How to Repair iRobot Roomba "Circle Dance" 9 Beep Error Part 1

This is a Guide on How to Repair iRobot Roomba "Circle Dance" 9 Beep Error
Part 2
• How to Repair iRobot R...
How to Disassemble 3 Part video
Part 1
• 1 iRobot Roomba 500 an...
Part 2
• 2 iRobot Roomba 500 an...
Part 3
• 3 iRobot Roomba 500 an...
This is for the eBay listing.
Check out my eBay Store for more iRobot products for sale, thanks.
www.ebay.com/sch/bestdeals1011...
www.ebay.com/itm/Fix-your-iRob...

[@ThePatLav]

I ordered the parts on Amazon and followed your very detailed instructions, my Roomba is now working like a champ. Thanks

[@MargaBhakta]

Thank you! I ordered the part on amazon and, thanks to your detailed instructions, was able to replace the faulty bumper and cliff sensors on my Roomba. It works perfectly now! I have no prior experience but you made it easy!

[@karldias1415]

Worked like a charm. Good detailed instructions. I ran the diagnostic and my roomba said “ check cliff sensors”. Changed these instead on your recommendation and runs like a top now. Much thanks. 🙏.

[@nzs23]

Ordered part, followed videos, it works! Thank you.

[@StonehouseCinema]

It worked perfectly. Need to run the diagnostic first to figure out which sensor to replace.

[@bencook7242]

Thanks so much! Took me a while to get it done, I put an IR emmiter in upside down! But runs perfect now!

[@TheEnigmaRain]

Great Tutorial! Thank you very much, best detailed video I have seen oo this on KZbin to date. Much appreciated!

[@taxfree4]

You are the man! I was about to throw mine out when it was doing the circle dance found you on the Tube, ordered the parts, watched your disassembling video and within an hour it was running like new. You saved me a ton of money, let me send you a bottle of vodka, pozhaluysta.

[@TheiRobotChannel]

+taxfree4 spasibo

[@victorclare9376]

HI BOUGHT THE TRANSMITTER FROM U. DELIVERY WAS VERY FAST. FOLLOW YOUR HOW TO VIDEO. ROOMBA IS BACK TO WORK.... THANK YOU....VICTOR

[@janetpurvis782]

Very good breakdown & re-assemble

[@renzema]

Great walk though. Made changing the IR dock sensor easy and non-stressful!

[@rosylives]

Worked like a charm, thanks!

[@TheiRobotChannel]

Thanks for the comment.

[@ibmer23]

It Works! YAY! I've been putting this off for years. Thank you.

[@YvngMont315]

Hahaha! I decided to scroll through the comments to see what kind of results people were having and I thought it's super ironic that you said you've been putting it off for years and just happened to comment yesterday because I've also put this off for quite a few years and randomly decided to attempt and fix it today, I guess this is a popular week for Roomba repairs haha, hopefully I'll have the same result as you!

[@ibmer23]

Good Luck Monty!

[@JirkaBalhar]

Dear all, you can buy the IR led and IR photo transistor parts much cheaper than in the ebay link. Check out your local electronics store for these parts and you will find that the price is 50cent per one part AT MOST.

[@user-dl1kb4gc9n]

Awesome tutorial. I ordered LED OP140A receiver (transceiver), it was taller than the original but works like it was new out of the box. Thank you so much. I ordered and received after market li Ion battery and get battery error 2, any suggestions ?

[@tarynjones7857]

Great walk through, thank you!

[@TheiRobotChannel]

Thanks for watching

[@daddysbricks7643]

I replaced the bumper sensors cause my 530 was showing 9 beeps and doing the circle. I ordered your sensors and replaced following your instructions and it does the same thing but with a red clean light instead. whats up with that??? Little help would be great!

[@benn1181]

Where do I buy the LED thing you replaced/soddered in this video?

