I agree with you MrScott. Lets wait till we hear from sammy and then take it further. I would like to know what he/she has done so far, so we can pin point the problem. I left my V1 appart so I could get to the motors and board if need be.

GWJax, To Hack and make mods on robots is a life style and comes natural and not by choice. If a robot has a screw to open it then it must be opened!

sammy what Mr Scott is asking is weather the motor is turning at all? if its not then you have an electricial problem and if the motor does turn then you have a mechanicial failure somewhere.

ps you must have the covers off to view the motors.

GWJax, To Hack and make mods on robots is a life style and comes natural and not by choice. If a robot has a screw to open it then it must be opened!

There are no "servos". There are only DC motors that spin when a battery is connected. Are the motors spinning? Can you hear them whine, grind, or otherwise show signs of getting power?

If not, it's an electrical problem.

ScottE -- Member (always) & Moderator (when needed)

So is Dad going to let you use the voltmeter, or does he expect you figure it out without the necessary tools?

ScottE -- Member (always) & Moderator (when needed)

ok mrscott take it from here I have to return to work but when I get home I'll grab some voltages and have him check the wires and board, ie. transistors for the hbridge and diodes

GWJax, To Hack and make mods on robots is a life style and comes natural and not by choice. If a robot has a screw to open it then it must be opened!

Since it's an electrical problem, that does present some challenges to the diagnosis.

At some point you're going to have to figure out where the voltage is, and where it's not getting to. If the other motors are fine, then there are batteries providing voltage to the motor control board. What's not known is whether the board is not driving the motor in question, whether a cable is loose at the board or at the motor, whether there is a broken wire in the cable, or whether the motor is cooked.

Do you have a flashlight bulb and some wire to build a simple voltage tester?

ScottE -- Member (always) & Moderator (when needed)

I see your on top of it mrscott I return later and read whats happening
Jax

GWJax, To Hack and make mods on robots is a life style and comes natural and not by choice. If a robot has a screw to open it then it must be opened!

Like most things in life, there are likely explanations, and less likely explanations. Disconnected or broken wires are likely. A stuck motor is possible. Dead motor controls are less likely, especially if other motors work.

If a single motor is not getting power, but the other motors are, then a likely explanation is that a wiring plug has pulled out of a socket. Try disconnecting, and reconnecting the cable that connects the silent motor to the control board.

I don't have a RoboSapien (V1 or Spider variant), so I can't tell you exactly where to look, what color it is, etcetera. Based on what I've seen in other WowWee robots, I'd expect both ends of the cable to have a plug and socket connection.

If that doesn't fix it, the next thing to check is whether the wires in that cable are intact. If one has come loose from its plug, or broken in half inside the cable, then the power can't get to the motor.

It is for this broken wire testing that a voltage meter or continuity tester is handy. You cannot tell by looking at the outside insulation of a wire whether or not the conductor inside is in one piece.

ScottE -- Member (always) & Moderator (when needed)