Brand new roomba 770 ERROR 2!?!?!?

[Onbu]

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry if you have seen this question before (I've searched but could not find an answer):

I have a brand spanking new 'just out of the box' IRobot Roomba 770 that I have been unable to even get to charge up for the first time because every time I put it on the charging station it starts saying and showing ERROR 2.

In the manual it says if ERROR 2 happens your Roomba is too hot and needs to cool down then be put back on the charging base - but this can not be the case for me because the roomba has never done a cleaning cycle even, this is its first charge out of the box...

If you have any suggestions about what I am doing wrong - or how I can remedy this situation I would greatly appreciate your advice.

Thank you!

[mfortuna]

Make sure the battery is properly inserted. If the thermistor connection is open you could get the error you describe.

[vic7767]

When you pulled the plastic strip out of the bottom of your Roomba there may be some plastic that still remains on the battery contacts. To resolve that issue will require you to open the battery access door, lift the battery out and look for plastic pieces that may be insulating the battery contacts. Also lift up on the 4 tangs to improve contact with the battery when it s re-inserted.

[Onbu]

Dear mfortuna and vic,

Thank you so much for your replies.

I was so excited when I saw your advice because taking the battery in and out seemed like an easy fix....

Alas, I have done that now - and there was no plastic left inside from the pull tab and we pulled the little tangs up a little before reinserting...BUT EXACTLY THE SAME ERROR 2 CODE IS SHOWING WHENEVER WE PLACE THE ROBOT ONTO THE CHARGING STATION?!?!?!?!?!?

I am so disappointed and frustrated at this point

I have been searching online for someway of troubleshooting this but I have not come across anyone else reporting this error when trying to do a first time charge of a new machine.

Any other ideas, suggestions or advice you can share with me would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

[vic7767]

At this point since your Roomba is new and under warranty the quickest solution will be to register your Roomba on the iRobot web site and contact the iRobot customer service toll free number for an immediate replacement. They will also provide you with a UPS shipping label to return your defective 770 back to them for analysis .

[Onbu]

At this point since your Roomba is new and under warranty the quickest solution will be to register your Roomba on the iRobot web site and contact the iRobot customer service toll free number for an immediate replacement. They will also provide you with a UPS shipping label to return your defective 770 back to them for analysis .

Hmmm....well, Irobot would not ship their products to my current location:

So I ordered the 770 from Amazon - without realizing that if I did that, the Irobot support/tech team would not help me at all over their customer call hotlines.

I could see if Amazon will take it back at this point but Amazon have informed me they want me to upfront pay all the shipping costs associated with returning the entire unit back to them and then they will send out the replacement unit and refund the shipping costs (which are huge given the size/weight)

No other ideas for a quick fix?
Or it really seems to you that this unit has a problem?
(other than I'm just doing something wrong)

[vic7767]

No, you're not doing anything wrong. I have a 760 and a 780, both of them worked correctly directly out of the box. I unpacked each one and pulled the battery tab then plugged in the power supply to charge them for the initial 16 hours and did not experience any errors. You've received a duff unit and Amazon should replace it since that is where you purchased it from.

[Gordon]

Maybe there is a fault in the charging Power Supply Unit.

Not that I know one little thing about the 7XX series Roomba, other than vic7767 has found corollary with the 5XX series, to some degree. That may be the case for this thread's topic. Notice that the 5XX Service Manual states this for Charging Error 2:

{Status Icon:} 2-blinks | Err2 Charging | {Roomba says:} Error 2
{What it Means:} Battery overcurrent. This occurs when the current is over 1250 mA. | {What to do:} 1. Replace Robot + Power Supply.

Now then, we know that in 5XX & 4XXX Roombas the high-rate (1.25A) charging current is controlled within the PSU, not within the robot.

Perhaps it would be wise to try an alternate 7XX PSU to see if the fault goes away(?). Purchasing & shipping a PSU will be much less costly than shipping a Roomba plus all accessories back to a seller!

[vic7767]

I hadn't considered the 500 Service manual data but it certainly makes sense that not only the 500 model Roomba but also the 700 and 600 series share the same charging hardware and firmware program. It certainly is worth looking for an alternate power supply to test with, even from a 400 model.

[Onbu]

You guys are fantastic!

Thank you so much for trying to help me.

Please don't laugh - but can I just clarify the suggestions: Should I be trying a new 'charging base station' or just a new 'power adapter/power cord that plugs into the wall and then into the charging base' or swap out both?

And if the answer is the power cord, can you please tell me with regards to " Battery overcurrent. This occurs when the current is over 1250 mA." exactly what the input/output specs of the one I swap to should be?

Thanks so much for your time.

