Bissell SmartClean 1605 Troubleshooting

Device doesn't activate

If the battery is not connected correctly, it won't be able to power the vacuum. Turn the power switch to the 'OFF' position. Then press down on the two circled areas and slide the battery cover off toward you, away from the device. Remove the battery and ensure that the terminals are corrosion free. Locate the positive and negative terminals on the battery, and match them up with the corresponding terminal in the battery compartment. Slide the cover back on and try to power on again.

If the vacuum won't turn on, it could simply mean it's low on power. Plug the power cable into a working outlet and then plug the other end into the charging port of the device, located on the side. Now turn the device 'ON'. The device should begin charging. Allow 4-5 hours for a full charge.

If the vacuum still doesn't charge/turn on, it's possible that either the battery or the AC charging adaptor is faulty and needs to be replaced. If you have a multimeter handy you can test to see if the charging cable has any voltage going through it. If it doesn't it means it's not supplying the battery with power and needs to be replaced. Additionally if you have any other DC cables around you can try to use one of them. If the cable is working properly the battery might be the point of failure. A new battery might be necessary to get.

The vacuum doesn't move, and stays in one location.

Check to see if the side switch on the vacuum is set to on. The 1 should be pressed down with the 0 part of the button sticking out.

The battery might be completely drained. If the vacuum has no error codes displayed on the LED screen, or shows "Lo", the vacuum should be returned to the charging dock or have the power adapter plugged into the "Charge" port next to the on/off switch.

The vacuum allows for a manual selection of the time and action. Some of the options do not include the action of returning to the dock, and will stop right when the battery runs out, or when the timer is done. The vacuum should move again during its next scheduled clean, or if you press the clock icon manually to get it to clean.

There might be a buildup of debris in the wheel socket. Follow the instructions for wheel replacement here and remove the wheels following the guide and put them back when you've cleaned the socket of debris.

One or both wheels might be damaged. Replace it/them using our wheel replacement guide.

The wheels might be stuck. You should see an error code displayed of "E1". Move the vacuum from the location and restart.

The bumper of the vacuum might be stuck. You should see an error code displayed of "E3". Move the vacuum and turn off and then turn it on.

The dust bin of the vacuum might be full. There should be a trash icon on the display screen of the vacuum. Empty the bin by pushing on the cover of the vacuum, pulling out the bin by the handle, removing the filter, and then throwing away the contents. Replace the filter and the dust bin, close the cover, and turn the vacuum off and on again.

Your device has little to no suction while vacuuming

Empty dust bin. Refer to the Device Page in the product manual for instructions on emptying the dust bin.

Proceed to remove filter from device. Refer to the Device Page for instructions on removing/ installing the filter. Clean the filter with a soft bristle brush. Reinstall the filter.

Note: Do not wash the filter

Check to make sure filter is in place/ installed properly. Refer to the Device Page for instructions on removing/ installing the filter.

SmartClean 1605 is either not sensing obstacles or is sensing obstacles when none are there.

If the SmartClean 1605 is failing to sense certain obstacles, it may be due to there being dirt or dust on one or more of the sensors, obstructing their line of sight. These sensors are located under the SmartClean 1605(one at the front and one on either side). Before cleaning the sensors, ensure the SmartClean 1605 is not attached to the charging cable or dock and the power switch is in the off position. Then gently brush any dirt or debris off of them.

Often on dark flooring, the sensors will interpret the darkness as stairs and turn back as if it were on the edge. Should this be the case, simply use the invisible wall feature to avoid going onto dark flooring with the SmartClean 1605. Also, see error E5 of the error code table for more detailed information on dark flooring issues.

If the SmartClean 1605 sensors are not responding properly to obstacles or running inefficiently, it may be due to low battery in the machine. The SmartClean 1605 uses four AA batteries at any time. At this time, either return the SmartClean 1605 to the charging dock or remove and replace batteries (see Battery Replacement Guide).

Your SmartClean 1605 does not start automatically or does not follow the cleaning schedule you have set.

Check the current date and time set on your SmartClean 1605. Keep in mind that your vacuum uses military time. Refer to the manual if you need to reset the date or time.

Press the "Set" button twice at any time to view the current schedule. Check the hour and minute your vacuum is scheduled to clean, keeping in mind that your vacuum uses military time. Additionally, set the schedule format you have set. There are 5 different schedule formats (corresponding to which days of the week your vacuum will run).

The battery may not have enough power to initiate a scheduled cleaning. Charge the battery according to the instructions on page 5.

Ensure the power switch of your SmartClean vacuum is in the "ON" position.

Your device will not return to its home dock station after cleaning.

Empty dust bin. There should be a trash icon on the display screen of the vacuum. Refer to the Device Page for instructions on emptying the dust bin.

Please refer to the Error Code Table for possible causes and solutions.

Please refer to the Button & Function Selection Table. Under the “Manual Power/ Time Selection Button & Function” section:

Make sure the docking icon is shown on the LED Display. This means your device will return to the docking station to charge the battery.