Robot vacuum says “Error 5: Spin Roomba’s side wheels to clean” or “Wheel error” and stops.

Safety first: Power off the robot and remove it from the Home Base. Flip it over on a soft surface.

Steps to resolve:

• Inspect wheel treads and axles: Remove any hair, string, or fibers wrapped around the wheel hubs and axles.
• Exercise the wheels: Firmly spin each wheel by hand several times to free any internal dust on the encoder disk. Push the wheels up and down to ensure free travel.
• Clean around the wheels: Use a vacuum crevice tool or compressed air to remove dust from the wheel wells and around the wheel shafts.
• Check for physical damage: Look for cracked treads, wobbling wheels, or obvious damage to the wheel housing.
• Test operation: Place the robot on the floor and start a cleaning cycle. If the error recurs, note which wheel appears to stall or drag.

When to replace parts: Persistent Error 5 usually indicates a failing wheel module or encoder. Replace the suspect wheel module. If both wheels appear weak, consider replacing both modules.