Polaris P825 drive motors stalling

[jsonnett]

Hello all! First time poster here!

I have done lots of searching on google as well as this forum to see if I could find a fix for a problem my Polaris P825 cleaner is having. No luck yet.

When I turn the cleaner on (regardless of whether its on floor or wall+floor cleaning mode), the impeller starts up but the bot does not move. The tracks never turn and it just sits in one spot for at least 20 minutes (at which point I just turn it off). During this time the pump turns off and. on every so often, like it thinks its working properly, but again, it never moves. However, if i reach in and start to rotate the brushes/tracks by hand, they begin spinning and the cleaner will start to work. It will move along the bottom and even reverse directions sometimes but never runs for more than a couple of minutes before stalling again. At that point, if i reach in and rotate the tracks again it will start back up.

I get no error light when this happens and it seems like the brushes and tracks spin pretty normally when powered off.

Any ideas about what could be causing this issue? It almost seems like the drive motor is jamming or like the motor gets stuck between poles sometimes. I have disassembled the tracks and geartrain multiple times now (not the sealed motor unit though) and havent seen anything out of the ordinary.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

Have you made a warranty claim with Zodiac/Polaris?

I have seen mentions of the 825 not moving here but no posts of any fixes for it.

 

[generessler]

Hi and welcome. I don't know the 825 (I have a 380), but the FAQ on the web site proposes calling 1-800-822-7933 for support if the robot won't move.

Looking at this guy's videos, track and brush drive are separate from the pump, so the latter working while the former won't is not so strange.

Weak electric drive can be due to flaws in the electrical supply, the drive motor, or the mechanics (gear boxes in this case) that transmit power. What you say is consistent with a motor or current supply problem. The latter could be something as simple as a corroded connector or as bad as a blown component in the control box. I can't see anywhere listing the drive motor alone. Replacing the whole motor box is big $ as is the control box. Guessing would be expensive.

If it were mine, I'd watch the videos above several times, take the motor box apart, and try running the drive motor on the bench as this guy does. (Be more careful than the video guy. He would not get to touch anything I own.) The spec sheet says the drive voltage is 30. That's something to measure in order to narrow down what's going wrong. It also exposes the underwater connectors so they can be checked and cleaned up.

Sorry I can't be more help. This kind of thing is why I'm sticking with the 70's tech of the 380. At least when something breaks, the reason is pretty obvious, and the parts are only outrageously expensive, not totally ridiculous.

 

[estak]

Hello @jsonnett!

I have the exact same problem with my Zodiac CX20 which is the Australian branded version of the Polaris P825. I can kick start the cleaner by manually spinning the wheels and it will run for a random period of time and then stop again. Very frustrating as I'm out of my warranty period by about 12-months.

As @generessler mentioned, I looked at those videos and took mine apart yesterday (I specifically watched this video ->

).

Inside the motor block, there's a DC motor for turning the wheels with the product number 45JFX3857. The motor is quite hard to turn by hand, so I might try and see if I can find a replacement motor.

I'll update the thread as I try and get my robot fixed. Hope this information is helpful.

 

[wireform]

I buy from this ebay store, they may have what you need.

Security Measure

www.ebay.com

 

[captiankevin]

solved. found, drive motor output shaft pin sheared, now as to dissemble 18 screws.? stainless steel magnet wont get them flip and catch, watch the video, couple times, stupid simple. dissemble start at top. as to repair?

 

[estak]

I ended up buying a new motor block and it all worked for about a month.

Now I have a different problems it seems. As soon as I hit start, I get the flashing 'i' light. No wonder I found the exact same unit on the side of the road a couple of weeks ago. I picked it up for spare parts.

Not looking forward to spending more time and money on what looks to be a pretty crappy device.

 

[Miros]

Hello @jsonnett!

I have the exact same problem with my Zodiac CX20 which is the Australian branded version of the Polaris P825. I can kick start the cleaner by manually spinning the wheels and it will run for a random period of time and then stop again. Very frustrating as I'm out of my warranty period by about 12-months.

As @generessler mentioned, I looked at those videos and took mine apart yesterday (I specifically watched this video ->

).

Inside the motor block, there's a DC motor for turning the wheels with the product number 45JFX3857. The motor is quite hard to turn by hand, so I might try and see if I can find a replacement motor.

I'll update the thread as I try and get my robot fixed. Hope this information is helpful.

hi
im having exactly the same problem with my Polaris 8050 Sport robotic cleaner (i believe is almost exactly the same as Zodiac CX20). Before i will get entire motor block replacement i would like to give it a try to replace just a drive motor as this is where the problem seem to be.
Did you manage to replace motor in your cleaner? if so where did you get replacement motor part and did you run into any issues while replacing the motor?

Your response and help would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

 

[Mkojinsky]

I ended up buying a new motor block and it all worked for about a month.

Now I have a different problems it seems. As soon as I hit start, I get the flashing 'i' light. No wonder I found the exact same unit on the side of the road a couple of weeks ago. I picked it up for spare parts.

Not looking forward to spending more time and money on what looks to be a pretty crappy device.

If you’re getting the flashing “i” it is most likely a break in the communication cable. You’ll have to disconnect both sides and check for continuity (robot side is quite invasive). This is the most common cause since the cable flexes and bends. Hope this helps

 

[burak1986]

Hello all! First time poster here!

I have done lots of searching on google as well as this forum to see if I could find a fix for a problem my Polaris P825 cleaner is having. No luck yet.

When I turn the cleaner on (regardless of whether its on floor or wall+floor cleaning mode), the impeller starts up but the bot does not move. The tracks never turn and it just sits in one spot for at least 20 minutes (at which point I just turn it off). During this time the pump turns off and. on every so often, like it thinks its working properly, but again, it never moves. However, if i reach in and start to rotate the brushes/tracks by hand, they begin spinning and the cleaner will start to work. It will move along the bottom and even reverse directions sometimes but never runs for more than a couple of minutes before stalling again. At that point, if i reach in and rotate the tracks again it will start back up.

I get no error light when this happens and it seems like the brushes and tracks spin pretty normally when powered off.

Any ideas about what could be causing this issue? It almost seems like the drive motor is jamming or like the motor gets stuck between poles sometimes. I have disassembled the tracks and geartrain multiple times now (not the sealed motor unit though) and havent seen anything out of the ordinary.

Thanks in advance for any help!

same thing happen to me whats the solution??

Hello @jsonnett!

I have the exact same problem with my Zodiac CX20 which is the Australian branded version of the Polaris P825. I can kick start the cleaner by manually spinning the wheels and it will run for a random period of time and then stop again. Very frustrating as I'm out of my warranty period by about 12-months.

As @generessler mentioned, I looked at those videos and took mine apart yesterday (I specifically watched this video ->

).

Inside the motor block, there's a DC motor for turning the wheels with the product number 45JFX3857. The motor is quite hard to turn by hand, so I might try and see if I can find a replacement motor.

I'll update the thread as I try and get my robot fixed. Hope this information is helpful.

what size of the carbon brushes