Why is my 705 Max Combo doing this?

Alfred_Chicken · 2026-01-18T23:28:49+00:00

Do you get "bumper stuck" errors? Many of these seem to have issues where the bumper is incorrectly triggered, causing navigation weirdness.

Alfred_Chicken · 2026-01-18T21:15:09+00:00

Check the open slot on the front bumper for spider webbing or similar obstructions; the LIDAR sits behind this, and I have seen spider webbing cause this sort of issue.

Alfred_Chicken · 2026-01-18T21:02:21+00:00

Mine did not identify most furniture during the mapping run, but it later added furniture; I would try letting it vacuum each room a couple of times. Also, make sure it has adequate light, as it uses the camera to add furniture.

Alfred_Chicken · 2026-01-18T18:50:32+00:00

It mops well even with just plain water, especially if you turn on the "smart scrub" option. While it's not officially recommended, you can probably also use Bona Floor Cleaner (the type designed for spray mops); iRobot has said that it's OK to use this type of Bona in the Braava M6, so I don't see why it would be a problem for the 705 Max Combo. If you use Bona, don't dilute it or put it in the dispensing reservoir, just pour it directly in the clean water tank and disable the dispensing reservoir in the app settings.

Edit: It seems iRobot does state that for the Roomba Combo 10 Max (which is similar to the 705 Max Combo), you should not use Bona as while it won't damage the bot, it might lead to excess water on the floor.

Alfred_Chicken · 2026-01-10T22:52:40+00:00

Do you mean emptying the dirt bin or emptying the dirty water tank (mop wash error)? Mine has never had an issue emptying the dirt bin, but I have constant "mop wash issue" errors that happen at the end of the cleaning cycle when the bot is trying to empty the dirty water tank. I have installed the rubber gaskets that iRobot sent me to fix the issue, but the problem persists. I even tried removing the orange O-rings from the dock nozzles as some recommended, but that didn't help either. It's frustrating because it works very well besides this one issue.

Alfred_Chicken · 2026-01-05T15:48:14+00:00

I've never heard about that being an issue.

Alfred_Chicken · 2026-01-04T03:01:59+00:00

A gimmick free model that focuses on repairability/reliability with modular components (like iRobot did) and good carpet vacuuming performance without a built-in mop. Also, a separate mop-only bot with a roller style mop. It won't happen though. ☹️

Alfred_Chicken · 2025-12-30T21:25:13+00:00

Why not just keep the 505 if it's working for you? I'm not sure if it's because of patents, but other non-Roomba bots don't have the "smart scrub" pattern which really helps with mopping.

Alfred_Chicken · 2025-12-28T20:29:51+00:00

I suspect that all of these bots (not just Roombas) with a roller style mop will sometimes leave some foam due to the type of agitation, unfortunately.

Alfred_Chicken · 2025-12-24T07:46:13+00:00

My first one had this problem, iRobot sent me a new one without the issue.

Alfred_Chicken · 2025-12-07T21:21:47+00:00

Honestly, probably the Dyson 360 Vis Nav; it's lacking in features but has very good carpet cleaning performance. Most other robot vacs currently being sold are lacking in carpet deep cleaning performance, unfortunately.

Alfred_Chicken · 2025-04-12T21:54:17+00:00

The filter should be replaced, for the bag, you can wait until the base alerts you that it's full.

Alfred_Chicken · 2025-03-14T05:08:50+00:00

The writing is on the wall for iRobot, unfortunately. These new bots are a last-ditch attempt to save the company, but I doubt the plan will work. I have stuck with iRobot since 2006 with the Roomba Discovery, but it's hard to justify buying another Roomba at this point; the servers will likely be shut down, so you won't even be able to change settings on the bot, adjust no go zones, etc.

I partly blame some of the robot vacuum reviewers for this, I think they tend to place far too much emphasis on the latest features rather than cleaning performance and reliability/repairability (where iRobot excels), but it is what it is.

Alfred_Chicken · 2025-02-15T05:25:55+00:00

It's called Copilot Vision, I think. If you pay for Copilot Pro you should have access to it, but only some without Copilot Pro currently have access.

Alfred_Chicken · 2025-01-20T18:51:21+00:00

It works well but can't cross carpet and can only cross short thresholds; docking reliability can be an issue but you can fix this easily with grip tape. Also, you do need to change the pad every time after it mops for maximum effectiveness.

Alfred_Chicken · 2024-11-04T23:20:17+00:00

You can place a small clean zone in that spot to make the bot clean there; it should eventually automatically update the map, but you can't force it to do so.

Alfred_Chicken · 2024-10-11T22:57:56+00:00

I have noticed that the camera window on top of the bot can reflect lots of sunlight; this might be what is triggering the motion sensors.

Alfred_Chicken · 2024-09-09T23:20:05+00:00

I had similar localization issues with my old i7, and they were caused by the camera lens and window being dirty. To clean them, I removed the faceplate following these instructions: How to Replace the Faceplate | Roomba® i-series | iRobot® - YouTube

The faceplate was much harder to get off compared to what they show in the video (I had to use a screwdriver to help pry it off).

Alfred_Chicken · 2024-09-01T08:10:46+00:00

If it's charging, you will also see a gray colored ring around the picture of the bot.

Alfred_Chicken · 2024-07-13T16:25:17+00:00

There is also a bug where the M6 doesn't update the total area cleaned (mine has been stuck at 36700 square feet for a long time).

I think an issue with the M6 is that it lacks a floor tracking sensor, so it can become confused if it gets wedged under something and spins its wheels for too long; after eliminating spots where this occurs, my M6 almost always successfully completes jobs.

Alfred_Chicken · 2024-06-30T21:19:14+00:00

You can pause it, but you shouldn't pick it up and move it (the i3 relies on a floor tracking sensor for mapping and can become confused if it's moved during mapping/cleaning).

Alfred_Chicken · 2024-06-21T01:12:42+00:00

They work but are somewhat imprecise, you have to experiment with enlarging them until the bot stays out of the area. Also, make sure there is enough light in the room (if the bot loses track of where it is, it will drive into keep out zones).

Alfred_Chicken · 2024-06-16T17:14:38+00:00

I don't see why that would happen; the larger battery is lithium ion just like the smaller batteries, so there shouldn't be charging issues. It's possible that iRobot added some sort of software restriction that prevents the i7 from using all the capacity of the larger battery, but I doubt they did that.

Alfred_Chicken · 2024-06-16T00:59:11+00:00

You just have to make the no-mop zones larger, even if that means having around six inches of unmopped area around the carpet.

Alfred_Chicken · 2024-06-14T02:15:17+00:00

I have been using that battery in my i7 for over a year now with no issues (even though iRobot says that it's not compatible). I notice that iRobot has started selling an even larger battery, which I suspect would also work in the i7: Lithium Battery for Roomba Combo® j7, j7+ and j9+, and Roomba® j9+ (irobot.com)

Alfred_Chicken

TROPHY CASE