[@robertrusbasan21]

If the Roomba starts working for a bit after you smack the bumpers it indicates that the bumper is hanging up on one side. Take off the battery cover and thoroughly vacuum the unit and ALSO blow out the unit. Next, turn over the battery cover and clean off any debris stuck to it. Finally, file off any rough edges on the bumper and the cover's circular sliding surfaces. It's amazing how dirty and beat up a Roomba can get after a few thousand miles.

[@tomcrerar5363]

where can I buy the infra red transmitters?

[@bogdanpreda988]

BIG LIKE !!!!

[@frankforthun6507]

Excellent video. Repaired Thing 1 and Thing 2 cheap. They had been sitting for 2 years. Takes a little time for a novice though. The second one did go a lot faster. I can't help but wonder what Irobot charges to fix this. I doubt the savings was worth the time it cost me.

[@TheiRobotChannel]

Frank Forthun Glad these videos helped you out, let me know if you ever have any questions regarding the iRobot products and I will gladly help you out

[@AugustInAutumn]

Does the IR transmitter have a part code? Do you know where I would find one of these?

[@pedroluizdutra]

I have Roomba 500 Series, and the problem is Error number #3. The battery does not recharge anymore. It's possible to fix ? What I should to do ? Thank you very much .

[@rickquest6385]

Where do you get these diodes?

[@TheiRobotChannel]

most likely you would need a better soldering iron, or soldering station, or have the solder iron on the original solder longer for it too heat up and make sure the connection is good so the heat will spread faster, and yes I did had those issues usually means that the tip is worn out, thanks

[@kewl427]

Hello, just ordered, 9 Beep Circle Dance Bumper Sensors 500 600 700 800 Series.. from you ebay store. I have a 530... If the other sensor on the left bumper is working ok, should I just install the one that is bad... Thanks Bill

[@marcnephtali345]

Hi Would you accept to repair my roomba 530 and gives me 9 beeps as well?

[@caleblewis3727]

I first performed the test to find out my left bumper was not working. I performed this repair for the left bumper only and after reassembly when I run the daignostoc it shows both spot and dock illuminated. This indicates that both bumpers are not working now even though I only started with one bumper failure. Any ideas what I may be missing? I feel like it is unlikely that after only repairing one now they both show as failing.

[@abswift82]

I have an 860 that keeps stopping to circle every couple of seconds (blue search light flashing) before continuing. No error message. I've cleaned cliff sensors, debris sensor, wheels (removed much fluff from inside front wheel!!) But no change in behaviour. Can you suggest?

[@307.William]

Is this also the fix for the Error 9. On the Roomba s9+?

[@_mjc_]

So where would one be able to get new springs if they damaged one of them? The small spring inside the assembly you warn to not loose.

[@MrBer43]

I have a Romba 770 and when I set my light house it does not do as its suppose to, just goes right by it . Need some help Thanks

[@brozeki]

I tried to change the IR emitter but the original solder on the emitter just won't melt. Have you encountered this issue ?

[@rsmolkin]

I have a Roomba 560 with right censor problem. Could I pay you to actually fix it?

[@danjones2511]

Does anyone have a part number for the IR-LED Photo transistor's

[@Pmjay00]

Thanks for this, got it done! I do have another problem now, as my side brush motor is not spinning. Any ideas??

[@TheiRobotChannel]

see if this video helps kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHjMiZJ3mJeKi68

[@Pmjay00]

TheiRobotChannel Hi, did this,all clean, but still not working. I'm wondering how to test if the motor itself is still good, or is there something I didn't hook up properly when reassembling? thanks again

[@rickquest6385]

I purchased the two new diode’s and methodicly installed them cleaning the Roomba every step along the way. After a couple hours I pushed the start button only to find the unit is doing exactly the same thing. Goes round and round then beeps 9 times. Any other suggestions?

[@AChi__]

I wonder if it's because the receiver is bad, as opposed to the transmitter.

