Main powerhead useless

What is DC?
Your vacuum cleaner's powerhead isn't working, but the motor is working and the brushes turn. What do you mean by no power?
That the brushes stop turning on the carpet because of a lack of power (check for a stretched-out rubber powerhead belt). Or do you mean that there isnt any suction power and it doesnt pick up (check for clogging in the neck or body of the powerhead, tubing and hose)

Is there power at the head, have you checked with a volt meter, most likely if not then the cord to the head is defective.

Generally this is due to a clog in the hose.
Disconnect both ends of the hose, hold one end up and drop a coin into it. Raise the hose so the coin should drop out. If it doesn't there's a clog. It can usually be pushed back out with a broom stick. Push toward the powerhead end.
A blockage in the powerhead above and behind the brush will also cause this. One here can usually be pushed out using a wooden spoon handle.
Is there even suction at the power head? Drop a bit of paper on the floor and try to vacuum it up to find out.

There could be 2 different ways to access the belt on the kenmore line of powerheads...

1) turn the powerhead over so that the bottom is facing up. IF there are screws on the bottom, remove them. There should be 2 either at the back where the rear wheels are, or one under the elbow, and one midway at the front under the lifter wheels. remove the screws, and there should be two tabs on the sides to remove the top cover. OR 2 tabs at the back of the unit near the screws to remove the top cover.

2) and this is the more common powerhead...

remove the light cover for the powerhead by pressing at the two sides and pulling the cover up. sometimes a screwdriver to pry open a little will help.
Remove the light bulb.
Remove the two screws.
Turn the head over and pry at both sides to pull the top cover off.

Good luck with either one.

Just had this with mine and I think it is the power wires embedded in the hose from the cleaner to the powerhead. Turn the cleaner on then work your way along the hose kinking it or moving it until the power head stops. Switch the power head on again and kink the hose in the same place, if it turns off every time like mine, that is where the break is. I haven't worked out if the cable cores can be replaced or repaired yet. Hope this helps. Chris.

remove power head turn knob on front counter clockwise look in hole on back of powerhead make sure belt is on the hook install powerhead back on motor turn knob clockwise

Very likely it's the cord at the nozzle neck. These cords flex when you vacuum and they often break internally where the cord goes into the neck. Turn the vacuum on and wiggle the cord at the powerhead and see if the powerhead comes on and off. If this happens, then you will have to replace the cord.
On some of the early models, the receptacle in the hose, where it plugs into the top of the wands, will break away from the plastic pins it sits in, and the receptacle will slide back into the handle, which means that it will not plug into the powerhead connection when you connect the hose. You can check this by looking at the end of the hose and observing if the receptacle is sitting flush with the opening it sits in. If it is pushed back, it will not make a complete connection with the powerhead cord that is sitting at the top of the wands.

first things first...take the powerhead off of the front of the kirby. If you look at where the powerhead connects to the front of the kirby and you'll see a large hook...turn the hook using the crank on the front of the powerhead so that the belt is pulled up and away from the brushes. (OFF position) The hook stretches the belt so that it can fit over the fan driveshaft (its the finger looking thing that sticks out of the front of the kirby when the powerhead is removed.)

Next, place the two "feet" of the powerhead onto the "perch" located on the front of the kirby (under the driveshaft opening)....lock it on by turning the silver lever on the top of the kirby (the one under the hood/light)


Now spin the knob on the front of the kirby from off to on. This releases the belt from that hook in the powerhead so it can rest on the driveshaft. Off means the belt is off of the drive shaft and the brushes won't spin. On means the belt is on the driveshaft and the brushes will be spinning. But remember, the belt has to be stretched open on that hook inside the power head BEFORE the powerhead is placed on the front of the kirby. Otherwise the belt won't be connected to the spinning driveshaft, and the brushes won't spin

first things first...take the powerhead off of the front of the kirby. If you look at where the powerhead connects to the front of the kirby and you'll see a large hook...turn the hook using the crank on the front of the powerhead so that the belt is pulled up and away from the brushes. (OFF position) The hook stretches the belt so that it can fit over the fan driveshaft (its the finger looking thing that sticks out of the front of the kirby when the powerhead is removed.)

Next, place the two "feet" of the powerhead onto the "perch" located on the front of the kirby (under the driveshaft opening)....lock it on by turning the silver lever on the top of the kirby (the one under the hood/light)


Now spin the knob on the front of the kirby from off to on. This releases the belt from that hook in the powerhead so it can rest on the driveshaft. Off means the belt is off of the drive shaft and the brushes won't spin. On means the belt is on the driveshaft and the brushes will be spinning. But remember, the belt has to be stretched open on that hook inside the power head BEFORE the powerhead is placed on the front of the kirby. Otherwise the belt won't be connected to the spinning driveshaft, and the brushes won't spin