30i Stops in Water

[langley101]

I have a Dolphin 30i that is out of warranty and only works for a couple of minutes at a time. If I turn it upside down outside the pool, it will run and run. If I then put it in the pool, it usually works for a few minutes, then stops. If I put it in manual mode, it works as expected.

I worked with Marina tech support and it looks like it is the motor. I tried to open the motor to see if water was getting into it, but couldn't figure out how to open the motor. I found a couple of posts here with similar problems that were fixed under warranty. I've been underwhelmed with the 30i, so don't want to replace the motor. Does anyone have a suggestion to repair it instead of replacing the motor?

One of the main reasons I don't like the 30i is that I get a lot of leaves in the fall and winter and it instantly clogs if the fabric piece is installed. If I take it off, it works better, but debris falls out when I take it out of the pool. Can anyone recommend a robot that works well for a pool that is surrounded by trees?

Thanks.

 

[langley101]

After watching LeisureLuke's video on repairing his motor, I pulled my motor apart to see if there were any bearing issues or anything else that didn't look right. The bearings appear fine, but there is this hard gunk on the power connector. Has anyone seen this when taking the motor apart? I'm not sure if it is something applied at the factory or corrosion. Thanks.