How to Replace the Motor on a Dyson - DC05

Many homes will opt to have a Dyson vacuum cleaner from the uprights to the cylinders they all boast great results when cleaning your home.

However like all machines disaster can strike leaving you without a cleaner - when this occurs you need to diagnose and locate the cause. If you can identify the fault lies with the motor - don’t fret because all is not lost. Here at eSpares we can help you find the correct part and even talk you through the repair.

It is worth noting that a DC05 is made with one of two varying motors - one is a YDK and the other is a Panasonic. If replacing your motor you must check before ordering that you are purchasing the correct model for your version of DC05. While they look similar they are not interchangeable.

A very distinguishing feature is that the YDK motor has three step on the top whereas the Panasonic only has two. The video below cover the replacement process of a Panasonic motor however the steps would be the same regardless of version you have.

• Motor (ensure its the correct motor)
• Screwdriver
• Torx Screwdriver

Safety First! Please ensure that you have disconnected the appliance from the mains before starting any repair.

It is first worth understanding your DC05, the body comes in three main parts - we’ll discuss this later. To begin you need to first remove the dust bin and all other external components - this makes it easy to access the inside of the machine.

Once you’ve removed all the external parts from the vacuum,  you now need to separate the main body of the Dyson. To do this, you’ll need to remove the five holding screws, these are located two under each wheel, one is situated in a screw cavity on the slope behind the cannister.

To remove the screws under the wheels you’ll need to pull the wheel back and get a torx head screwdriver and undo them. With the screws removed you can now separate the body.

As mentioned earlier in Step 2 the body comes in three main parts, the upper motor assembly - this is where the actuators sit. The motor assembly and the lower motor assembly in which the cable rewind sits. The motor assembly is coupled together by wires which needs to be removed.

eSpares Top Tip: To make the reassembly process easier, take the wheels off of the lower motor assembly trust us it, it’ll save some time later on.

When removing the wheels, you need to “pop” out the plugs and using a flat-head screwdriver you can remove the wheel and simply repeat the process on the other side.

With the motor assembly separated, you can now begin to disassemble the parts to get to the motor.

We need to first take first off the motor bucket top and then remove the fan case seal. You will now see your motor and you can then confirm the type of motor you have.

Now very carefully remove the motor from the bucket - there are more cable holding the motor in place.

Please Note: If you pull the motor out too quick you will uncouple the wires in the wrong place, these wires must be rewired on your new motor in exactly the same way as you find them.

When rewiring your motor make sure you rewire your new motor in exactly the same way the old one was. It is worth taking a photo, this will allow you to know exactly how to rewire your new motor.

So with the new motor rewired, it can be put back in the bucket - it is worth noting that it will only go in one way. There are two eyes on the bottom of the motor which will match with two raised parts.

With the motor fitted you will now be able to put my fan seal on and put the motor bucket top and back in place. With the motor assembly now assembled you can next begin to reassemble the entire the vacuum cleaner.

To put the vacuum cleaner together you need to follow a particular process:

• Fit the cable rewind back into the lower motor cover - it only goes in one way so ensure you slot it into place.
• Take out the motor cover and re-couple the wires. You can either refer back to your photo (if you took one).
• Rest the motor assembly in the lower motor cover. It should just slot in like that, there we go.
• Now, you need to fit the upper motor cover. If you removed the wheels earlier you’ll now understand why. With the wheels removed the upper cover will fit far easier and will not get in the way.

To assemble the upper assembly to the main assembly there is a trick, you need to take the round part on the upper cover and slot it onto the dust container base, it may be a little bit fiddly but it’ll ease into place.

With the three main parts of the body back together, we just need to re-screw the holding screws, back once all secure you can now put the the external parts back into position.

There you have it, you’ve just replaced the motor on your Dyson DC05 for more helpful articles on diagnosing and repairing your appliance’s don’t forget to check out our advice centre.