The subject procedure has been greatly revised. Version 0.4 {updated on 070128 to v.0.5} has many new tests in it, thanks to member Howard Busch -- who did most of the 'leg-work' in defining them!. Numerous corrections were done, many small additions were inserted, and the old test-numbering system replaced by serial test-numbers, 0 through 21 -- which should bring the tests into conformance with those seen in SCI outputs.
Past users of this procedure might be benefited by re-reading all sections very carefully! You can reach the procedure here:
Roomba Discovery Diagnostics & Disassembly.
{edit-insert 070124}This is in regard to loss of warranty by executing Roomba-Discovery's built-in-tests, BiT, (diagnostics). Today, I posted a query to the Customer Support Department Manager (who moderates the Roomba,Scooba-users site) about such action. In his reply, Tony Nutile made it clear that it is company policy, not the whim of individual CS-Reps, for the warranty to be rescinded if an owner runs the tests when the robot is not malfunctioning, or without coordinating such BiT running with iRobot.
Here is a copy of my query (message #12908):
Here is a copy of Tony's reply (Roomba-Scooba user's message #12910):Hi Tony:
I have a couple tough questions for you---they regard running
Roomba-Discovery's built-in self-tests.
Starting a few months ago, owners that had their robots quit working
properly, and, after having done everything they could think of to fix
it themselves, ultimately called iRobot's Customer Support phone number
to see what could be done about the duff unit, were told by the CS-Rep
that their floor-cleaner's warranty was null & void, simply because the
customer had admitted s/he ran the built-in tests as part of their
trouble-shooting process.
Is it iRobot's current policy to nullify a floor-cleaner's warranty when
the owner performs the set of factory self-test?
If it is, what is the technical basis for that?
And, last, would you please reference documentation which makes that
policy legal?
Thank you very much.
Regards;
---Gordon
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Customer Support wrote: Hello Gordon,
Good question...Good timing.
The BiT (Built in test) is not designed for use by anybody other
than trained iRobot employees for the purpose of diagnostics.
It has never been advertised, approved or suggested to customers by
iRobot. It is generally suggested by people on discussion boards and
sometimes it is suggested to people that should be contacting
Technical Support rather than try to determine the issue themselves.
When the BiT is performed on a robot, it shuts off all fail safes
that the robot has (ie: cliff sensors) as well as the ability to
protect motors from over current.
If not done properly, the BiT can open the possibility of damage to
the robot as well as other things within its environment. It may be
considered a Factory Test, but it's only available to the public
because a user figured it out and it has since been passed around
the internet...This does not make it OK for owners to perform this
test.
Since iRobot does not recommend this in any documentation, it is
clearly covered in our warranty under several instances, but is best
described as "applications and uses for which this product was not
intended."
As for why we would do this...
If a customer is within their warranty and they encounter a problem,
they should always contact Technical Support first. Only measures
that iRobot gives to the customer should be performed by the
customer.
If a customer has a circle dance issue and it's easily fixed by an
OSMO but the customer chooses to do the BiT first, they run the risk
of over current to the motor in the wheel module that is
experiencing the encoder issue and because of this it would render
the robot inoperable. However, we would not know that because the
wheel resistance would not change.
iRobot would then send the customer an OSMO which would not fix the
problem and we would have to then send the customer a replacement
robot because of this. This practice would put additional expense on
iRobot and delay the customer's overall correction of the problem
because of the test that they decided to perform before calling
Technical Support.
Why do you bring this up at a good time?
iRobot has changed the policy on the BiT for customers that are in
warranty.
If you are in warranty and you experience a failure the first thing
should ALWAYS be to contact Technical Support at
www.irobot.com/support. However, if you experienced the failure
first and then use the BiT to help determine the issue, you will
still be in warranty as long as you contact Technical Support to
take the next step in correcting it.
If you are in warranty and choose to use the BiT without having
experienced a failure or issue with the robot, the warranty on the
robot will be void.
I hope this clears up the reasoning behind our initial policy on
this matter and how going forward we will still continue to enforce
it to some degree.
Best Regards,
Tony Nutile
iRobot
