Router is on the blink...need help fixing

[91FE]

All fixed. See post #15... thanks for all the help and suggestions.

I've got the re-branded Bosch Craftsman router and it's 1-2 years old. A few months ago I went to fire it up and it didn't make a sound. I checked the obvious stuff... like it was getting power... then decided to open it up. I checked the brushes and they looked fine (it had been barely used at this point), then pulled the armature out and didn't see anything unusual. I put it all back together and it fired right up. A couple weeks ago... I hit the switch and again it did nothing. This time I turned it off, then back on and it came to life... so i went on with my project. I've used it a dozen time since then without incident...until last night. I completed the first pass through my project and turned it off. I then adjusted the bit height and attempted my second pass... you guessed it... she wouldn't make a sound. I fiddled with it again... pulling the brushes and arbor, but that didn't help this time. My buddy, who was there helping me, said "I don't know dude... i think you flooded it". He was joking of course, as he admittedly knows nothing about electric motors.

I'm at a loss. I have no reason to believe my tinkering with the brushes and armature fixed it the first time. Maybe it was just a fluke. It 'fixed' itself with a quick toggle of the switch the second time... could it be a problem with the switch itself? If so, are they easily replaced?

Any other thoughts?

[dkerfoot]

My buddy, who was there helping me, said "I don't know dude... i think you flooded it".

That is a great line!

I'd start by testing the switch. Do you have a multimeter? If so, you will probably need to disconnect one of the wires going to it. Hopefully it isn't hard soldered. Disconnect one side of the switch and set the multimeter to check for resistance or Ohms (it may be a little horse-shoe looking symbol). Put the leads on each side of the switch. With the switch in one position, you should have very low resistance and in the other position the resistance should be very high. If not, replace it.

[RayintheUK]

I'm not saying it isn't the switch, but another possibility is that one segment of the armature or one part of the field coil is damaged (usually by a stall) and when the router comes to a stop at that position, it won't start. Next time it happens, switch off, turn the shaft a little by hand, try again. If it fires up the second time, that's almost certainly it.

Ray.

[mpauly]

Should be easy to isolate the switch, next time you have it apart, plug it in, switch it on and see if you are getting any power on the other side of it. If you get no power, do a quick check on the inbound side of the switch to confirm you've got a good cord. If everything checks out, work your way down the chain.

If the switch is bad, ease of replacing it is highly dependent on what type of switch it is and if you can get a replacement.

Michael

[91FE]

I'm not saying it isn't the switch, but another possibility is that one segment of the armature or one part of the field coil is damaged (usually by a stall) and when the router comes to a stop at that position, it won't start. Next time it happens, switch off, turn the shaft a little by hand, try again. If it fires up the second time, that's almost certainly it.

Ray.

I forgot to mention that part. I thought the same thing last night and spun the armature by hand... no help.

Should be easy to isolate the switch, next time you have it apart, plug it in, switch it on and see if you are getting any power on the other side of it. If you get no power, do a quick check on the inbound side of the switch to confirm you've got a good cord. If everything checks out, work your way down the chain.

If the switch is bad, ease of replacing it is highly dependent on what type of switch it is and if you can get a replacement.

Michael

I've got a meter and will check the switch when I get home tonight.

Thanks guys!

[JimD]

I've never changed a switch on a Bosch tool but have changed a couple PC switches (one router and one on a palm sander) and it was very easy. There is a factory authorized repair place nearby and they ordered the switch for me on the sander for a few dollars. I don't remember how I got the router switch.

I hope it's the switch and not the board for the variable speed. I have not had to replace one of them but my guess is it is more than the switch costs.

Jim

[LCHIEN]

you might try blowing the switch out - use air around the gaps in the switch from the outside. Might have gotten sawdust in it?

[dkerfoot]

Should be easy to isolate the switch, next time you have it apart, plug it in, switch it on and see if you are getting any power on the other side of it. If you get no power, do a quick check on the inbound side of the switch to confirm you've got a good cord. If everything checks out, work your way down the chain.

If the switch is bad, ease of replacing it is highly dependent on what type of switch it is and if you can get a replacement.

Michael

If your meter will measure resistance, my method is safer. If you aren't used to working with electricity, I'd be very reluctant to work on a live open circuit like this.

If you do decide to test it live as Michael suggests, what you want to do is test from the switch to a known good ground. One side will always show 110VAC and the other will show 0 VAC when off and 110VAC when on. (If good)

Alternatively, if you are testing across the switch, if it is good, it will show 110VAC power when off and 0 volts when on. If it stays at 110VAC it is bad.

Again, by testing for resistance instead, you can have the thing unplugged and there is zero danger of electrocution. I highly recommend this instead.

[LCHIEN]

measuring may or may not be the end-all answer when the device operation is intermittent as the OP seems to indicate. If, when he takes it all apart, and the switch through all this handling and manipulation reverts to an operational state, then you will have proved nothing. There has been some comment history in the past about dust in the Bosch 1617 switches which is why I recommend that as the first suspect item and the treatment thereof.

[mschrank]

While this is a great router, it does have the common problem of the switch getting packed with fine sawdust, especially if it lives under a table.

Awhile back, I used mine to make a couple passes. The second or third time I tried to turn it on, nothing. I took it apart, removed the switch, and popped it apart. COMPLETELY packed with fine dust. Blew it out, reassembled...good as new. Only problem is I reassembled the switch backwards so that "Off" is now "On"

I had heard that Bosch is now making a new sealed switch, so I wrote them and asked for one. A few days later I got the package, but it contained the same (unsealed) switch as the one in my router.

[dkerfoot]

measuring may or may not be the end-all answer when the device operation is intermittent as the OP seems to indicate. If, when he takes it all apart, and the switch through all this handling and manipulation reverts to an operational state, then you will have proved nothing. There has been some comment history in the past about dust in the Bosch 1617 switches which is why I recommend that as the first suspect item and the treatment thereof.

I agree, that is a good idea. I was mostly concerned about the safety aspect of testing live circuits with (perhaps) a lack of experience in doing so.

Seems crazy to me that anyone would market a router without a sealed switch, especially a reputable company like Bosch. What were they thinking?

[91FE]

While this is a great router, it does have the common problem of the switch getting packed with fine sawdust, especially if it lives under a table...

Hmmm... so your saying that all of the fine dust from the corian I have been routing could be a problem? Yep...that sounds plausible. Guess I'll try cleaning the switch first.

[rh111]

Bosch has had a known problem with their switches in the 1617 routers not being sealed off well enough and getting dust in. My guess with this being a Bosch clone that the same issue might arise. I know that it is no consolation, but when it happened with my Bosch, I called Bosch and they sent me a new one. That was 1 1/2 years ago and no problems since

[Bill in Buena Park]

Please excuse the naivety of this question (not being familiar with the Bosch switch configuration), but if it is a dust issue because the switch is not sealed, could future dust issues be prevented by sealing the switch - with something like a tool-coating product like Dip and Grip?

[91FE]

All better! It was the switch. I tried blasting it with canned air while still installed, but that didn't fix it. I ended up pulling the switch, taking it apart, and cleaning it really good. Thanks for the tips guys.

I realize my fix is a band-aid, so I requested an upgraded sealed switch from Bosch. We'll see what they say.