# Ryobi router troubleshooting, has it bitten the dust?



## gogogadgetman77 (Dec 10, 2014)

Hello, 

I have a Ryobi router that worked fine for a little while. (Bought it used) However now when I turn on the power switch the LED lights on the bottom turn on but the motor does not. After playing with it a bit I realized tapping the side of the router near the motor housing would sometimes get it to kick over. After doing this a few times even that would not work. However, if I tap the router on the edge of the table with some decent force it will turn over, sometimes I tap it several times before the motor will run on it's own. Once I get it going full speed it doesn't slow down or struggle. This makes me think this might be something simple to fix or replace. Any ideas? Thanks for your help in advance!


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Hey, Sam; take it apart check the bearings, clean everything thoroughly, _and replace the brushes_...also blow air through the switch.
And stop banging on the damn thing; it's supposed to be a precision tool!
Oh, and welcome to the forum!


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

gogogadgetman77 said:


> Hello,
> 
> I have a Ryobi router that worked fine for a little while. (Bought it used) However now when I turn on the power switch the LED lights on the bottom turn on but the motor does not. After playing with it a bit I realized tapping the side of the router near the motor housing would sometimes get it to kick over. After doing this a few times even that would not work. However, if I tap the router on the edge of the table with some decent force it will turn over, sometimes I tap it several times before the motor will run on it's own. Once I get it going full speed it doesn't slow down or struggle. This makes me think this might be something simple to fix or replace. Any ideas? Thanks for your help in advance!


see if this helps,,,


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

If it is bearings you should be able to feel them when you spin the shaft by hand. It will be stiff and you would probably find some spots harder to turn past than others. If it is the switch you should see some sawdust drop out of it when you tap lightly on the side around the switch. This was a problem some Bosch routers had until the factory replaced them with one that wouldn't clog up.(Bosch sent them to all customers who had that model free of charge by the way.) Brushes have to be inspected to diagnose easily. Check the power cord while you're at it. If you get the router running lay it on its side and wiggle the cord around. If it runs normally when you get it running it likely is something simple.


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

If we're starting a pool, I'm in it for the brushes...

Welcome...Nick


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Nickp said:


> If we're starting a pool, I'm in it for the brushes...
> 
> Welcome...Nick


me too...


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## 64 ford (Apr 21, 2013)

Yea- brushes have had similar experiences with other tools. Do they arc when it does run?
Dennis


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## BOjr (Dec 1, 2012)

I'm with the brushes. It sounds like they might get hung up and so don't make contact. When you're banging the router that causes them to slip down and make contact. It could be that they are worn or the spring is tired or broken.

Buck


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## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

Hi Sam. Welcome to our little corner of the 'net.

I'm thinking brushes as well. A very common wear point on older power tools, and usually a very cheap fix.


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

+1 more on the brushes. Now your decision is where to find replacements. Try eReplacements Premium Power . Another possibility is your local hardware store. If it's one of the better hardware stores, they will have many different sizes of "generic" brushes. Take one of yours with you to match up. If you don't find a perfect match, buy a pair that's close and sand or file them to get the right size. I've had to do this a few times and it works. Just keep in mind that the brush sanding dust is conductive, so clean up often and don't get the dust mixed with your electrical circuits.

Charley


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

The fellas posting so far seem to agree about the brushes. I would suggest however, that you first check for any loose connections on the wiring. It used to be those were soldered, but today they use clips of some sort, and these can work loose, or maybe were not really tight when it left the factory. Most tools get maybe 15 seconds of QC on the production line. I've had that problem a number of times over the years with various gear. I'm not that comfortable working on the guts of machines, but you don't have to disassemble much to check wiring harnesses.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

P.S. If you google your router brand and model number, + drawing, you'll probably find a 3D exploded view of the router's parts, which will help greatly with breaking it down and reassembling it.


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## gogogadgetman77 (Dec 10, 2014)

Wow thanks for all the help guys. I didn't expect this much of a response. Based on your collective thoughts as well as one of the first replies that had attachments (huge thanks to that person as I learned many things from those.) I think it's the brushes as well. One thing I didn't think much of was the sparks. I've seen most routers I have used...both at work and at home... have a little bit of sparking in the motor housing. But I pulled the router out and ran it with the top off... and realized that it was A LOT of sparks going on. Which is another symptom of the brushes it seems. So I will be looking for brushes. Also... if I'm not mistaken, there are two brushes typically? Or am I judging this incorrectly? It seems most places that have brushes sell them in packs of two, or increments of two.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Two brushes, yes.
On the attachments, I see you've met Stick, or as his friends call him, Stick.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Some routers have a pair of threaded plugs near the top end of the tool. The brushes are behind them when you have those. On others you have to take the top cover off and they are accessible from the top (sometimes with a lot of swearing involved). Worst case scenario you have to remove all the covers. Finding the parts schematic will help and there just might be a video available on you tube or elsewhere.


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