Dyson CR01 Contra not Contra’ing?

[shagmeister]

Hi all, I have come home to find my Dyson CR01 not contra-rotating (but is running in single drum). I have taken the back off and found that the clutch motor, and clutch ring all serviceable. If i put the clutch assy into single drum it all spins very easy, into contra and the torque level increases, but is still turnable using 2 hands. The machine is showing no fault codes. So i am thinking it could either be 1 of the 2 motors U/S or possibly a control board? Any advice? How can I fault find? Thanks

[Martin]

Re: Dyson CR01 Contra not Contra’ing?

Have a read of this…….

viewtopic.php?t=73437

[j2k]

Re: Dyson CR01 Contra not Contra’ing?

Have a good check of the gear change ramp assembly and the actuator motor, the ramps can become tight due to build up of carbon dust from the motors or rubber from the belt, the bevel gear on the actuator motor can have the locating “flat” rounded out of the ramps are sticking so the gear change doesn’t complete and fully switch to contrarotate mode.
This does not always log a fault code so you will have to observe the action. If you run the machine in diagnostic mode ( power the machine up into diagnostics and press start on a cottons program,) pressing the soil level button will advance the wash program to the next step and save having to wait. If the gear rack on the ramp assembly doesn’t reach the end of its travel and operate the right hand microswitch and a clicking can be heard then it is likely the bevel gear has worn and these are obsolete, you only option is to have a go at fixing with epoxy adhesive such as the one beginning with arald and ending with ite or sourcing a used motor, there are 2 types of connector depending on the age of the machine fitted to the actuator motor/microswitch assembly.
make sure to give the ramps a good spray with silicone or similar spray, don’t go overboard with light oils as they cause the castellated nut on the drum shaft to loosen.

HTH

[shagmeister]

Re: Dyson CR01 Contra not Contra’ing?

The Ramp motor and ramp assy is working satis, and the clutch/contra gearbox seems too be working satis. Is motor failure common? Was considering swapping the motors around? Any other fault finding or exploration you could recommend?

[j2k]

Re: Dyson CR01 Contra not Contra’ing?

The main motors run in unison, effectively sharing the load, the contrarotation is achieved through the gearbox mechanism ( ramps, actuator and spring loaded planet carrier), if the gearbox is operating correctly and the gear mode microswitches are operating/being operated correctly then you need to be looking at the drum.
when the machine changes to contrarotate mode does the drum “stutter”, it will try to move and then stop, if so then the drum supports are corroded and pushing the rear drum forward ( the slip ring between the 2 drums tends to ride forward and onto the front drum. if rotates in 1 direction when in contrarotate mode then you have either a faulty gearbox or the drum spider on the rear drum has broken. out of interest can you post back the diagnostic information i.e nnnnFnnFnnFnnVnnn(s)

[shagmeister]

Re: Dyson CR01 Contra not Contra’ing?

I havent had chance to get the diagnostic info as of yet, and today is the cardiff beer festival……….. so best i dont touch electrics! The gearbox is dropping into contra mode, the drum starts to drive, clunks as the gearbos drops into the contra mode, but the increase in torque is then stalling the motors. I was thinking that one motor had dropped out decreasing the torque. Is it a do able job to strip the drum to check for corrosion. If it is corroded is there anything i can do to it anyway?

[j2k]

Re: Dyson CR01 Contra not Contra’ing?

Your drums have jammed due to either limescale, corrosion or other detritus building up on the drum supports/spiders, usually caused by insufficient maintenance washes, low temperature washes and liquids, your slip ring between the drums will have started to ride forwards and you may have an F1 in the diags report, As the rubbish builds on the spiders and between the hub and the rear panel of the drum the rear drum distorts. You have a couple of options which are to source a control panel with the “VxxxS” contrarotate disabled firmware, take the drum out and try to descale/clean or have a go at a drastic solution which would be to lay the machine on it’s back with half a gallon bottle of patio/brick cleaner and hot water added to a level which covers the rear of the drum, leave overnight and regularly move the machine to agitate the solution, if you go to the DIY shed that sounds like bee and cue they sell the cleaner, the cheaper acid based one at around £8.50 will discolour the stainless steel, the dearer environmentally friendly one at around £16 does not seem to. Once the machine has been left to soak, stand upright and using the cancel program button pump the solution into a bucket. set the machine to a heavy stains 85 wash and once the pressure switch reset pump out completes slowly pour the solution back into the machine through the soap tray and allow it to run the program. if you can place the machine outside and connect to an outside tap the better as the cleaner will cause limescale and detergent to froth and it will come out of the soap tray.
If this doesn’t help the only option will be to remove the drum and manually clean or powerwash the drum rear and reassemble. if it does work for you then once a month add a pint of the patio cleaner to the boil wash maintenance cycle to keep it free.

[shagmeister]

Re: Dyson CR01 Contra not Contra’ing?

You say look for a ‘control panel with the “VxxxS”‘, do you mean the control board (internal) or the control panel on the front of the machine? Cheers, you have been very helpful

[j2k]

Re: Dyson CR01 Contra not Contra’ing?

Hi,
The control panel is the one with the buttons on the front of the machine where you change the wash programs, if you cannot free the drums using the method suggested then your options are to dismantle and descale the drums (not easy!!)( there are some guides on the interweb of how to dismantle one of these beasts) however the 2 drums are very difficult to split as the screws corrode into the cast alloy supports, hence my suggestion of powerwashing the detritus from the supports. most machines were doctored by dyson to disable the contrarotation feature so most appearing on internet auction sites will be disabled. for information the board inside the base of the machine is the powerboard which controls the motors/ pump/gear change actuator/ inlet valves/ heater and temperature control and is the one which needs repair when the dreaded F11 fault appears.

HTH

[Author]

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