iRobot Roomba 560 Robotic Vacuum Logo
Paula Posted on Jul 07, 2012
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Irobot roomba 500

No lights, no action, even with a fully charged battery installed.

1 Answer

Oliver Street

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  • Expert 73 Answers
  • Posted on Jul 28, 2012
Oliver Street
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Joined: Mar 21, 2009
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If you're sure the battery contacts are clean and the battery really is charged, then there is faulty circuitry within the Roomba that would have to be repaired or replaced.

Confirm that the battery is inserted with the metal contacts down so they make contact with the spring terminals in the battery compartment.

Visually confirm that the metal contact plates on the battery pack, and the spring terminals in the battery compartment are clean and shiny. If not, wipe with a clean cloth or paper towel, its OK to use a little water or rubbing alcohol on the cloth, if needed, and then dry it.

Visually confirm that the metal contact plates on the Roomba, and the spring terminals on the docking station's home plate are clean and shiny. If not, wipe with a clean cloth or paper towel, its OK to use a little water or rubbing alcohol on the cloth, if needed, and then dry it.

If you have a volmeter, measure the voltage between the contacts on the battery pack If it isn't something in the neighborhood of 14 volts and is 11 volts or less, the battery isn't fully charged.

Reinstall the battery.

For the moment, please connect the power adapter directly to the Roomba rather than the docking station to eliminate one possible faultly connection.

If the battery wasn't fully charged, or you weren't able to test it, try to charge the Roomba and then retest the battery voltage if you can. If the battery voltage was higher immediately after charging, but didn't get to 14 volts, the charger is good, but battery needs to be replaced. If the battery voltage was unchanged after attempting to charge the Roomba, the charging circuitry may be faulty. If there was no light patterns when you tried to charge it, and it was plugged in to a good outlet, then the power adapter or charging circuitry is definitely bad.

If you have no voltmeter and you cleaned the contacts and tried to charge the Roomba and it works, use the Roomba and then recharge using the docking station and see if it was just dirty contacts or it won't charge through the docking station. If it didn't work, you'll need to figure out if its the battery, the charging circuitry in the Roomba, or the power adapter. If there are no lights when you try to charge the Roomba, then Either the power adapter or the Roomba power circuitry is defective, but without a voltmeter you can't find out which one, and there's no way to know if the battery is good or bad, but you know Roomba wasn't trying to charge it. If there are lights when you try to charge the Roomba, then at least you know the power adapter is good. Unfortunately, without being able to test something there's no way to distinguish between a charger that won't deliver a charge to the battery and a battery that won't accept a charge. If you want to take a guess then a bad battery is more common and less expensive to fix.

3 Related Answers

otacon

Damen Wong

  • 1950 Answers
  • Posted on Feb 24, 2008

SOURCE: IRobot will stop after few seconds ..

Hi,

How old is the unit? It looks like the battery needs to be replaced.

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Anonymous

  • 61 Answers
  • Posted on Aug 27, 2009

SOURCE: iRobot Roomba Dirt Dog sounds weak and stops

Generally the unit will beep or play the "uh-oh" tone or do something. I wish I could tell you what's going on with this Dirt Dog, but it's not communicating the problem. The best thing to do would be to give us a call when you have the robot with you. That will enable us to do any necessary troubleshooting as well as set up any orders that might be necessary. We're here M-F, 9a-7p, and Saturdays 9-6, EST. 1-877-855-8593 Look forward to hearing from you!

