Replaced belt but still smell smoke odor - Oreck XL Deluxe U3700 Bagged Upright Vacuum

If it is a rubber smell, the belt is slipping and should be repalced. If the smell is a sharp electrical burning odor, the motor brushes are sparking and the motor may be damaged.

• hi there
• Does the odor smell like burnt rubber....if so you may have burned out the belt which is common. The filter can smell if you have pets and the machine will blow the odor back in to the room after the filter gets older.Check to see that the roller brush is spinning when it is turned on if not shut it off and try to turn it manually with your hands. If it turns very easily the belt gone if it is almost impossible to turn you need a new roller brush.You can replace the filter to help with the smell but if it is the belt you smell it will go away in time. Also make sure that you have the container on perfectly as if it is not it will not create a perfect seal and you will have very little suction. The other thing you can check is the hose to see if the suction is good through it. If the hose has good suction then the power head may be plugged with something and you will need to get a screwdriver and take the bottom plate off the same way as if you were changing the belt and then you can look for a blockage as well as access the belt and roller brush. I hope this was helpful to you ...good luck

Hi There,

When a vacuum cleaner smokes, it is usually only one of two possible problems.

It could either be that your motor burned up, or that your belts burned. The belts on this particular model are notorious for breaking, but the fact that your machine doesn't come on at all after this happened, sounds like it may be the motor.

Both of these issues have a unique smelling smoke. If the smoke smelled like an electrical burning smell, this indicates it's your motor. If the smoke smelled more like burning rubber, then it's probably your belts.

If the smoke smelled like burning rubber, here's a video that we've recorded showing step by step how to inspect, trouble shoot, and replace the belts on your vacuum cleaner. If you open it up and the belts are still in tact, then this probably is a more serious problem of the motor burning out.

. I'd be more then happy to walk you through more advanced diagnosing if this doesn't fix your problem, please just use the comment box here on the Fixya repair page.

If this was helpful to you, please be so kind and rate my repair helpful, or leave some feedback for me. This is really appreciated by the Fixya community if the repair solution was able to fix your problem.

Thanks again,

Chris Jones
GoVacuum.com

yes the motor has burned out

I had this same problem. The brush roll wouldn't spin, smoke came out, and it smelled like burning rubber. I changed the belt thinking that would fix the problem but it didn't, so I took the belt back off and checked the motor shaft in the back and found a whole bunch of hair wrapped around the shaft. Once I cut out the hair with some scissors and replaced the belt, everything worked like normal. I hope this helps.

I don't know in Nev. call Hoover's 800 number and they will tell you, the number is on the metal tag. But if it is the motor smoking, a motor will run you $85 to $95, plus labor, $40 to $50. But if this an electrical smell, then suspect the motor. But if it is a rbber smell, then maybe you have a belt that is slipping badly, replace the belt.

If it is a rubber smell, replace the belt and/or brush roll. If it is an electrical smell, then probably the motor has gone bad.

check the bush roller, remove it from the case and clean the ends and middle from hair,dust and string.

When you turn it on....is the belt turning the brushes? Something may be caught causing the brushes to stick and the belt to just grind the brush assembly.

the clattering sound was probably a stone or something that was being bounced around by the rotating bush. It jammed which caused the belt to slip and cause the smoke you saw. You can probably get away with finding and clearing the jam but I would inspect the belt just to make sure.