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When I first purchased my Scooba, it worked wonderfully for quite some time. Then, all of a sudden, after being fully recharged, it would work for only 5 minutes, then quit claiming it was all out of power. Now, it won't even work for a full minute. We've tried charging for a time passed the point when it says it's charged. We've also given it a break from working and recharging, then charging it to see if that would reset it (or whatever), but even after what should've been a full charge, it still is not charging.
NiCD and LiOn batteries have this tendency. They work great for a year, then slowly die off. The problem is you. When new, the device MUST be charged for 14hr nonstop, then every 2-3 months run dead, and recharged again 14hrs nonstop. This is done so the CPU of the Roomba (cool toy) KNOWS what DEAD is and what FULL is. It does this by measuring the amount of currrent flowing thru a very precise resistance. If you do hit and miss charge cycles of the roomba or leave it charging too long, it either develops a flase memory of the above two conditions, or gets HOT and the electrolyte paste dries out. Fix is to wear it out, charge 14hrs, wer it out againand repeat 3-4x. Then recharge and use. If that doesn't fix it, the batteries are too dried and need to be replaced.
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I had this problem and contacted irobot. An important fact was left out of the early edition user manual to not leave the battery charging for an extended amount of time. Because of this ommision, they sent me a new battery and a software upgrade for the scooba. I just followed the directions and attached the little device they sent to do the upgrade the scooba and it fixed the battery problem.
Remove and clean all of the wheels, and make sure the cliff sensors under the bumper are clean. Tap the bumper with your hand-- really smack it a couple of times. It sounds like the Scooba believes it's stuck against an obstacle.
It sounds like you've got a finicky power button. Not a lot that can be done about that, but you may want to try getting your hands on the old-style Roomba remote, the black one. The power button from that will power on a Scooba, though you can't start a cleaning cycle that way. This might allow you to bypass the Scooba's power button altogether.
If you haven't used the scooba before or if it has been a long time, the pump may need to be primed. Go to irobot and do a search for how to do this. I also had difficulty opening my scooba. Press down with the palm of your hand on the back silver plate as you push down on the silver release handle. This worked for me.
If your Scooba's Green Check Tank light is coming on immediately on startup, please try the following steps:
1. Remove and reseat Scooba's battery, ensuring that you hear it click into place. 2. Remove and reseat the brush head 3. Remove and reseat the vacuum port and filter. When replacing the filter, be sure to press firmly into the hole. There is a magnet on the filter that must connect with the magnet on the Scooba. 4. Fill Scooba’s Clean Tank with approximately 1 cup of cold water, shake vigorously, and empty it to remove any debris in the tank. 5. Empty the Dirty Tank, refill with water, and slosh it around to pick up any sediment. Empty the Dirty Tank again. 6. Refill Scooba’s Clean Tank with water, adding a pinch or two of table salt. Run the Scooba. If the issue persists, please follow the steps below:
With the tank removed, press the Power button and then the Clean button.
If the robot tries to start a cleaning cycle, power off the robot and repeat, pressing the Power button first and then the Clean button. If the pump makes a “whirring” or squirting sound and the robot does not start a cleaning cycle (Check Tank indicator will light), this indicates that the pump is working. Replace the tank and try starting a new cleaning cycle with the tank on.
If Scooba does begin a cleaning cycle the second time you press the Power and then the Clean button with the tank removed, the pump valve could be blocked with debris. Using a turkey baster, straw or sports bottle, force water through Scooba’s solution valve. Confirm that the baster, straw or sports bottle fits snugly over Scooba’s solution valve, push water through the system at least three times, and then try re-starting Scooba.
Below is a link to a diagram of these steps for visual reference:
Title: Scooba is not putting down cleaning solution http://homesupport.irobot.com/cgi-bin/irobot_homesupport.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=322&p_created=1167154849
There are only a few things that can cause the condition you describe. First would be to verify that the vacuum/blower motor is running. You can test this by placing your hand on the floor opposite the side where the charger is connected and see if you feel air movement. If no air is felt, there's your problem.
Second, there is a valve located in the dirty tank that if blocked will prevent water pick-up. To resolve and clear this condition will require several processes to occur at once. Fill the dirty tank half way with hot water, add Scooba cup of vinegar. Close the stopper and shake the "Good Grief" out of the tank. This action is necessary and may have to be repeated several times to clear the flapper valve in the dirty tank.
Third, there may be a poor seal between the tank and the Scooba base. Verify that both the left and right sides of the tank are close to the base and equal in distance. If the right side is farther away from the tank (larger gap) then water pick up will be poor. Some Scoobe owners resort to using duct tape to hold down the tank.
Fourth, verify that the thin rubber pieces on the bottom of the tank are not deformed and properly seated in the grooves.
hope this helps
As for which one has the problem, I would say it has to be the battery. Rechargeable batteries of all types are known to have similar characteristics, one of which is discharging the batteries to maintain good rechargeablility.
At least one person has demonstrated this for the Scooba battery in the roombareview.com forums when he brought a "dead" battery back to life. He allowed the battery to slowly and completely discharge using a 12-volt automobile bulb, followed by recharging the battery on the Scooba external charger.
This procedure brought his "dead" battery back to a full charge!
However, other forum members have reported that many have experienced problems with Scooba battery life, and that as a consequence of this iRobot will replace your battery if you call them and report a short-life battery problem.
You can contact iRobot at (800) 727-9077 if you would like to report a battery problem and request a replacement.
You probably have the manual, but here's the link to the Scooba 5800 manual anyway - just in case this would be useful to you: -->
http://www.irobot.com/images/homesupport/5800_Scooba_Manual.pdf
You could use a voltmeter to check the battery, but only a few months use shouldn't be enough to wear it out. If you don't have a load-tester to verify the battery's load-capacity, then you can check the voltage drop. (Assuming you can get it to contact the Scooba's circuits.)
To do this, just check the battery voltage, apply a load by inserting it in the machine and turning it on, then check the battery voltage again. An excessive drop in voltage may indicate the battery needs replacing.
However, the red blinking light is Scooba's indicator that it doesn't detect the battery at all. The first thing to do in this case is to clean the electrical contacts on the battery and in the Scooba.
Use a damp cloth and a bit of toothpaste to rub the contacts clean on the battery and in the machine. (Toothpaste has mild abrasives in it and will clean the electric contacts without damaging them.) Make sure that both the battery and the Scooba are clean and dry before re-inserting the battery.
Also, if the electric contacts in the machine are flexible matal tabs then verify that the tabs are standing up high enough to make good contact with the battery contacts.
Hopefully the battery just needs it's contacts cleaned for your unit to work, but test the battery if you are sure that they are clean and seated properly to the contacts in the machine. If the battery appears to be failing, then contact www.irobot.com to cheack and see if they are still covered under your machine's warranty.
Hope this helps! :)
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