Kellys Rambling Robot Repair! Fixing Irobot Roomba not charging on dock or sensing dock 650

This is a complete teardown, fix and re-assembly of an Irobot Roomba 650 model. It requires 1 replacement A/C jack you can find on ebay for cheap, and some basic tools to dis-assemble.
I realize the video is long, but i wanted to include taking it apart and putting it back together for anyone who hasn't done it or doesn't want to have to refer to other videos.

[chuncanisima]

Thanks man!! i have a roomba 655, this model DOES NOT COME WITH THE FAST CHARGING PORT ON THE SIDE.
But before I found your video i changed the motherboard, which it does come without the side charging connector on the board (I would show you the pics if I could), so i went and bought the jack-wire-connector you recommended , connected to the mother board, mounted on the side, poked a hole, and VOILA charges all good. So thanks to your help i did not only fixed the problem, but also i added functionality))) IM happy!!!

PS1:Because on my personal journey with this thing, i took it apart and put it back together 3 times, and i can tell you don't need to take the bottom subassemblies out. just the bumper and the top circular pieces until you get to the mother board

PS2: Much appreciation to you, for being the ONLY GUY that that does not says: Make sure is plugged ..or that kind of useless help that most of blogs suggest

PS3: i agree with Kelly that Roomba built these to be fixable, so don't be afraid to do the job yourself, accouple of pictures and drawings will help you take it apart and put it back together w/o much trouble.

[Giancarlo]

*I absolutely love this thing for cleaning all flooring surfaces **MyBest.Tools** even does a great job on throw rugs. Highly recommend! Cuts cleaning time in half!*

[randythuro]

I bought mine used but it wouldn't dock. I purchased the replacement part on eBay and followed your instructions. Works perfectly now. Thank you for taking the time to make and post this fix.

[Jimminicrickettt]

I think what I appreciate most is the fact you seem like just a normal guy. Not some snobby I can fix the world kind!
Thank you for your honesty and realism!
I got a used 770 on OfferUp and it was just a simple modular cleaning head replacement to get my $700 roomba in total for $100 and 15 minutes work, after the $50 part.

[wouterdezeure]

This is fantastic. I was going to have to buy a new vacuum cleaner because it was beyond repair. after watching your video, i was able to fix it myself, with success! thanks.

[butterparty]

Thanks so much for this video! I never would have suspected the direct charging port, especially since it was working fine when plugged in. In my case I simply had some dust in that port, a simple toothpick swizzle sorted it out and my Roomba is docking again. Long live Roomba!

[parodoxis]

READ BEFORE YOU BUY
- there is no need to purchase a new port and wait for it to arrive. If you have only one charging cable, the safety feature is of no use to you anyway. So simply bypass it!
On the back of the charging port, the green PCB board has a BLACK, BROWN, and RED wire attached to it. The black and red are the bottom tab (ground/negative) and the center pole (positive, first contact on bottom), and the brown wire corresponds to the other charging contact on the bottom of the roomba. You simply need to jump the BLACK to the BROWN in any way you like! This permanently fixes the switch to be stuck "on" instead of off. If you don't have solder, you could simply remove the part entirely at the connector to the motherboard, and then bend the two prongs (for the BLACK and BROWN wires) together so they touch - or, leave just the wires (rip them off) and attach them together. If you have solder, you can solder these two prongs together, or if you want to leave the charging port in the machine (and have it still be usable) you can do as I did and solder the back of the port, right on the PCB. This also allows you to replace it with a new port later if you so desire. The two bottom-most (opposite the wires) blobs of solder correspond to the switch, you can try it out by jumping them together and watching it all work. Then just stick some new solder between these two points and viola! Permanently fixed, and you can still charge from the side :)
- there is no need to unscrew the handle, as in the video (and yes, it's a handle!)
- there is no need to unscrew the WHEELS at all, you can leave those too!

[Hotcars]

Thank you for this video!! Excellent job and tutorial.

I will say to anyone trying this, before you do try the cleaning the jack port trick. I sprayed mine for a good 30 seconds with compressed air. I was shocked at how much dust came out of that port. I then used a paper towel rolled into a fine tip and dipped it in 100% rubbing alcohol (I didn’t have contact spray) as my 595 is over 10 years old and owes me nothing. I was losing my mind as I’ve tried so many times to make this thing connect to the dock and it wouldn’t. This did the trick and I was so overjoyed. I hadn’t used this vacuum for 4 years and I had neglected it pretty bad. The battery, filter and brush rolls were replaced today but then it wouldn’t dock! This video and the comments saved me from throwing this thing out in frustration even if I didn’t have to replace the port, so thank you for that and those in the comments who shared your tricks to get it to dock again! So happy!

[dhi]

Thank you very much for this great Roomba repair video. I followed along my 770 model. A few things were a little different, but overall it was easy because of this video. I taped the screws onto the plastic holes they came from instead of keeping track of them.

[joseg]

Dude your first trick worked for me. I actually didn't even do much, I just kinda poked at the metal flap below and then put it back and boom it worked on the dock! Thanks!

[jeffj]

Thank you for not editing out the removal of the top cover. I really appreciate an honest video!

[erikaeisenring]

Thanks for taking the time to make this video. It solved my Roomba charging problem and your instructions made it an easy fix. I couldn't get to one of the screws on the right wheel and made the repairs with the wheels in place without any issues.

[TreggatTaggert]

Dude. I've been stuck trying to remove that top cover. I'm so tired of the vids that touch their top cover with a unicorn fart and it pops loose. So just a huge thanks for actually showing us the fight and struggle. Now I know how to proceed. Huge thanks for the in-depth vid and the chat during lol. Same chat I do with myself as I work anyway.

[desmondfmcgrann]

first class repair by a true and patient mechanic

[davidxu]

thank you for the video. I fix my Roomba by cleaning the A/C jack. I never thought that was the cause.

[MiaShi-xuhg]

Very useful video. I had exactly the same problem. Instead of replacing the charging port/socket, I use cleaning duster to blow the dust off the charging socket and it fixed problem. Hope it helps the future viewers. Worth a try.

[markhennings]

Rosie the Roomba does a great job picking up my hair🌼 (which is very long) as well as my two cats' hair. Much easier to just prep the house (pick up loose things on the floor, move some furniture around) and start Rosie than to vacuum--which forces my teenager to pick up her room! Also helped us take control of the flea problem we were having. Connects to the app and lets you know when she's stuck, low on battery, or done with the job (and she returns to her dock to recharge). Easy to empty bin (just remember to do it every time as it's not very big). Very happy we finally got her!

[YogeshPatel]

Thank you sir! My Roomba is alive again because of you. I had no idea about the failsafe feature.

Alternatively, instead of opening it all up, you can pour a spoonful of 99% alcohol down the DC jack to clear out any excess dust/debris. Attempt to swab up any dirt you can. Then see if it works! Worked for me after one rinse and dabbing up the excess with a swab

[MrAj]

Thanks for the great teardown video, you're bookmarked. I had the same problem but tried one of the comment fixes by cleaning the manual ac jack with a tiny brush, electrical contact cleaner, and canned air a few times, and that worked for me.

[kennethhollyhurst]

Excellent demo, but this problem is far easier to solve by just squirting switch cleaner into the socket on the side of the robot, push plug in and out a couple of times, and presto, now docks fine again.The problem is just a dirty contact, no strip down needed. So give this a try first!