[@KeepOurRights]

Irobot 530 roomba not working correctly, it turns on and starts normally, but then backs up and turns several times before beeping an error message and turning off. Any idea?

[@Funbrother]

I just did this update. The roomba seems to run perfect know. Although there is now a constant buzz or tone coming from the roomba, when it is charging and also when it is running. Any thoughts on what this might could be?

[@TheiRobotChannel]

Jacob Grove check the speaker connections and make sure there is no dust or anything like metal clippings of wires or solder on the motherboard left behind

[@TheiRobotChannel]

and what error message is it, how many beeps are there after the "Oh-Oho" sound

[@ozarkjku5898]

Will the IRLED be the same for the series 890 Roomba?

[@TheiRobotChannel]

yes it is

[@physics4290]

I replaced the infrared led in each bumper sensor per this excellent video, but I still get the circle dance followed by uh-oh and 9 beeps. My working Roomba and my non-working Roombas behave the same in diagnostic mode. (Holding down dock and clean together with power off, press spot 6 times, press dock once, then press dock twice. Pressing each bumper causes the blue dirt detect light to flash. Blue light goes out when bumper is released.) Is there a test that distinguishes a cliff sensor issue from a bumper sensor issue? I have two circle dancing 9 beep Roombas that went bad after being assigned to the basement. I suspect excess dirt somewhere. Any ideas that don't involve purchasing new hardware?

[@TheiRobotChannel]

the blue light is not supposed to light up per sensor pressing, it light up a number of times to indicate which test it is on, so if it blinks twice you are on test two, and cliff sensors are on test three and will not have effect on the bumper sensors

[@rachelio33]

My Roomba seems to have the above problem. I live in Peru, where there is no available customer service. I watched your video and the repair doesn't seem too complicated. However, I need the exact name of the piece that needs exchanging and information of where/how to buy it. Could you provide these too, please?

[@TheiRobotChannel]

just look in my description on this youtube video and you will see links to my eBay store where you can purchase the sensors for only US$6.99

[@rachelio33]

Thank you for your help. Watching your video I felt the bumpers where a bit askew, so I took it apart and voila, it is working now. Thanks again for your video and your reply.

[@coreyw6498]

Question the side brush on my roomba keeps spinning? i took the battery out but when i put it back in it keeps spinning? now the roomba did get wet long story lol but everything seems to work fine on it just this brush situation? any thoughts thanks and great video by the way!!!

[@TheiRobotChannel]

corey woito it looks like the H-Bridge was damage for the Side Brush Module, and needs to be replaced, with some soldering skills you can do it your self, but other wise you would need to replace the board, the parts that need replacement are the 4 transistors, 2 NPN and 2 PNP which are the same type as the primary left and right wheels

[@wendztang]

+TheiRobotChannel Hello, I have the same wheel spinning issue with my right wheel. My roomba also suffered some water damage. Do I replace the same 4 transistors? I do appreciate if you can do a video on it. =) love love your channel, btw.

[@leonicholson9382]

I need to replace the bumper emitters for a Roomba 980. Which part numbers do I need? Does it matter which lead goes in which hole?

[@TheiRobotChannel]

Ya it matters, there is positive and negative leads, and I sell them on my eBay store, see description

[@leonicholson9382]

@@TheiRobotChannel Got it done. The housings were different on the used ones I brought, but were not difficult to swap. Many thanks for your video!

[@dege13]

I did the built in tests on two of my 500 series Roomba and both have bad Right hand side bumper sensors. I tried swapping the good (Left side) transmitter and receiver from one Roomba to the other's bad (Right side) and it still failed. Do you know why the bumper could fail other than the transmitter or receiver? Next, I will try swapping the other good one (Left side) to the other bad (Right side) and see if the other one will work.

[@TheiRobotChannel]

dege13 when swapping them are you cutting the wires or re-solder them, cause I sell newer IR diodes and you can fix both Roombas

[@jaynine65]

Our Roomba 650 has issue where it bumps into stuff and will not turn to correct itself. Did test and all sensors passed. What else could we do to correct this problem?

