I’m having this problem with my 5xx series roomba: shortly after starting (pressing spot or clean or dock), it either shuts off with the flashing red light and the ‘dirge’ sound (the red ‘error’ light to the left of the center buttons does not light) OR it tries to go forward, shuts off, plays a six note tune while flashing green, tries to start again, and then shuts off … this repeats over and over. It does this whether or not the brushes are installed (which I have cleaned). I reset the roomba by holding down the spot/dock buttons for 10 seconds and then I charged it for 72 hours straight. After that I tried running it and the result was the same. I looked at the service manual and the self test actually runs the vacuum, each of the wheels, and the brushes just fine, but it errors out when I just start it normally(pressing spot/clean/dock). It’s not sounding like the battery … any idea what it could be? What is it checking right after it starts that causes it to shut off? The battery voltage is good but I’m not sure the thermistor is … the test indicates the thermistor is present but measuring for resistance as per the service manual finds either none or infinite depending on which of the contacts I connect. Anyway … if any of you have any ideas or have encountered anything like this before I would appreciate your input - thanks for your help!
Here’s a video of the problem : [ATTACH]497[/ATTACH]
I just purchased this robot but it hasn’t been run in quite awhile so I’m betting it deep discharged. I ran the self test for the wheels, left one of them running, and let the roomba run in circles for an hour without it discharging … so I’m thinking it’s not a battery problem with charging, but rather something the higher-level software is erroring-out on when trying to clean or dock. I followed the reset procedure and waited the three days, but it’s still not working. Any other thoughts would be much appreciated!
I cleaned the battery contacts and lifted them up to ensure good contact and the problem still happens. The battery measures 17.4 volts but when I do a load test on it with a bulb, it can only draw between 1.7 and 1.9 amps at 2.7 volts … Roomba needs 2 amps at start right? So do I just need a new battery?
How long have you had your battery for? It is not uncommon that a Roomba battery has correct voltage while measured with a voltmeter without load. But, it is unable to keep a charge while inside the Roomba. The issue with your Roomba does appear to be the battery. Did you see the run-time for the battery decrease gradually or did it simply stop charging?
A Roomba battery usually lasts for approximately 1.5 to 2 years with proper care. It can also last longer if you reset it using the Roomba battery Reset Procedure which can be seen on the following link:
robotshop.helpserve.com/Knowledgebase/Article/View/29/0/roomba-battery-500-series–reset-procedure
We suggest always leaving your Roomba on the charge. If you plan not using your Roomba for more than a couple of weeks we suggest charging your battery fully then removing the battery from the Roomba before storing.
There seems to be a connection problem between the battery and the battery contacts. The sounds you hear, is the battery connecting. So what it is doing is disconnecting and then connecting.
We suggest to try to remove the robots battery and clean any debris on the battery contacts or the battery connections in the robot and try installing the battery again.
You should hear this sound only when the battery is first connected.
In this case, we do suggest that you try a new battery. If the battery was left inside the robot while it was not in use and the robot was not on the charge, this could have damaged the battery.
You can find a new battery here.