Anonymous

  • 15 Answers
  • Posted on Jul 24, 2010

SOURCE: I have iRobot Roomba 4210 and I have a problem

The charging circuit on the main board is fried. This is a common issue. You need some good electronic repair skills, and equipment, to replace the problem components

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Related Questions:

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How change battery on irobot 655

Replacement Cordless Drill Battery for Irobot Roomba 650

  • Type: Ni-MH
  • Volt: 14.4V
  • Capacity: 4000mAh
  • Color: Yellow
  • Weight: 518g
  • Dimension: 138 x 53.9 x 48.5mm
  • http://www.drill-batteries.co.uk/shopbatteries.php/irobot_Roomba+650_battery.html


    http://www.drill-batteries.co.uk/shopbatteries.php/irobot_Roomba+650_battery.html
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    Red light flashing very fast and not charging fully

    How long is it charging until the light goes from flashing red (no charge) to yellow to finally green (full charge) ? If it's not at least 2 hours, sorry I don't have my Roomba papers available, so I'm guesstimating here, it's not getting a full charge. If you can put a voltmeter on the " fully charged" battery pack, that might tell you if the charger is the problem. Clean off the metal contacts where Roomba meets the two metal contacts on the charger. Also just because a battery pack or set is new doesn't mean it's functional. I had a new Apple battery for my laptop that didn't work when I replaced an older one.
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    What are these 2 blinking lights on my irobot roomba?

    "The Charge Indicator Light is located immediately to the right of the power button on Roomba Red and Roomba (sage). On Roomba Discovery and Discovery SE, the Charge Indicator Light is incorporated into the power button. Please refer to the table below to determine what the Charge Indicator Light is telling you.

    * Pulsing Amber - Charging
    * Green - Fully Charged
    * Amber - Partially Discharged
    * Red - Almost Fully Discharged
    * Flashing Red - Fully Discharged"
    At the end of a cleaning mission, Roomba will tell you if it has successfully completed it's mission or not:

    GREEN = MISSION COMPLETE

    YELLOW = MISSION ABANDONED (Check robot's brushes, etc.)

    YELLOW RED POWER BUTTON = BATTERY DEPLETED (Scheduler Models)

    RED YELLOW POWER BUTTON = BATTERY DEPLETED (Discovery Models)
    number of beeps after ?uh-oh? :

    No beeps: A wheel is stuck or is not touching the ground. Pick up the robot, place it down securely on the floor and touch the clean button to restart the cycle.

    1 beep: The main brushes cannot turn. Turn over Roomba and remove the brush guard by pushing the two yellow tabs. Remove the brushes, clear any obstructions, and replace them again.

    2 beeps: The side brush cannot turn. Turn over Roomba. Look to see if something is wrapped around the side brush. Remove the side brush with a screw driver and check for string or hair that may be wrapped around it.

    3 beeps: The vacuum cannot run Remove and empty Roomba?s bin.

    4 beeps: A wheel motor cannot run Your Roomba may be stuck or something may be wrapped around a wheel. Look for something wrapped around the wheels. Push them in and out and make sure they turn easily.

    5 beeps: The cliff sensors have failed or are blocked. Turn over Roomba and clear any debris that might be caught underneath the front bumper in the cliff sensors. You can also use compressed air to clean them out.

    6 beeps: Wheel obstruction or robot attempting to drive over an obstacle. Turn over Roomba and remove any obstructions that prevent the wheels from seating all the way up into Roomba?s body. Also, remove any obstacles that Roomba could drive over.

    7 or 8 beeps: Not applicable Roomba?s beep codes do not include 7 or 8 beeps. If you are getting an error with 7 or 8 beeps, try counting again or contact iRobot Customer Care.

    9 beeps: Sensor error Please contact iRobot Customer Care.

    10 beeps: Roomba is stuck Pick up Roomba and start it again somewhere else. Use a virtual wall or other barrier to keep Roomba away from the
    place it got stuck.

    Your Roomba may be experiencing an issue where the battery is deeply discharged and may need to charge longer than the standard 3 hours. (or 7 hours if you have a standard charger)

    Even with the charging light showing green (this indicates a fully charged battery) the robot is still charging. If your Roomba exhibits behavior where it charges for a short time then runs for a short time you will need to do the following.

    1. Plug the charger into Roomba (if you have a home base be sure to plug directly into Roomba instead of using the home base, this will ensure the robot's charging cycle is not interrupted.)

