{
  "$schema": "robofaults-fault-record/v0",
  "kind": "symptom",
  "brand": "roomba",
  "page_en": "https://robofaults.com/roomba/loud-grinding-noise/",
  "page_es": "https://robofaults.com/es/roomba/ruido-fuerte/",
  "slug": "loud-grinding-noise",
  "slug_es": "ruido-fuerte",
  "device_type": "vacuum",
  "title_en": "Roomba making a loud grinding noise",
  "title_es": "El Roomba hace un ruido de roce o chirrido",
  "severity": "warn",
  "severity_note_en": "keep running it and the gearbox wears itself out",
  "severity_note_es": "si lo sigues usando, el engranaje se desgasta del todo",
  "series": [
    "600",
    "e",
    "i",
    "j",
    "s"
  ],
  "tools_en": "Phillips screwdriver",
  "tools_es": "destornillador Phillips",
  "time_min": 25,
  "difficulty": "moderate",
  "safety": "none",
  "safety_note_en": "",
  "safety_note_es": "",
  "meaning_en": "A grinding Roomba is usually <b>hair in the main brush bearings</b> or grit inside the cleaning-head gearbox. Strip the brushes, clean the end caps, and listen again — replace the module only if the gears themselves are chewed.",
  "meaning_es": "Un Roomba que hace ruido fuerte suele tener <b>pelo en los rodamientos del cepillo principal</b> o suciedad dentro del engranaje del cabezal. Desmonta los cepillos, limpia las tapas de los extremos y escucha de nuevo — cambia el módulo solo si los engranajes están dañados.",
  "causes": [
    {
      "title_en": "Hair packed in the brush end caps",
      "title_es": "Pelo acumulado en las tapas de los cepillos",
      "detail_en": "Hair works past the caps and felts up around the bearings — the brush fights its own mount and rattles or grinds.",
      "detail_es": "El pelo pasa las tapas y se apelmaza en los rodamientos — el cepillo lucha contra su propio soporte y traquetea o rechina.",
      "likelihood": "most_common"
    },
    {
      "title_en": "Debris inside the cleaning head gearbox",
      "title_es": "Suciedad dentro del engranaje del cabezal",
      "detail_en": "Dust and hair slip through the extractor mating points straight onto the gear wheels, adding friction until the gears grind or stall.",
      "detail_es": "El polvo y el pelo se cuelan por las uniones de los extractores hasta las ruedas dentadas, sumando fricción hasta que los engranajes rechinan o se bloquean.",
      "likelihood": "common"
    },
    {
      "title_en": "Side brush gearbox jammed",
      "title_es": "Engranaje del cepillo lateral atascado",
      "detail_en": "A rhythmic clicking from the corner of the robot rather than the center — hair around the side brush gear shafts.",
      "detail_es": "Un clic rítmico desde la esquina del robot y no desde el centro — pelo en los ejes del engranaje del cepillo lateral.",
      "likelihood": "uncommon"
    },
    {
      "title_en": "Worn drive wheel gearbox",
      "title_es": "Engranaje de rueda motriz desgastado",
      "detail_en": "Noise only while the robot moves, even with brushes removed, points at a wheel module.",
      "detail_es": "Ruido solo cuando el robot se desplaza, incluso sin cepillos, apunta a un módulo de rueda.",
      "likelihood": "uncommon"
    }
  ],
  "steps": [
    {
      "title_en": "Isolate the noise",
      "title_es": "Aísla el ruido",
      "detail_en": "Pull the main brushes out and run the robot briefly. Noise gone means brushes or bearings; noise still there means gearbox or wheels.",
      "detail_es": "Saca los cepillos principales y haz funcionar el robot un momento. Si el ruido desaparece son cepillos o rodamientos; si sigue, engranaje o ruedas."
    },
    {
      "title_en": "Strip and clean the brushes",
      "title_es": "Desmonta y limpia los cepillos",
      "detail_en": "Pop the end caps — yellow on the 600 series — pull out the felted hair rings, and clear the square and hex drive sockets.",
      "detail_es": "Quita las tapas de los extremos —amarillas en la serie 600— saca los anillos de pelo apelmazado y limpia los encajes cuadrado y hexagonal."
    },
    {
      "title_en": "Open the cleaning head",
      "title_es": "Abre el cabezal de limpieza",
      "detail_en": "Unscrew the cleaning head module and pick hair off the gear shafts. On 800 and 900 series the gearbox is a known dust trap.",
      "detail_es": "Desatornilla el módulo del cabezal y retira el pelo de los ejes de los engranajes. En las series 800 y 900 el engranaje es una trampa de polvo conocida."
    },
    {
      "title_en": "Check the side brush and wheels",
      "title_es": "Revisa el cepillo lateral y las ruedas",
      "detail_en": "Remove the side brush and inspect its post, then spin both drive wheels by hand and listen for the grind.",
      "detail_es": "Retira el cepillo lateral y examina su poste; después gira ambas ruedas motrices con la mano y escucha el roce."
    },
    {
      "title_en": "Gears visibly chewed? Replace the module",
      "title_es": "¿Engranajes visiblemente dañados? Cambia el módulo",
      "detail_en": "Stripped teeth don't recover. A new cleaning head module — or fresh brushes if the wear stopped at the bearings — ends the noise.",
      "detail_es": "Los dientes comidos no se recuperan. Un cabezal nuevo —o cepillos nuevos si el desgaste se quedó en los rodamientos— acaba con el ruido."
    }
  ],
  "parts": [
    "roomba-main-brushes-600",
    "roomba-main-brushes-ei-j",
    "roomba-cleaning-head-module-600"
  ],
  "related_codes": [
    "2"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "label_en": "Schneor Design — Roomba 8xx/9xx cleaning head gearbox cleaning",
      "label_es": "Schneor Design — Limpieza del engranaje del cabezal en Roomba 8xx/9xx",
      "url": "https://www.schneordesign.com/diy/diy-irobot-roomba/chm-8xx-clean/",
      "kind": "community"
    },
    {
      "label_en": "Robot Reviews forum — Terrible grinding noise",
      "label_es": "Foro Robot Reviews — Ruido de roce terrible",
      "url": "https://robotreviews.com/chat/viewtopic.php?t=2565",
      "kind": "community"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "community",
  "last_verified": "2026-07-05"
}