I have a DC01 with no power past the switch. I have removed the switch and tested it in isolation - it is OK. When installed and set to the the off position, the mains feed is live and the switch side is not (correct). However, when the switch is on, both sides show no current (tested using an induction tracer). Is this caused by a break in the feed wire (common fault on DC01) which passes the current when there is no load but fails when there is? If so, how do I find where it is or do I just keep chopping bits off the switch end until it works (or I run out of cable!).

Brian Grimshaw
Runcorn

Brian Grimshaw, May 2009

A break in the power cable close to where the power lead enters the top of the handle. I had same problem and found the break in the brown conductor about four inches back from the switch, reconnected and all fine now.

Alan Munro, August 2022

try dyson medic

tayyab, July 2009

The machine is not working when the switch is on - therefore it will not draw current. You may do better to look for voltage (and the absence of it) to determine the fault rather than looking for current, when, by definition, there is no current.

There can't be much to go wrong - Fuse - Cable - Switch - Overheat cut out (it it has one) - Motor - neutral return path. Of course there may be a broken conductor or bad connection in the device but it's very unlikely.

Find some way of checking for 230V - a mains tester screwdriver with a neon in the handle is cheap and effective. You mention mains voltage on the input side of the machine's switch - is there voltage on the other side when the switch is on? etc. etc.

You may have a damaged power cord that's causing the problem but any break will be in the neutral conductor as you've already tested the live wire. I have never heard of a conductor that passes current when there's no load but doesn't when there is load - apart from a fuse - and do not consider such a symptom possible.

Good luck...

Peccavi, May 2009