your-rainbow-vaccum-apart.html

This is for the e-series vaccum, not the e2 but they pretty much have the same design and same motor (e2 has a 2 stage motor).

Let me know if you have any questions

did you ever find out the problem with your rainbow? Mine did the same thing today- turned on the switch yet nothing happened. Think it needs a new switch???? Do you know how to get canister apart after taking out first screws?

There is no reset button, but some of those old switches are very touchy . . . if there was some  corrosion, you may not have a good contact (was enough of the new wire insulation stripped away, before putting it into the switch) . . . 
I prefer splicing, rather than going all the way to the switch  . . its just a matter of cutting out the old cord and splicing in the new cord in a convenient spot up in the motor compartment. . . a Rainbow purist would run the new cord all the way up into the power on/off rocker switch that's built into the top of the handle and then wire the new cord in there, directly at the switch . . . that way means no splicing . . . I've done it both ways, but I prefer to splice and use wire connectors inside the motor compartment . . . because going further, all the way up directly into the on/off switch just to avoid splicing the new cord in requires taking more things apart . . . and risks screwing up the power switch . . . that's not worth the extra time and trouble, IMHO.  (This from someone who has dismantled and refurbished over 200 D4C and SE models)