# Classic problem



## chrismc (Nov 1, 2014)

So my Classic from eBay continues to cause me problems.

After a full strip down and clean the thing seems to work fine when I turn it on. I prime the pump etc, water comes out of the group head and wand fine. Then I wait for it to come up to temp and try to pull a shot but then nothing comes put of the group head. Still get steam out of the wand though.

Any thoughts people ? This thing is driving me crazy now.


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## simondo_01 (Aug 25, 2014)

Start with the basic, Grind too fine?


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## ZugZwang (Apr 5, 2014)

What simondo said. Also, did you check what preasure it's currently running on? You said you stripped it down, maybe you turned the preasure down to a point where it can't force that water through the puck anymore?


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## chrismc (Nov 1, 2014)

I can get a shot out of it not long after its been turned on when it's not really up to temp but if you leave it for a while you get nothing out of the group head.

Still get steam fine though at this point.

Just replaced the boiler that was a mess inside and it came with the thermostats already on from Mark - gaggiamanualservice. The machine is as clean as a whistle so it's nothing to do with that and the rubber seals are all good to.

So the pump is working ok but what would a faulty solenoid do ?

Scratching my head...


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

Might be worth talking the solenoid out, checking the channels and cleaning it.


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## ZugZwang (Apr 5, 2014)

Hm, i can only wild guess here (only stripped my gaggia once when i installed the PID) but could it be that the boiler is heating up to much? Because it sounds to me like your boiler is only filled with steam in stead of water... As far as I remember there are 2 thermostats, one for regluar water on the bottom of the boiler and one for steam on top of the boiler. Could it be that the connections have been switched? That would make the classic heat up to +100°C when it's supposed to heat up to brewing temp? Again, I'm wild guessing here, I have little to no experience in these things...


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## chrismc (Nov 1, 2014)

did all that when i striped it. no stone was left unturned cleaning wise.

something is going wrong when it gets hot as works fine just after turning it on and managed to get a shot out of it.

After its been on for more than 10 mins is when things stop working...


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

My first thought was the same as our German-sounding chess player's. Brew/Steam switch polarity reversed? But then you'd get steam coming out of the group rather than water. If you're not getting steam or water once it's up to temperature that's really odd.


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## chrismc (Nov 1, 2014)

Thanks for the idea.

Just had a look inside and the wires that go to the stat on the top of the boiler could not reach the other one, also one of the ones that goes in to it also doubles in to one of those that fit over one of those pins on the boiler.


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## chrismc (Nov 1, 2014)

still get steam no problem, just no water through the head. The pump engages as normal though.


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## MrShades (Jul 29, 2009)

If you have the steam pipe turned open (knob turned round to fully open) and don't switch steam on - but hit the brew switch... Does pumped water come out of the steam pipe?


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## chrismc (Nov 1, 2014)

yes it does and also from the group head. This is from switching the machine on when cold though.

What ya thinking ?


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## MrShades (Jul 29, 2009)

So - if the machine is fully warmed up, and you hit "brew" you get nothing from the group.... BUT if you then open the steam wand and do the same thing, then pumped water comes from the group and the steam wand (as it should)?

If you close the steam and do the same thing, does water STILL not come from the group?


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## chrismc (Nov 1, 2014)

Will try that, does not want to switch on at the moment. Just making the odd clicking noise which I think are cooling down nosies

This machine is driving me mad.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Is that clicking noise the solenoid trying to open the valve??


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## chrismc (Nov 1, 2014)

don't think it could be if it was off ? think its just the metal cooling. got the top off so probably louder than usual.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

The ports in the solenoid valve are tiny , the slightest speck of scale/grit /crap can block them. It is possible for the particle to move with the flow of water and then block.

The only way to check /clear is to remove S/v and strip right down, taking care not to damage nylon washer under nut and not losing small components.

Hold it in a vice or screw it to a piece of wood to hold it.


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## MrShades (Jul 29, 2009)

I must admit, my first thought on the whole problem was "solenoid valve".

If you haven't done already, I'd remove the solenoid valve, take it completely apart and descale/Puly Caf it and unblock the main centre (v small) hole.


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## chrismc (Nov 1, 2014)

Along with everything else it seems that it seems to only like switching on when the machine is cold - not been on in hours.

Will try the above test that MrShades posted in the morning.

I took the solenoid valve apart and cleaned it, the hole in it is clear now and was not that bad before. The little spring inside the tube with the plastic bits at either end with main spring around it, does that bit also come out ?


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## Norvin (Sep 10, 2014)

Funnily enough I had a similar problem this morning. I got enough water for one poor shot then nothing. The pump was labouring and much louder than usual. The upshot was that I had been fiddling with the internals recently and had moved the routing of the inlet hose (from the bottom of the pump to the water tank) slightly. It looked ok but an angle was too acute, a little water was getting through but possibly further suction was flattening the hose, so the pump couldn't suck any more water through. Rerouting the hose to give gentler curves cured it. When I first got the machine, the hose was cable clipped to something (steam pipe? can't remember now) possibly to stop this from happening.


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## chrismc (Nov 1, 2014)

Thanks for that Norvin, will check the pipes inside


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## chrismc (Nov 1, 2014)

pipes seem fine.

It's making a lot of loud clicking noises when you hit the brew switch sometimes when it's not been on long and water is coming out of the group.


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## chrismc (Nov 1, 2014)

Also when it no longer pulls water through the group you can still get water and steam from the wand.

It's also now making noises while on of the odd click and steam boiler noise.


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## cawfee (Oct 27, 2014)

any chance of a video of the issue?

sounds like you have a dodgy solenoid valve though


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## Norvin (Sep 10, 2014)

If i had that problem, I would concentrate on the solenoid.

You have stripped and cleaned the valve already so it could be the coil failing when hot.

I suppose you could try measuring continuity/resistance when hot but an easier test would be to swap it with a known good coil.


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## chrismc (Nov 1, 2014)

Yes seems to point towards it and the hotness seems o be key here.

Will take a vid in the morning


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