[vic7767]

Most Roomba power supplies will be rated at .75 amps and you might find some earlier models rated at 1.25 amps. As far as troubleshooting this charging error it would be best to keep the homebase out of the loop until a working solution is at hand.

[Onbu]

So I just need to try a couple of different power adpaters instead of buying a new charging station?

I have actually done that - one power adapter which has different setting options on it, and another which is suppose to be an exact replica of what my roomba machine actually requests for the specs.

They have both had the machine spit exactly the same error message at me

Although, I only tried the one with the optional voltage settings at settings that were a little tiny bit less than the roomba required - so should I try again with that adapter but one by one on every setting possible and see if there is any change in the roomba reaction?

[Onbu]

And so the frustration rises...

I changed the setting on the adjustable power adapter to a much lower setting then I had tried before (which was actually the setting just under perfect spec requirement as per machine manual) and it was very happily charging away for about ten minutes, didn't look like there was a problem and I was about to explode with happiness...but then it suddenly spat out a completely different error message: ERROR 5.

So in the 700 manual this error is called a charging error and the troubleshoot solution is to hold down the clean button for ten seconds then try again.

Am in the process of trying again now.



Thank you for your time.

[vic7767]

Your Roomba has gone from an over current condition to an under current condition. It's time to get Amazon on board and seek a replacement.

[Gordon]

Onbu, in your OP of October 29th you said:

...In the manual it says if ERROR 2 happens your Roomba is too hot and needs to cool down then be put back on the charging base - ...

I must apologize for my redirecting your troubleshooting effort, and to members for wasting their time, from a charging (battery) temperature fault to the excessive charging current possibility. Not until last night did I actually pay attention that you found the charging-error 2 in your 770's OM!

I then went to page-12 of the 7XX OM to find the following charging-errors' table:

While I am surprised to see three battery-temperature errors (#2, #6, & #7) listed, I think it is reasonable to 'guess' that err2 relates to the 7XX control system checking for an acceptable battery temperature prior to beginning actual charging. All Roomba series, 4XXX, 4XX, 5XX, and 6XX do that check before applying the high-rate (normally 1.25A, for a three-hour charging claim).

However, no 'guessing' is required to see that iRobot engineers have reassigned error codes that were previously used in earlier Roomba models.

Therefore:

A) I agree with vic's posts saying, in effect, that your 770 should be packed up and returned to Amazon to obtain repair or replacement.

B) But, if you were to insist on pursuing err2 troubleshooting, it is obvious to me that you should pick up where Mike made this suggestion:

(October 29th), ... If the thermistor connection is open you could get the error you describe. ...Mike

Yet, as I see it, you are between a rock and a hard place. You have explained why you don't wish to do (A); and, (it appears to me, from your posts) that you lack adequate technical experience to go very far with (B).

You have already explored the "poor electrical contacts" potential source or err2, thus, IMHO, your only err2 troubleshooting options are to:

1) Use an electrical resistance-meter (ohm-meter) to measure (from outside the battery pack) resistance of the "thermistor" inside your 770's battery. When the entire battery (of course, removed from the robot) has been allowed to reach your room's ambient temperature, say around 25C deg., thermistor resistance will measure approximately 10,000 ohms. I doubt that you are equipped to make that measurement, hence, that leaves option (2).

2) Substitute the battery. With an alternate (best if known to be Roomba-chargeable, but any other, functional, 5XX, 6XX, or 7XX battery should provide minimal chance of having an open thermistor circuit) installed in the robot, and with a powered charging PSU plugged into Roomba's side jack, do a charging trial.

{You can see here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-Authentic-R ... 27c9ff7c2c
that the electro-mechanical packaging of the battery pack is consistent across many recent Roomba models.}

After performing (1) to learn the original battery actually has a proper thermistor resistance across its two battery temperature-sensor terminals you will have confirmed the err2 electrical fault is inside the robot. Conversely, the battery must be replaced.

If instead you perform option (2), using a substitute battery and find that the robot still issues err2, you will have confirmed the err2 electrical fault is inside the robot. Conversely, the battery must be replaced.

[robotjunky]

I am not an expert, but it does sound like you are using a US power supply on a European power grid ?
If this is correct, I believe you may need to use a step down transformer, purchase a 220 iRobot charger or make the technical changes to your charger that the good people here can help you with. If I am incorrect, please forgive my impertinence!

[Gordon]

I am not an expert, but it does sound like you are using a US power supply on a European power grid ? ...

robotjunky, it'll be interesting to read what Onbu says about your notion; however, there is enough evidence (in a Hacking Forum thread about converting 120VAC input PSUs for 240VAC mains operation) to refute that notion.

