# Wilfa Svart - Motor cuts out



## Russ09

The motor for my Wilfa Svart grinder has started to cut out immediately (< 1sec) after pressing start. If you repeatedly cycle the start button it will repeatedly start, but cuts out instantly each time. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Is the machine a write off or is there something that anyone would suggest trying?

I have actually already had a refund from the manufacturer but they were not able to send a replacement due to Brexit, so I thought id give fixing it a try.


----------



## lake_m

Might be the suppression capacitor. It'll be a square plastic bodied cap with X2 stamped on it and something in the region of 0.4 to 0.6 uF capacitance. Usually on the main PCB across the live and neutral. They're cheap so worth a try.


----------



## Rincewind

@Russ09 Hi Russ, is it still under Warranty or has it ended ?


----------



## Russ09

> Might be the suppression capacitor. It'll be a square plastic bodied cap with X2 stamped on it and something in the region of 0.4 to 0.6 uF capacitance. Usually on the main PCB across the live and neutral. They're cheap so worth a try.


 Interesting, that sounds slightly beyond my expertise to be honest!



Rincewind said:


> @Russ09 Hi Russ, is it still under Warranty or has it ended ?


 The manufacturer has actually already refunded me (but weren't able to send a replacement). I just feel bad throwing it in the bin if it can be fixed.


----------



## Rincewind

Russ09 said:


> The manufacturer has actually already refunded me


 Excellent news 😎


----------



## lake_m

Why don't you offer it for sale at a reduced price. I'd take a punt at £30 delivered.


----------



## salty

I'm sure you've already checked this, but has the timer dial been knocked?


----------



## Rincewind

@salty Good call 👍....worth a quick butchers.


----------



## lake_m

And so later............


----------



## lake_m

Yep, here's the culprit.


----------



## lake_m

All fixed, back together, and working. Easy job.






As a 'pay it forward' I'll list it in the for sale section for what I paid for it, which wasn't a lot!


----------



## El carajillo

Does it not seem there are a considerable amount of problems with electronic components across the range of grinders and coffee machines of late ?


----------



## lake_m

Cheap Chinese components. High failure rate. This grinder would have gone to land fill for the sake of a 25p cap. Ridiculous.


----------



## luketu

lake_m said:


> All fixed, back together, and working. Easy job.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As a 'pay it forward' I'll list it in the for sale section for what I paid for it, which wasn't a lot!


 Impressive that you were able to repair this! Way beyond my technical abilities.

I find myself with the same problem as OP, although my unit is unfortunately out of warranty so the retailer isn't willing to exchange the item.

I wondered if you might consider taking at shot at repairing mine if I were to cover the shipping and of course pay you for your services?

Best,

Luke


----------



## lake_m

Yes I'll take a look at it. If it's just the capacitor I'll do it for nothing. Of course no guarantee that will be the issue but there's a good chance. A bit of a gamble on your part, it's up to you.


----------



## luketu

lake_m said:


> Yes I'll take a look at it. If it's just the capacitor I'll do it for nothing. Of course no guarantee that will be the issue but there's a good chance. A bit of a gamble on your part, it's up to you.


 That's very kind. I assume it is the same issue, it sounds very similar to that of OP.

I will enclose a bag of beans from a local roaster as a thank you too - just something for you to enjoy.


----------



## mattfromglasgow

lake_m said:


> Yes I'll take a look at it. If it's just the capacitor I'll do it for nothing. Of course no guarantee that will be the issue but there's a good chance. A bit of a gamble on your part, it's up to you.


 Assuming this is not something you want to make a habit of? I have a Wilfa Svart with the same problem, bought secondhand so no sniff of a warranty either. Also got no idea how to fix it. Would you consider having a pop at mine, for a similar arrangement? If not (which I would totally understand, seems like a common problem and you can't fix all of them!) then would you be able to share specs of the replacement part and I will see if I can find someone to replace the part for me.


----------



## lake_m

mattfromglasgow said:


> Assuming this is not something you want to make a habit of? I have a Wilfa Svart with the same problem, bought secondhand so no sniff of a warranty either. Also got no idea how to fix it. Would you consider having a pop at mine, for a similar arrangement? If not (which I would totally understand, seems like a common problem and you can't fix all of them!) then would you be able to share specs of the replacement part and I will see if I can find someone to replace the part for me.


