Dolphin S300i troubleshooting

[Neal]

I have a 5 year old Dolphin S300i, which I love, and has worked very well until recently. It basically stopped moving. It will turn on and move and inch or two forward and then backward and then simply stop. I did the out of water test (positioning the cleaner upside down out of the pool) and it would move the tracks. So, I began troubleshooting by taking it apart. There is 110 VAC to the power supply and 29 VDC coming out. I disassembled the Dolphin and it was clean and the impeller will turn by hand. I did a continuity test on the cable and that was good. I also checked the DC voltage at the end of the cable to the motor and it was also 29 VDC. I had the motor completely out of the S300i and turned on the power. The drive gear began turning first for several seconds, reversed and them the impeller began spinning. Both the drive gear and and impeller turned for about 25-30 seconds before stopping. I believe that this is normal since it is out of water. This seems to tell me that the motor is good. I did take the rubber tracks off and the drive wheels. As you may know, the wheels and bushings are simply plastic (no bearings) and did seem a bit worn and sloppy. Can a Dolphin expert give me some hints or tips on the likely problem and/or further troubleshooting? I hate to simply start ordering parts to experiment. Thanks.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Neal,

If you got five years out of a Dolphin S300i, then you are already a head of the game. I am not sure it is worth the effort or money to repair it.

That said, one of the things reported here was to replace the brushes in the motors which wear out.

Just because the robot passes that self test, does not mean it will do the same in the water.

You might want to order the wheel kits as they become very sloppy with time and use. The self tests measure motor current which will increase in the water and with worn out wheel "bearings" for a lack of a better word, as there are no actual bearings.

Marina has a pretty good parts break down and stock most parts.

You could buy a whole motor box, but that is more than half the cost of a new one.

I see them more as a consumable, like a SWCG. You use it up and then buy a new one, or find a different type of pool cleaner.

Each case is different of course.. In your case, it sounds like your motor box was not flooded, your cable was not corroded causing the cable to fuse to the motor box pins. So it might be worth your time.

Let's see what Matt has to say about motor repair, as I think he tried it. He is now the Robot Anti-Christ here at TFP and has sworn off robots for good.
Calling @JoyfulNoise

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Look in my signature. There’s a link to my “I LOVE Robots/I HATE Robot” journey. I think starting around page 18 is where I delve into fixing the impeller motor. Others, not me, have taken the task of repairing the drive motor which is more difficult because it’s attached to a transmission drive. That one takes a lot of careful disassembly and there’s no guarantee it will work again if there’s any corrosion in the gear box.

Generally speaking, the time and blood loss spent on taking apart the motor and fixing them is not worth it. So either buy new, buy a different brand of robot, or switch to a different cleaning method. The choice is up to you.

 

[caycarem]

if motor is working and not stuck, have you checked to see if the rear rubber flap piece is still attached or missing? mine keeps falling off and causes pressure loss, then it does that thing where it would move back and for a feet or so then turns itself off. I'm still trying to find out how to fix that.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

If you’ve already replaced the flap with a new one, then my suggestion would be to get a hot glue gun and use a dab of Infinity SuperTAC 500 Plastics Hot Melt Glue on it. The hot melt glue should stick well to the plastic body and rubber nubs and give better holding strength.

 

[Neal]

if motor is working and not stuck, have you checked to see if the rear rubber flap piece is still attached or missing? mine keeps falling off and causes pressure loss, then it does that thing where it would move back and for a feet or so then turns itself off. I'm still trying to find out how to fix that.

Thanks, I will check that. At this time it is at the local retailer where I bought it. They gave me their S400 demo unit to use until they can troubleshoot my 300i. Heck, they can keep it all summer since I have their 400!

 

[caycarem]

If you’ve already replaced the flap with a new one, then my suggestion would be to get a hot glue gun and use a dab of Infinity SuperTAC 500 Plastics Hot Melt Glue on it. The hot melt glue should stick well to the plastic body and rubber nubs and give better holding strength.

great idea, I have some hot glue lying around will give it a shot! I tried silicon caulk and it lasted a couple of days lol.