V8 Animal+ brush bar only starts consistently when pushing vaccuum forward | Dyson Community
Skip to main content
Visit Dyson.com Visit Dyson.com

My V8 Animal+ has an intermittent problem and I’m not certain how to correct.   If I hold up the vacuum off of the floor, or place on the floor without pushing, the brush bar (cleaner head) only starts rotating some of the time. I often have to press the button a number of times to get it going and it doesn’t seem to follow a pattern.

However, if I push the vacuum forward on the ground while pressing the button, then the cleaner head brush starts consistently.   I’m not sure what might be wrong.

If it helps, here are some other details:   My battery seems to be getting old. On high power it only lasts a minute or two. When I push the vacuum forward I see the brush starting to rotate just from the motion before I press the button. Am I “helping” the process get started?  Or maybe there is a connection problem in the sick or at the collection bin?  I tried connecting the cleaner head attachment directly to be bin, bypassing the middle stick portion, and the same symptoms persist.

Thanks for any help or direction you can provide!

Hi @synapse13,

Welcome to the Dyson Community!

There are a couple of things you can check on your Dyson V8™️ vacuum to rule out any obvious issues here.

  • Check your machine’s motorised cleaner head is free of any threads, hair or other debris which could be adding excessive resistance to the rotating brush bar. Tangled threads and hair around the brush bar or the drive mechanism can cause the cleaner head to shut itself off for protection:

 

  • Pull the cyclone release catch upwards until the bin base opens. Then press the red catch underneath the bin once the bin base is open to release it from the machine. Once the bin has been removed, clean the electrical contact points of any dust or fluff. The electrical contacts are located at the top of the bin where it connects to the Main body. Dust on these contact points can cause an intermittent power connection to the wand and motorised cleaner head.
Remove the clear bin and clean the electrical contact points

 

These simple checks should help rule out any obvious issues - it may be possible to resolve this on the spot!

But if you do need further troubleshooting help after trying this - especially if you think your battery may also be due for a replacement - please contact Dyson Customer Care directly for further support.

Visit Dyson.com and click support for the contact options for the Dyson Customer Care team in your region.

Hope this helps!

Terms & ConditionsCookie settings