[@TheiRobotChannel]

does it have a error code, could you do a video of the situation and post it for me to see, cause it could be issue with a wheel module, let me know

[@physics4290]

(corrected comment) I replaced the infrared led in each bumper sensor per this excellent video, but I still get the circle dance followed by uh-oh and 9 beeps. In diagnostic mode (holding down dock and clean together with power off, pressed spot 6 times, pressed dock twice), the "repaired" Roomba 500 series gives an enduring "spot" light when the left bumper is pressed, and no light at all when the right bumper is pressed ("dock" light doesn't come on, "spot" light doesn't go out). Is this an indication of something I did incorrectly when I replaced the infrared led's?

[@TheiRobotChannel]

if the spot light is on the whole time, that means that the bumper sensor is either stuck, when doing the repair, or the IR LED is still not working, if the IR LED is new then could be a bad solder connection, use a continuity tester to see if the pins of the IR LED are in good contact with the wires through the small PC Board, if the Dock light does not go on at all, then it could be that if you had the Roombas in the basement, the moisture in the air caused corrosion and the board maybe not good, take a look at a board in the front area to see if there is corrosion, should like greenish or blueish or aqua colors, and maybe some white, anyway if there is, place the board in a large zip lock bag and pour in some 70% isopropyl alcohol and zip that up so the whole board is covered in it and let that sit over night, next day use a small brush like a toothbrush that you are not going to use and brush the corrosion out, then let dry and put all back together, let me know if that is the case and I will help you out to get the Roomba back to work

[@physics4290]

TheiRobotChannel Thanks! I believe I damaged the bumper sensor circuit boards because I did not have experience soldering the new IR LED's. I can see discontinuity of the foil connections inside the boards, which I think I melted with the soldering iron. I will look into sending it out for repair. At least I learned a lot! This is a very good video and a good solution for those with more experience. I should have watched some instructional electronic soldering videos first. I love Roombas!

[@Itsnotsafeandeffective]

hi I have a problem where one wheel does not run I replaced the wheel motor and assume its a sensor issue can anyone direct me to the fix for this....

[@TheiRobotChannel]

+Philip Price please post a video of the issue

[@danielbarrett902]

When first watching this on a fire tablet, the 3 links to the prerequisite videos (1, 2 and 3) don't appear in the beginning of the video at all. It actually annoyed the hell out of me that you would mention those other videos without giving a link until I noticed them when I checked the video on my desktop computer browser. So--you should not assume those pop-up links appear on all devices/browsers. I'd strongly suggest you also include the links in the Informational area below the video, along with those ebay links.

[@lucioigleziaspacheco8168]

Hello. My roomba 560 started to slow down the vacuum suction motor. And now, it completely stopped. I cleaned the contacts, but did not work. I tested the motherboard, with the "MANUAL-ADVANCE mode" and, when testing the vacuum part, I measured 14V on the board connector, but, as soon as I put some minor eletric current (as a ledstrip for example, or the original vacuum motor), it goes to 0V. I tested the vacuum motor individually (connecting it directly to the battery), and it is working very well. Is there a transistor or capacitor to exchange? Or should I replace the whole mother board? All other roomba parts are working very well: the only problem is that I mentioned. Thank you very much, Lúcio. PS: in my test, every screw that fixes the board are grounded: is it right?

