# gene cafe cbr-101 intermittent e4 error



## ZiggyMarley (Jan 9, 2019)

so my unmodified gene cafe cbr-101 has started throwing an intermittent E4 error. It seems to throw the error early in the roast cycle (if it does it). We can always restart it and it completes roasting.

Anyone know their way round the insides of the gene cafe.

I understand E4 could be related to the second temperature sensor or the heater itself.

I'd have thought if either the heater or sensor failed outright then the error wouldn't be intermittent. So I am guessing that either could be failing or going out of spec?

I'll take a look inside at the weekend. Anyone know what normal resistance is of the second temp sensor?

The heater is still working, so I am assuming it is still getting power and the element(s) are ok?

Can a dodgy fan yield an E4 error?

TIA for any insight you might be able to offer


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Temp sensor 2 is the one in the heater box, so check the wiring from that to the motherboard and try replacing it if there is no loose connection. Don'ty forget to seal it back up with appropriate high temp RTV if necessary (auto parts stores do it)..


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## Rincewind (Aug 25, 2020)

Hi, is it still under warranty ? how long have you had the unit ? and how often do you use it ?


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## ZiggyMarley (Jan 9, 2019)

Rumpelstiltskin said:


> Hi, is it still under warranty ? how long have you had the unit ? and how often do you use it ?


 it is older than I can remember..... used less than it was, as there are so many good roasters around. it was used once a week.


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## Rincewind (Aug 25, 2020)

No worries, i was hoping it would still be under Warranty.


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## ZiggyMarley (Jan 9, 2019)

DavecUK said:


> RTV


 what is RTV, I see a few likely products on Amazon


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## Rincewind (Aug 25, 2020)

Silicone.....excellent stuff back in the day when used to seal a EHT cap on a CRT to stop arcing etc. etc.


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## ZiggyMarley (Jan 9, 2019)

DavecUK said:


> Temp sensor 2


 @DavecUK I dont suppose you know what the resistance reading should be for the temp sensors. I have taken a reading from both sensors:

Sensor 1: 280 K Ohms

Sensor 2: 4.25 M Ohms


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

I don't...I think they are under £5 for a sensor


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## ZiggyMarley (Jan 9, 2019)

DavecUK said:


> I don't...I think they are under £5 for a sensor


 I know BB sell them, but they appear to have no stock


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## ZiggyMarley (Jan 9, 2019)

anyway i have given it a good clean inside - it was filthy and dusty.


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## Norvin (Sep 10, 2014)

If you have the old style chaff collector make sure that you clean the inside of the outer gauze. You have to remove the inner gauze to get at it. I had a problem when mine got bunged up, the restricted air flow causes overheating, leading to errors.


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## ZiggyMarley (Jan 9, 2019)

Norvin said:


> old style chaff collector


 thanks

yes we swapped for one of larger newer ones some time ago.


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## ZiggyMarley (Jan 9, 2019)

after the mega clean - i just did a roast, perfect no errors..... lets see if thing continue this way.....


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## ZiggyMarley (Jan 9, 2019)

damn think the heater has gone now. Looks to be about £75........ should i just give up on it? sell it for spares/repair........


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

ZiggyMarley said:


> damn think the heater has gone now. Looks to be about £75........ should i just give up on it? sell it for spares/repair........


 Thoughts? https://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/behmor-2020sr 🙂

I used to have a Gene, never got on with it. I was wondering whether I could get on with the above.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

ZiggyMarley said:


> damn think the heater has gone now. Looks to be about £75........ should i just give up on it? sell it for spares/repair........


 How old is it....?


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## ZiggyMarley (Jan 9, 2019)

DavecUK said:


> How old is it....?


 very .......old than i can remember......

Yesterday we went to roast - and it was throwing E4 errors all over the place, and not producing heat. Last time we got E4 it was producing heat. Took it apart this afternoon, checked the resistance across the heater and the voltage it was getting all ok. Tested the heater with the cover off - nice and hot, fan ok....

Reassembled - did a test roast on 150g of beans to first crack and all is ok.......

🤷‍♂️ who knows whats going on. Still wondering if sensor2 might be dodgy, but they appear to be like hens teeth ATM


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## ZiggyMarley (Jan 9, 2019)

MediumRoastSteam said:


> Thoughts? https://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/behmor-2020sr 🙂
> 
> I used to have a Gene, never got on with it. I was wondering whether I could get on with the above.


 I dunno. When i started roasting - the best bean outlet was Whittards. IIRC i got my green beans from Hasbean initially....but good roasters were few and far between. Hence my years roasting. Nowadays good roasters everywhere, and we roast less and less.....so we always said if the Gene Cafe gave up we'd stop roasting, but I quite like it even with the imprecise Gene-Cafe.......so i dont really know........the Behmor is a nice price..... ATM we have enough beans left for about 6 roasts of 200g maybe a bit more. Then i'll need to make a decision about whether we buy any more beans.....


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

was it one of the Hasbean gene cafes?


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

@ZiggyMarley I keep reading about the Behmor... Looks to be a fine roaster, but I don't know if it can cope well with the profile I like best. Also read somewhere it's quite sensitive to mains electricity fluctuations, which I will then end up with the same issues I had with the Gene, I think.


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## ZiggyMarley (Jan 9, 2019)

DavecUK said:


> was it one of the Hasbean gene cafes?


 i really dont know...... i know i was buying green beans from them in 2011, but my emails dont go back any further......


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## ZiggyMarley (Jan 9, 2019)

MediumRoastSteam said:


> @ZiggyMarley I keep reading about the Behmor... Looks to be a fine roaster, but I don't know if it can cope well with the profile I like best. Also read somewhere it's quite sensitive to mains electricity fluctuations, which I will then end up with the same issues I had with the Gene, I think.


 i just had a quick look at its manual. Operating it, is so different from the Gene-Cafe, i have this feeling i will struggle to get my head round the operation of it.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

ZiggyMarley said:


> i just had a quick look at its manual. Operating it, is so different from the Gene-Cafe, i have this feeling i will struggle to get my head round the operation of it.


 I tend to agree. The Gene is far more tactile. This one seems to require less input. My fear is, I buy one, I try it, I hate it, and then I'm stuck. Some videos say that the pre-programmed profiles are useless, and it's best to go manual. I have to say, it would be better to have more tactile controls than microwave microswitches I think. Hard to tell really.


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