 Yes, no problem. I might even do a tutorial if this is going to be endemic to these grinders. Drop me a PM.


----------



## RonanFay

Just got one second hand on ebay with the very same issue. Handy with a soldering iron - gonna give this a go will report back!


----------



## lake_m

Another successful repair!

Pesky 0.33uF capacitor again. (The grey one). It was miles out.


----------



## PKearns

lake_m said:


> Yes, no problem. I might even do a tutorial if this is going to be endemic to these grinders. Drop me a PM.


 Hello!

I just joined this forum 5 minutes ago because the wilfa Svart that I got new at Christmas has started giving the exact same issue! Thankfully it's under warranty so I'm being sent a replacement, but I don't want to just dump the old one in the bin!

It looks like this issue could very well be endemic!

Any kind of tutorial (or even just a link to buy the correct replacement part) would be greatly appreciated!

I'm generally handy with mechanical repairs, but am much more sheepish when it comes to electronics, so I'd like to treat this as a learning opportunity.

and if you'd let me I'd like to return the favour in beans!


----------



## lake_m

@PKearns
Sounds like Wilfa purchased a bad batch of capacitors!

I'll happily walk you through the process. The hardest part is putting the case back together, as it involves aligning 5 tabs at once whilst you try to slide the base on, you need 3 pairs of hands!! The actual repair is easy if you can solder.

I don't have one in front of me so this is from memory - apologies if I forget something.

If the faulty capacitor is the same as the other two I did then you need one of these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07QXZKZJX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's a bag of 15 mixed but you need the 0.33uF at 275V. You may find one cheaper just make sure the pin pitch is 15mm so it fits the PCB.

There are two caps on the board with different ratings, I can't remember what the other one is, but the grey one is the one that failed on both occasions so far.

The cap is surface mounted, i.e. the legs go through the holes in the PCB but it is soldered onto the top side where PCB traces are.

Also the grey cap is glued down so you will need to cut the glue with a scalpel or Stanley knife.

To disassemble the case:

Unplug the unit from mains.

Take off the hopper (fully unscrew it and lift it out)

Take out the stationary burr

Turn the unit upside down

Pull off the rubber feet

Unscrew the cable cover and the 4x screws holding the base on. *You will need a tri-wing security screw driver/bit for this*

Remove the cable cover and base cover.

Pull off the on/off button and the timer adjuster knob.

Take out the 3x philips self-tapping screws that fix the base onto the case

Carefully split the base from the case. You will need to carefully pries the case over the timer adjustment pot so it doesn't catch on the hole as you pull it clear.

Remove the screws that fix the 2x micro switches to the frame. One for the grinds bin, the other for the hopper.

Unscrew the self-tappers that hold the motor/burr in place and carefully split to release the PCB

You should now have access to the capacitor (see photo above)

De-solder it and clean the holes using braided solder wick. I don't advise using a solder pump on these as the traces are very fragile

Pop in the new cap (doesn't matter which way round) and solder it back in

At this point I test the unit by jumpering across the micro switches with a short cable directly onto the PCB (see photo above) and pressing the start button *BUT* - *Only do this if you know what you are doing* -* this is 240V live mains electricity !!!!!*

Let me know if you need anything else - good luck.

TIP - the case will only go back together one way, if you find an edge sticking out after re-assembly, release the base base and try again - try not to swear too much! Also there is a small plastic plunger do-hickey that must fitted onto the on/off button BEFORE you put the case on! 🤬

Andy.


----------



## LiamF

Thanks for your guide!


----------



## Fez

Is this the same issue being discussed here or do I have a different problem?

It does the same thing when grinding beans too

View attachment VID_20210813_192243_0_COMPRESSED(0).mp4


----------



## lake_m

I would say there's a good chance that it's the same issue. Certainly worth checking anyway.


----------



## Rapidsdad

What an absolute cracking guide. My Wilfa Swart began stalling and got worse when I would have to press the start button 3 - 5 times for a 15g grind. I would not have had a clue how to fix it without this guide. I thought it simply needed a good clean. It's as strong as ever now. Thank you very much.


----------



## Paddan1000

The motor of my Wilfa WSCG-2 is really weak and stalls if I grind more than one bean at a time. It is new old stock, so it had never been used before I got it but it is also no longer under warranty.