Here's how it goes: An unknowing user applies 220/240VAC to a PSU built only for 120VAC operation and, within about 20 milliseconds, several components in the PSU become irreversible scrap, so the PSU is a dead duck in the blink of an eye. The PSU never even had a chance to deliver any dc output voltage to Roomba.

Since no power is delivered to Roomba from that inoperative PSU, Roomba fails to notice an attempt to switch it to charging mode, thus it remains on battery power (or no power if its battery is really flat) in standby mode. In either event, Roomba is in no mood to issue any charging error announcements.

[Onbu]

Hi everyone,

I did end up ordering a replacement Roomba 770 from Amazon...and now we are completely stumped

The comments posted suspecting I do not have sufficient technical/electrical expertise were correct That's why I came here for help

My husband has read through all your suggestions (which yes, were technical for me) and he has given the below summary to pass on to you all; to see if by using this information anyone has any new ideas about what could be wrong/what we are doing wrong. We really do appreciate your time and help

_________________

Hi guys,

Here’s the timeline up to present, hopefully with all key info:

· Sourced a Roomba 770 (R1)
· Sourced a variable voltage AC adapter (VVAC) providing up to 3.5A
· Connected VVAC to R1 at 21v - this generated Error 2 (plus an audio announcement “Charging Error”)
· Turned down VVAC to 16v – reseated R1 – R1 charges happily for a period of time (20mins à 1hr)
· R1 produces error 5 (also a “Charging Error” according to the audio prompt)
· Increase voltage on VVAC to 18v and reseat – R1 then charges happily for another period of time
· R1 produces error 5 (also a “Charging Error” according to the audio prompt)
· Increase voltage on VVAC to 19v and reseat – R1 then charges happily for another period of time
· R1 produces error 5 (also a “Charging Error” according to the audio prompt)
· Increase voltage on VVAC to 22v and reseat – R1 then charges happily as much as required
· R1 cleans the house then returns to base charging station – immediate Error 2 – reseat and repeat above tiered charging (if its not too drained, it might be ok to start at 18v or 19v)

· Bought a third party AC Adapter (TPAC), listed as compatible with 770 Roombas – supplies 22.5v at up to 1.5a
· Connected TPAC to charged (ie docked for some time) R1 base station – no error
· R1 cleans the house and returns to base charging station – immediate Error 2.
· Replacing TPAC with VVAC at 16v works fine.
· Stepping up through tiered charging as above works fine.
· Once R1 has charged for a while at 19v (or reports Error 5 at 19v) the TPAC will work fine if connected.

Pretty convinced now I’ve figured this out – two adapters from different sources behaving in a similar way. I think the problem is R1.

· So we have now received a replacement from Amazon – another brand new Roomba 770 (R2)
· Took R2 out of the box, and connected R2 to TPAC for the first ever charge – this works for about 5 seconds…. then error 2.
· R2 exhibits all the exact same behaviour as R1 (tiered charging etc)


At this point I am very confused. I have two adapters behaving in the same way. I have two brand new roombas behaving in the same way. I find it unlikely that I have two faulty Roombas… but the tiered charging makes me see this as an internal voltage/charge regulation issue.

At this point I am almost desperate enough to order an official (extortionate) iRobot adapter just to eliminate some bizarre in-adapter behaviour.

Any thoughts or advice very welcome!!

Cheers!

[TechGuy]

· Bought a third party AC Adapter (TPAC), listed as compatible with 770 Roombas – supplies 22.5v at up to 1.5a
· Connected TPAC to charged (ie docked for some time) R1 base station – no error
· R1 cleans the house and returns to base charging station – immediate Error 2.

Right after a cleaning mission, the battery may be too hot. Roomba detects that condition and generates charging error 2. Let the battery cool down and charge it with TPAC.

[Onbu]

· Bought a third party AC Adapter (TPAC), listed as compatible with 770 Roombas – supplies 22.5v at up to 1.5a
· Connected TPAC to charged (ie docked for some time) R1 base station – no error
· R1 cleans the house and returns to base charging station – immediate Error 2.

Right after a cleaning mission, the battery may be too hot. Roomba detects that condition and generates charging error 2. Let the battery cool down and charge it with TPAC.

Hi TechGuy,

I think there may be something else wrong though because...

-the machine announces ERROR 2 when put on the charging base straight out of the brand new box at 22V- so machine is not at all hot then.
-does not announce ERROR 2 directly after a cleaning cycle IF the base is connected to an adapter set at a much lower voltage.
-does announce ERROR 2 after a cleaning cycle even when time has been allowed for cooling down if trying to begin the charge after the cleaning cycle at 22V.

These behaviours are very consistent and repeatable - with both of the Roomba machines.