[@lucioigleziaspacheco8168]

Lúcio Iglezias Pacheco Correcting some things that I said, and aggregating more information... The motor worked while connected directly to the battery, as I said, but I did not mentioned anything about the current passing through it! When connected, some sparks happened.... and I thought it was normal. It was not. Later, I tested a normal vacuum bin from another working roomba, and the current was 0.6A at start, and 0.33A working with normal load (no dust in the bin). When current disconnected, it spins for about 2 or 3 seconds before completely stop. And my motor was not that good! When I measured the current, it was more than 1A at start and almost 0.9A when working, and it stopped spinning 1s after it was off! There should be a protection circuit in roomba that cuts the current when it is more than a maximum acceptable current. So, I am happy to say that my mother board is OK, and my only problem is that weak motor :(. I tried to fix the motor, but it worked for just a day and it is bad again. The motor brushes I think are the problem. I cleaned them, reassembled the motor, and it worked just a day, making more noise than the other 100% motor. Do someone knows what are the specification of this motor? Or where can I buy it? Or if there is something that I can do to fix it? Thank you very much. PS: I think that what "broke" the motor was the WD-40 that I put some months ago to lubricate it. What kind of lubricating should be used in that kind of motors?

[@pedroluizdutra]

@@lucioigleziaspacheco8168 , where are you from ?

[@lucioigleziaspacheco8168]

@@pedroluizdutra hello! I'm from Brazil ;)

[@waynesorokowski4318]

Is this repair procedure applicable to the Roomba 530?

[@TheiRobotChannel]

+Wayne Sorokowski Yes it is, its pretty much for all 500 600 700 800 series Roombas

[@merciterdik]

+TheiRobotChannel555

[@merciterdik]

+TheiRobotChannel 555

[@TheiRobotChannel]

Hi, I sell them at my eBay Store please see my description, thank you.

[@xhiwas]

My roomba 650's IR leds went down in less than a week of use, you say your leds "will work for the life of the Roomba", why the original ones didn't last a week and yours will work forever? can't get it (most of all cause you'll expect the original parts would last way more)

[@pureginmarke6901]

thanks a lot, what a great how to... guide, i've just fixed my 560 by replacing the ir emitters and transistors on both bumper sensors and it works smooth again. i bought the spare ir parts at conrad (switzerland): transistor (part no. 153470): www.conrad.ch/ce/de/product/153470/Fototransistor-457-x-584-mm-1100-nm-40-Osram-Components-LPT-80-A emitter (part no. 153679): www.conrad.ch/ce/de/product/153679/IR-Emitter-950-nm-30-457-x-584-mm-radial-bedrahtet-Osram-Components-IRL-80-A

[@billandervil3141]

Can I use an IR led from a remote control if i dont have those fancy ones? or maybe replace both the transmitter and the receiver with this combo: www.radioshack.com/radioshack-infrared-led-emitter-and-detector/2760142.html#q=ir%2Bled&start=3

[@TheiRobotChannel]

the remote control IR LEDs are usually bigger in size, so it would be difficult to fit in and the beam is more spread out, as in the Roomba the beams are very narrow and the physical shape is smaller, for those IR LEDs you mention the diodes would need to be aiming at each other with only a small plastic covering the pathway of the beam to able to function correctly for the Roomba, but they will not fit in correctly to do so, so in other words no those will not work correctly as needed, but the bumper actuators could be modified to able to fit those in and with extra time you could able to make something that would focus the light in a small area so they wont lit all of the space, hope this info helps out.

[@billandervil3141]

TheiRobotChannel thanks for the info!

[@kjer_afk]

I opened up both bumpers and both IR transmitters appear to be working, I can see that they are emitting light(using a camera) but the light is very weak. Should these IR leds be as bright as the others, such as the cliff sensors?

[@kaarinajohansson6833]

well, that's just too much work....screw roomba, I am getting a cleaning lady!

[@TheiRobotChannel]

if you having issues with your Roomba, I will be happy to get it off your hands

[@forkidzbykidz2024]

mod

[@kaarinajohansson6833]

wtf, if a person has to spend this time (let alone be good at this stuff) to repair a roomba, you have to wonder wouldn't it be worth doing the cleaning yourself?

[@TheiRobotChannel]

this video is for those who want to do the repairs, I offer repair service to those who cant, and for me its more fun to this repair, than to vacuuming by hand, so some people are different