I have disassembled it and located the 0.33uF capacitor, but instead of gray it is yellow with a pin pitch of 20 mm and the PCB also looks different from the one in the photos above. There is also another yellow capacitor on the front side of the board rated 0.1uF. Could the problem with my unit still be the capacitor, or do I have an updated version and the problem is something else?


----------



## Paddan1000

Paddan1000 said:


> The motor of my Wilfa WSCG-2 is really weak and stalls if I grind more than one bean at a time. It is new old stock, so it had never been used before I got it but it is also no longer under warranty.
> 
> I have disassembled it and located the 0.33uF capacitor, but instead of gray it is yellow with a pin pitch of 20 mm and the PCB also looks different from the one in the photos above. There is also another yellow capacitor on the front side of the board rated 0.1uF. Could the problem with my unit still be the capacitor, or do I have an updated version and the problem is something else?


 I've managed to fix the machine. The capacitors were fine and within spec when I desoldered and tested them. The problem was in the gearbox where a steel disc under the burr was held in place against a plastic gear with springs and ball bearings. The springs and ball bearings where loose in the gearbox so the disc and the gear just slipped against each other. I bent the springs that had been chewed by the gears back into shape and put them and the ball bearings back in place. Now the machine can grind effortlessly. I don't know why the machine was broken in the first place, since it was an unused previous display model from a store. Either a customer in the store had broken it trying to grind something that was not a coffee bean, or some of the springs and ball bearings had come loose already during assembly in the factory.


----------



## lake_m

Just fixed another one. Exact same problem with the grey 0.33uF capacitor. I'm even getting pretty good at putting that bleedin' case back together!!


----------



## ASherhan

Fez said:


> Is this the same issue being discussed here or do I have a different problem?
> 
> It does the same thing when grinding beans too
> 
> View attachment 59384


 Did you ever find a fix for this? Mine is doing the same thing.


----------



## Fez

ASherhan said:


> Did you ever find a fix for this? Mine is doing the same thing.


 Nope, the seller replaced it for free


----------



## Caffiniac

lake_m said:


> Just fixed another one. Exact same problem with the grey 0.33uF capacitor. I'm even getting pretty good at putting that bleedin' case back together!!


 Hi Lake_m,

Apologies for joining the chorus but I too have a faulty Wilfa Svart. It was just out of warranty and the seller did not acknowledge my emails asking for help (the pandemic had started so they may have not been able to).

The issue with mine was it has started sounding like the speed was fluctuating, even when no beans were in the grinder. It has now stopped working altogether. Does this fit the profile? I assumed the motor had burned out.

Appreciate any advice you can offer.

Thanks


----------



## MatsS

Could someone show how to disassemble it? I have taken out the 4 screws in the bottom, but I can't get it appart. I don't know how much force I can use, and where.


----------



## Jimlee99

Hey all. I followed the above guide - soldered on a new 0.33 capacitor, put all back together and it still is doing the exact same thing - <1 secs of action then nothing. Could it be the 0.47 capacitor on the underside of the board? 

It was my first ever time soldering and the desoldering wick didnt really seem to be working so used the pump and the copper pcb bits may be a little damaged...?


----------



## EsbenB

I too had the issue with the motor cutting out every ½ second, thus starting the grinder 20 times to grind a single portion of coffee.

Thanks to inspiration from lake_m in this thread I gave it a shot, and purchased a new 0.33uF capacitor from Elextra for €1,6. After grinder disassembly (see video example), I desoldered the faulty capacitor from the back of the curcuit board using a desolder wick,. Unfortunately it also took along the curcuit board copper both of the capacitor legs was attached to, probably what Jimlee99 has encountered. To fix this the outmost hidden copper curcuit was revealed from the curcuit board by scratching it free with a hobby knife.

Also the legs of the new capacitor was a little short, so they were lenghtened. The left leg of the new capacitor was attached to the revealed copper circuit and the right attached to the "bump" from another solder joint.

After that the grinder is now working again. The faulty capacitor measured an impedance around xx nF wildly fluctuating.

I was lucky to get help from an experienced electronics mechanic and use his good soldering equipment and tools.
Assembling the grinder casing was indeed quite difficult and took many tries before it succeeded.

