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How a $1 Part Broke an $800 Vacuum (And Was it on Purpose?)

LeftyMaker

216,927 views

I am not buying anything by Dyson ever again.

After only two and a half years of use, my Dyson V15 Detect Absolute cordless vacuum cleaner broke unexpectedly. The problem wasn't the battery. I took it apart, fixed the issue, and found out three things:

1. The Dyson V15 breaks because of a set of failed capacitors -- three $1 parts caused an $800 vacuum cleaner to become completely unusable.
2. While many of the parts for the vacuum are modular, the motor assembly and its control circuit board are not. They are very difficult to reach and repair.
3. The failed capacitors are positioned in the absolute worst spot -- next to the motor, which produces heat causing them to degrade sooner.

SHOPPING LINKS:
🥫 The replacement capacitors I used for the repair: https://www.lcsc.com/product-detail/C...
🪛 A precision 18-in-1 screwdriver kit: https://amzn.to/3OGenMd
🪛 An extra-long Philips PH1 screwdriver: https://amzn.to/4cFjAMn
😮‍💨 Electric air blower: https://amzn.to/3QS6mo6
🔥 Solder wick and flux: https://amzn.to/4t7SqUN
ℹ️ The first screwdriver kit contains the Torx T8 tips, and the second screwdriver is specifically for the screws around the filter. Affiliate links: I may make a small commission if you make a purchase. The price you pay does not change, and your support helps me make more videos!

LINKS TO USEFUL RESOURCES:
📺 A Dyson V15 disassembly video by TechFix: Dyson V15 Detect - PART 1 - complete disas...
📑 A Reddit post describing the issue: Reddit: change_this_3_capacitors_to_repair_onoff_issue
📑 Custom Dyson motor controller: https://hackaday.io/page/38579-motor-...

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20 Comments

@LeftyMaker Creator 5 months ago Pinned

⚠To anyone considering to attempt this repair: fixing this vacuum is fairly difficult. You need replacement capacitors ($3 + Shipping), suitable screwdrivers, a really good soldering iron, and possibly solder removal tools/consumables. You may still end up damaging the electronics. Proceed at your own risk.

Links to the replacement caps and suitable tools are in the video description.

@deepspacemachines 5 months ago

the screws in the vacuum were pozidriv screws (identified by the little lines at 45°to the + ) and are only marginally compatible with phillips screws

@gabrielgomescunha 5 months ago

If I pay that kind of money for a vacuum cleaner it better last 50 years and suck the soul out of demons.

@welshi32 5 months ago

"Dad,, what's wrong with the vacuum?" "It Died-son"

@Papinak2 5 months ago

3:12 - 3 of those 4 screws are actually pozidrive (PZ) and not Phillips (PH). That's another important distinction, since they look similar, but have different geometry, with pozidriv having more parallel flutes, which are less likely to slip out. The extra X over the head marks pozidrive screw.

@remy44444 5 months ago

8:14 You're getting it wrong; they could have overkill capacitors for longevity which would costs them just a few more cents. It was a well aware to make a product that would die as soon as the warranty ends. Make no mistake, it's not about can we make it lightweight and thin, it's Can we make it fail as soon as warranty ends.

@johnnybravo6373 5 months ago (edited)

Dyson is awful. They create e-waste to sell more of their parts. Their batteries, the motors, the electrical brushes; they are all jank. They break easily so you buy new. For example, on github, there are people creating their own BMS files to remove the lock on batteries because dyson decided to lock the pack in the case of a difference of 0.3V. Also, their batteries doesn't even make use of active/passive balancing at all so you get this out of balanced cells by the time you are out of warranty. YIKES.

They are very convenient. The electrical brushes are excellent, but they are not environment or pocket friendly at all imo

I had a spare motor and the correct capacitor but I must have shorted something while soldering because I've got sparks when I did this repair. It is really difficult because you need a good soldering iron. The board is like a heatsink. Deff not something people can fix.

@samypereger4794 5 months ago

I had the exact same issue one week before guarantee was expired, I was "lucky" enough to not be scammed more than I already was and they send a new one as a replacement, they are well aware of this issue and prefer send a completely new one and hope most people will not do it or the issue will occur a bit too late, it was first time I bought from Dyson and it will be last one EVER

@TheOriginalStego 5 months ago

Repair Cafe guy here,
Dyson vacuum cleaners are by far the devices we most often encounter at repairing events.
Not only do they break down all the time, they are also impossible to easily repair. And Dyson is gatekeeping spare parts as well as documentation. Their products are stylish and have high tech built into them but they are on purpose made so they don't last to force people to buy new ones.
Also do we really need to have touchscreens and sensors to tell us the statistical size of particles we vacuum? Older vacuum cleaners got rid of the dust just as well without all those gadgets...

@theshonen8899 5 months ago

2:43 The filter looks horrendous. If you aren’t washing your filter, the motor will overheat and die. This is true for any sealed HEPA vacuum, not just Dyson.

@homelander-p4w 5 months ago

7:28 yes it is

@ReinForceOne 5 months ago

Those screwheads looked more like PZ1 than PH1

@fredgoesfast 7 hours ago

This happens when you run the vacuum in boost mode for extended periods of time. It puts a strain on those caps and they should have been larger like the ones you tried to fit in but wouldn't fit. Good job on the repair!

@JakalairVG 5 months ago

I miss working on older technology. I agree that it feels that most things are rarely built with the idea of repair in mind. I'm glad you got it working.

@Flederratte 5 months ago

3:12 Those are NOT Philips (PH) screws! Those are called Pozidriv (PZ)!
It is a different geometry.

@jakobschultz1663 5 months ago (edited)

That's what I call good timing. I volunteer at a local repair shop and have desoldered and ordered replacement caps on Sunday and they arrived mere minutes ago ^^ Wish me luck :D
Edit: It works now, but it was an absolute pain to get the holes for the capacitors free of solder, I had to resort to needles in the end. Some low temp solder would be handy for this repair

@wimwiddershins 5 months ago (edited)

Dyson are 90% marketing wank 10% product development.

Henry forever! Commercial grade for half the price, full catalogue of parts.

@28Novemeber1 5 months ago

I suggest you wash your filters regurally, 2:46 that is a cloged filter you are pushing the vaccum more which as result has the temprature inside the motor to get higher and higher. I have my v10 for 7 years with the original battery too and it holds strong. So guys regurally wash and replace the filters to avoid any problems.

@omanasahmed9729 5 months ago

In my personal opinion, making a product difficult or expensive to repair has become a deliberate practice by companies. Unlike in the past, companies no longer care about manufacturing products that last a long time and are easy to repair. Instead, their focus has shifted to making products with a short lifespan and deliberately making them difficult to repair in order to force people to buy new devices.

@ei.. 4 months ago

I've spoken a bit with James Dyson many years ago as my dad uses to work at a partering company.
He seems like the most genuine nice person i've ever met with a high ranking corporate position. It genuinely seemed like he wanted to make the best products he could, and actually innovate.

Again, this was many years ago, and I'm not even sure how much influence he has over the company anymore, but back then at least, I would never suspect him of intentionally making a product fail.