Roomba succumbed to a recent rain, and sustained at least a couple minutes of exposure to rain.
The Battery was immediately removed and left to dry. However, when I finally reassembled it, the
robot goes in circles as if one motor isn’t working and doesn’t sense if I put my foot in front of the robot.
Any help would be very much appreciated.
~David
Hi David,
In most cases of water damage we have seen, there is damage to the motherboard as well as motors and sensors. For the wheel not turning, it is possibly just the wheel module that will need to be replaced. But, there could also be damage to the motherboard.
For the robot not seeing obstacles in front of it, it could be caused by defective bumper sensors or again the motherboard.
How long did you wait before re-installing the battery in the robot? It is possible that some electronic components are still wet.
We would suggest dismantling your robot until you get to the main circuit board to see if there was any damage to the board itself.
The following manual will help: How to Open Up Roomba 500 Series.
Thank you for the reply.
I waited approximately 15 days before I put the battery back in. It was also next to a dehumidifier.
I still believe that the motherboard took a bit of a hit, when I dismantled it I could see rust on the
PCB contacts. This was easily cleaned with 90% alcohol. Is there any test you could perform to diagnose
the exact problem(s)? I am relatively new to the iRobot protocol.
Many thanks,
~David
You can try following the Roomba built-in tests:
robotshop.com/media/files/pdf/roomba-500-built-in-tests.pdf
This can lead you to see what motor or sensor is causing issues. But, you may need to verify if voltage is coming from the robots motherboard also if a sensor or motor appears to not be working.
Ran the tests twice, and received what seems like random results. First test listed every sensor as not passing. Second test passed every sensor. The motors run fine and in sync in the test. The test seems to be very inconclusive
as to what is the problem. Do I need a new motherboard in this case?
~David
We suggest that you try the Manual-advance Built-in-Test
Hold CLEAN and DOCK and pulse SPOT 6 times. Release buttons
To advance a step press DOCK and to go back a step press SPOT.
This is designed to be used for debugging particular sensors or actuators. In this mode, the robot DOES NOT decide PASS/FAIL for each test number. The test does not automatically advance, so sensors or actuators can be tested as many times as necessary.
This will help determine if sensors are defective. But, there indeed appeared to have been damage to the motherboard in this case. We unfortunately do not have any available but, you may be able to find a replacement online.
I will replace the Motherboard and see if it brings any progress. Is it possible to retrofit a 595 motherboard with the 595 case? I have been watching this ( ebay.com/itm/171574929870 ) and was wondering if I could combine the working items from the 585 to the 595 case and motherboard. If the motors don’t work then I could purchase them from this site. Would this possibly work? Thank you for the quick replies.
~David
This motherboard and case will be compatible with your robot without issues. It is a lot of work to transfer all electronics to the new frame if you would like to use the new one but, it is possible.
We would suggest to start by replacing just the motherboard to see if the robot works properly afterwards.