Wilfa customer support has been really helpfull and has sent me a new grinder, which I still haven't used, since I felt bad throwing out an only 1½y old grinder.

 Thank you lake_m


----------



## EsbenB

MatsS said:


> Could someone show how to disassemble it? I have taken out the 4 screws in the bottom, but I can't get it appart. I don't know how much force I can use, and where.


You have to remove more than just the 4 screws in the bottom. There are 6 security screws and 3 hard to reach star screws. This video shows the disassembly procedure.


----------



## Smithington

I am also experiencing this problem. I found this thread a while ago from the r\coffee subreddit, which might explain why this is getting so much traffic.

Mine stalls a lot and the speed pulses (much slower than it was when new) even when not under load.

I've accidentally bought the wrong capacitance - I've got 0.68uf - hope that doesn't matter?!

So far I've had two challenges. 

1. I cannot get the timer knob off. I don't want to resort to pliers, but at this rate, I might have to.

2. Accessing the recessed screws was not fun. I did find that a 0.4 X 2.5mm flat precision bit will work instead of triangle drive bits, but I had to mill my screwdriver extender to be narrower to reach them! Now I've done that, I return to point 1!


----------



## EsbenB

Smithington said:


> I've accidentally bought the wrong capacitance - I've got 0.68uf - hope that doesn't matter?!


I'm not really into the schematics of the electronics, but since the grinder did start, though sporadically with xx nf, I'd guess it should work with the 0.68uf one. It might be a bit off with the timing of the timer, but you can just adjust it down.



Smithington said:


> I cannot get the timer knob off. I don't want to resort to pliers, but at this rate, I might have to.


I used a one of these, with a little insert to not scar the timer nob:


----------



## Smithington

EsbenB said:


> I'm not really into the schematics of the electronics, but since the grinder did start, though sporadically with xx nf, I'd guess it should work with the 0.68uf one. It might be a bit off with the timing of the timer, but you can just adjust it down.
> 
> 
> I used a one of these, with a little insert to not scar the timer nob:


Thanks a lot!

I had to improvise a bit - lost one of my soft jaw attachments somewhere, so used masking tape to cover the teeth. Minimal marks as a result - thanks for the tip.

I've got the right capacitor in the post - figured for the low cost I might as well get the right one.


----------



## Smithington

And... Another grinder fixed thanks to this tutorial.

I'm so glad this has fixed mine - it's back at full chat so I'm super happy.


----------



## Tornadored

Repeating the above, another one fixed thanks to the helpful info here, thank you!


----------



## Gramfer

A very useful discussion - I have the same problem with my new ( November 2021) Wilfa Aroma grinder, which seems to be the current name for the Svart. The online retailer , Coffee Friend has told me that ' in this case a refund will be proceeded' so I'm waiting ... It seems to be long standing problem with this machine, and I wonder why the manufacturer has not taken steps to put it right. . The registration number on the base is 3/21 so I assume that is the date of manufacture. Electronics not being my forte I won't try and repair it. I will look for a local business which does small electrical repairs and hope to get it working. Otherwise ebay or the bin!


----------



## Oisín

Took out the grey .33uf cap.... replaced with this 0.33uF 275v capacitor

That was the easy part.

Honestly that case!!!! ... I was on my last try and it finally came together, was actually just gonna throw the whole thing out and be done with it.

Don't bother tightening the bottom screws (ones you need long screwdriver for) unless you see everything line up as it was before you opened it.


----------



## Florian Will

I just wanted to say a big thank you!!!

I found a Wilfa Svart Grinder on ebay and just searched on Google with the despcirption of whats not working. I came to this forum entry and said "Well, lets give it a try".

Bought the grinder for around 8 Euro, a new cap, and after managing to solder it in (and put that damn case back on) the grinder works perfectly!

Thank you for this forum entry and the instructions given! I just got a good grinder for very little money


----------



## Rincewind

Florian Will said:


> I just wanted to say a big thank you....Thank you for this forum entry and the instructions given! I just got a good grinder for very little money


EXCELLENT news...another grinder is saved from the landfill...enjoy your coffee


----------



## kmic

Paddan1000 said:


> The problem was in the gearbox where a steel disc under the burr was held in place against a plastic gear with springs and ball bearings. The springs and ball bearings where loose in the gearbox so the disc and the gear just slipped against each other. I bent the springs that had been chewed by the gears back into shape and put them and the ball bearings back in place.