    2. After the Roomba's charging indicator goes to solid green please keep the Roomba on the charger for an additional 72 hours. (3 days)

    3. After the 72 hours (3 days) has passed, turn your Roomba on and begin a normal cleaning cycle. If this works successfully it may take several uses for the battery to get back up to the performance it once had.

    If this does not correct the problem, please call customer support at 877-855-8593
    Nov 22, 2012 • Vacuums
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    After I press clean, my irobot works for about 5 minutes than stops and everything goes out, includiing lights on the robot, and i have to manually put it on the charger. Would I be right in thinking that...

    possible your battery has a damage allready need for replacement. but try to fully charge your battery then after test it if it a minutes that use the problem happens againyour battery has damage.
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    My Roomba Discovery doesn't appear to hold a charge

    cor2an,
    That sounds like a classic battery failure in the Roomba discovery series. There are sensors inside the battery pack that go bad too. Either way...it's not very practical to repair the battery....the best shot you have would be to order a replacement battery. You just pop the old one out and then put the new one in.

    They are available from iRobot for $69 at this link: http://store.irobot.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2799714&cp=2804606.3358509&ab=CMS_AccSuper_Roomba400_102308&parentPage=family

    There are sources of less expensive (about $35) Genuine iRobot quality batteries also. You could try www.RoboticVacParts.com at this link: http://cgi.ebay.com/OEM-iRobot-APS-battery-Roomba-400-4XXX-Discovery_W0QQitemZ270412120603QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ef5d1821b&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262&_trkparms=|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A30
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    Roomba cuts off after a minute or so.

    If you have a 400 series Roomba, try removing the battery, then holding down the power button for ten seconds, then recharging the unit before you run it again.

    If you have a 500 series Roomba, don't take out the battery-- just press and hold the "spot" and "dock" buttons for about fifteen seconds. The Roomba will play a tune, and you can then charge it and try running it again later.
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    ROOMBA 415

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    Roomba 4200 Scheduler

    The best for the battery if (NiMH). Discharge completly, than charge full (charge more even the charger indicates full charge)

    Clean every part, maybe a hair slow down the wheels and thats why need more power.

    Here some tip from the web:


    With proper care, one iRobot Roomba battery can last for hundreds of cleaning cycles before you need to replace it. Here are some things you can do to extend Roomba's battery life and keep Roomba cleaning at peak performance:



    Use your Roomba frequently. Your Roomba is powered by a rechargeable nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery, which lasts the longest when you use it regularly.



    Keep the brushes clean. If the brushes and brush axles get clogged with hair and other debris, your Roomba will strain to spin them, using more battery power than normal. In extreme cases, the battery can even be damaged. See How to remove and clean Roomba's brushes



    Keep your Roomba plugged in when not in use. If you have a Home Base®, keep your Roomba docked in the Home Base and plugged into the charging brick. If you don’t have a Home Base, keep your Roomba plugged into the APS Fast Charger.



    Make sure you are charging your Roomba correctly. When your Roomba is plugged in correctly, the solid green light should be illuminated on the charger or on the Home Base.



    Plug your Roomba in as soon as possible after using Max Mode. Leaving your Roomba unplugged for more than 24 hours can damage the battery.



    Place your Roomba and the Home Base on a smooth, hard surface when yourRoomba is plugged in. Make sure your Roomba and the Home Base have plenty of space for ventilation. Do not charge your Roomba on a carpet or rug.



    Charge and store your Roomba in a cool, dry place. Keep your Roomba out of direct sunlight and away from sources of heat such as windows, radiators, heating vents, and large appliances.



    Remove the battery when not using your Roomba for a long period of time. If you will not be using your Roomba for more than a few weeks, fully charge the battery, remove it, and store it in a cool, dry place. When you want to use your Roomba again, insert the battery and fully charge it. Leaving your Roomba plugged in for weeks when it is not being used can damage the battery.

    You can purchase a second battery or replacement online at the iRobot Store.
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