WELL DEPENDING UPON HOW OLD YOUR VACUUUME CLEANER IS IT SOUNDS LIKE THE BRUSHES IN YOUR MOTOR ARE WORN OUT. BRUSHES ARE COMPOSIT PIECES OF CARBON WHICH MAKE CONTACT WITH THE STATOR IN YOUR MOTOR. This connets the 115 volts from your wall outlet to the windings on the stator through the carbon brushes, the stator is the part of the motor that spins so it needs these brushes so when the stator spins the 360 degree electrical contacts on the stator are alway able to stay in contact with the brushes so the 115 volts can flow through the wires on the stator with no intruption in contact which keeps your motor running smoothly. Now since we still have this nice thing called friction that we havent been able to conqure the brushes wear out much like and pencil eraser does over time, only much slower. On the back side of the brush there is a spring which pushes it onto the motor stator and as the brush wears either the spring can't put enough pressure on the brush anymore or the brush has become so thin that it got pulled in and caught between the stator and the brushguide housing. The click you are hearing is eitherthe motor trying to start and the jammed brush is stopping it from turning or what you are hearing is a big spark caused by the high-reistance caused by the bad contact due to the worn brush receiving less force from the streatched out spring which keeps it in contact with the stator. Some brushes can be replaced, but generally you are in for a new motor. Even if it is realatively new this is still possible all it takes is a bad brush or bad stator from the factory and your motor will have a short life. Hope its under warrenty, it may be cheaper in the long run to buy a new vacuume?
Steven, July 2008