Hi folks, first post here.
How did you manage to take gearbox apart?
From one side there are nylon gears with no visible points of entry.
From the side of lower burr it looks like the burr is screwed on shaft and I assume I need to somehow grab it and unscrew clockwise?

Any help appreciated because I hear that screeching sound when grinder runs empty.
I hear it when gearbox is detached from the motor so it must be the same issue as described.
FYI I checked capacitors in my model from 12/20 and outside is a yellow one with 0.47uF (measured 0.6uF on board) and inside I have gray capacitor with 0.33uF (measured on board it shows 0.4uF).


----------



## Rincewind

@kmic to properly check the value of a capacitor accurately you either need to remove the capacitor from the circuit, isolate it from it's neighbouring circuitry or lift/de-solder one of it's 2 legs/post/wires (dependent on type) from the circuit as the other components in the circuit will affect the reading on your meter/instrument (i.e wrong value).


----------



## kmic

Rincewind said:


> @kmic to properly check the value of a capacitor accurately you either need to remove the capacitor from the circuit, isolate it from it's neighbouring circuitry or lift/de-solder one of it's 2 legs/post/wires (dependent on type) from the circuit as the other components in the circuit will affect the reading on your meter/instrument (i.e wrong value).


That’s why I stated those are values on board, so others don’t need to de‑solder to check (they should have similar values on a working model from around 12/20).
I finally unscrewd lower burr with a wheel wrench and rubber.
Now I will try to adjust burrs spacing and we are back in business.


----------



## cat82

lake_m said:


> Another successful repair!
> 
> Pesky 0.33uF capacitor again. (The grey one). It was miles out.
> 
> View attachment 58006
> 
> 
> View attachment 58007


Could you please give me some details about the capacitor? I need to buy a new one, as I'm having the exact same issue. A link wold be great.


----------



## Rincewind

cat82 said:


> ...A link wold be great.


Link in post #22 or post #35


----------



## Fizzer

Hello just wanted to make an account to share that I was having the same issue and fixed it with this guide. Never attempted anything like this before so big feeling of relief to see it working and back to normal. Big thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread. My gf doesn't understand why I spent £50 on parts and about 5 hours labour to fix a grinder that was still under warranty, but honestly it was worth it. Very fun little project.


----------



## smurphy

Hey there, I just signed up to thank everyone for their advice regarding this fix. My machine is now as good as new! I also wanted to share a few notes and things that were different about my grinder, maybe there was a redesign or something:


Mine had no screws holding down the hopper microswitch, it was just slotted onto two posts.
The PCB looked different to the photos posted so far, and the faulty capacitor had a 25mm post distance rather than 15mm. Nothing some bending couldn't fix, however. (Pics attached)
Now that it's fixed the grind speed seems _extra_ potent. The markings on the capacitor were the same, and the grind results seem the same so maybe it's my imagination.
The self tapping screws holding the case together are down really long tapering holes, I had to buy a new screwdriver with a longer shaft to reach them.
I had zero issues getting the case back on! Slotted on no bother then tightening the self-tappers really locked everything into place.
I got my capacitor here. Fairly cheap and no waste from buying a big multipack or anything.

Again, thanks to everyone who has contributed to this so far. Seems insane so many grinders are possibly being ruined because of such a tiny cheap component.


----------



## Rincewind

Well done buddy...and FWIW a cheap capacitor is no different to an expensive capacitor in an expensive grinder, they all die eventually, none last forever...some caps go open-circuit (zero dramatics) and some go short-circuit BOOM 💥🔥😊 ...no fun when a cap flies past your earhole or bounces off of your glasses 

Enjoy your coffee


----------



## gnclmorais

Similar to @Fizzer and @smurphy, I’ve signed up to this forum just to drop a *massive thank you* to everyone, especially to @lake_m for figuring out the issue and @EsbenB for the disassembling instructions (very helpful to put everything together). It took me a few months to get all the required material (a really long screwdriver, capacitors with the right size from China), but finally did it and it worked like a charm! I got into soldering for this project, and now I can say it was totally worth it.


----------

