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Roomba Charging Error 9, 11, or 20: battery hardware fault
Errors 9, 11 and 20 are battery-fault families. They are not the place to keep cleaning the dock forever: reseat/reset as iRobot directs, then…
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Errors 9, 11 and 20 are battery-fault families. They are not the place to keep cleaning the dock forever: reseat/reset as iRobot directs, then replace/service the battery if the fault persists.
Check these first
- Confirm an authentic compatible battery.
- Record whether the error occurs immediately or after charging begins.
- Inspect for swelling, heat, leakage or damage.
Fix it in this order
- For Error 9/11/20, follow the iRobot battery removal/reinstall/reset interval for that code.
- Retry once after the required wait/reboot.
- If the battery fault returns, replace/service the battery rather than repeatedly forcing charge.
Evidence to keep
- Exact error
- Battery age/part
- Whether reboot/reseat cleared it
- Result with known-good battery if safely available
Do not make it harder
- Opening/rebuilding the lithium pack
- Repeated forced charging
- Assuming a battery is healthy because the robot can move briefly
How you know it is fixed
- A healthy battery charges and runs without the hardware-fault code.
If the obvious fix does not work
- If a replacement genuine battery throws the same battery-hardware error, the robot-side battery interface may need service.
- If the pack is swollen/hot/damaged, stop using it and follow local battery disposal/service guidance.
If this still isn't resolved
- iRobot Customer Care / battery replacement
Sources for this path
Use these references to confirm provider-, model-, policy-, or jurisdiction-specific details before an irreversible step.
Need the complete context?
This page solves one branch. The parent guide covers the full decision, edge cases, alternatives, and related checks.