Bosch 1617 died yesterday...

[Eric Larsen]

So, my router has been seeing a lot of work lately. I was rounding over some shelf edges and tried to turn the router on.

Click.

Clickity clickity click.

[censored]

Today, after telling LOML that the router died, I "showed" her. The router spun up.

So something is wrong. Is there anything "user serviceable" inside I should be looking at?

[george wilson]

Burned spot on the armature? Bad switch? Need an electric motor guy,or send it back for repairs. I have one of those. Hope it doesn't die.

[Bill Huber]

That is an easy one, blow out the switch or get a new one.
You can also take the switch out and rap it on the bench a few time to get the dust out.

That is a problem with those routers.

I had mine do it and then replaced the switch and that fixed it. I have a second one just like it only newer and have not had the problem.

[Eric Larsen]

I'm good about cleaning my tools. I blow everything out (sometimes with a leaf blower for the big tools) after a day's use. I blew the router out the when it died. Nothing.

Seems to be working fine now, but I'm still concerned.

[Bill Huber]

I'm good about cleaning my tools. I blow everything out (sometimes with a leaf blower for the big tools) after a day's use. I blew the router out the when it died. Nothing.

Seems to be working fine now, but I'm still concerned.


Pull the switch out and rap it on the bench and see if you get saw dust out of it.

[Eric Larsen]

Pull the switch out and rap it on the bench and see if you get saw dust out of it.

Anything I can lube while I'm in there?

[Bill Huber]

Anything I can lube while I'm in there?

No the bearing are sealed and there is just nothing there to lube.

[Eric Larsen]

Thanks, Bill!

I'll have a look at the switch tomorrow. (It's wine-time now.)

[Jason White]

1. Check and replace the brushes if they're worn.

2. Take a compressor and blow out the power switch. Bosch had a problem with some of the switches on this model awhile back filling with dust, which caused the router to not turn on. Some were badly corroded, too. Bosch does offer a free replacement switch that's dust-proof, so consider replacing it if you don't want to keep blowing it out. My switch was fairly easy to replace.

Jason


So, my router has been seeing a lot of work lately. I was rounding over some shelf edges and tried to turn the router on.

Click.

Clickity clickity click.

[censored]

Today, after telling LOML that the router died, I "showed" her. The router spun up.

So something is wrong. Is there anything "user serviceable" inside I should be looking at?

[Bill Orbine]

I'm suprised no one mentioned the cord. Sometimes the cord gets a break some place somewhere along the line. Repositioning the cord several times may reveal the problem.

[John Thompson]

The reaon I got rid of my 1617 as the switch is quite notorious for doing just what yours is doing. Between the magnesium corroding on the older styld and the switch.. I just got fed up one day and ordered my current Milwaukee.

Good luck..

Sarge..

[Peter Quinn]

Its the switch. Its the switch. Its the switch. Blowing it out won't help, you need to take the switch out, take the switch itself apart an blow out the dust. Its a plug in type that snaps together in two pieces, don't lose the little spring inside. I'm so quick at doing this now its like watching an Indy pit crew. You need a torx driver, forget which size, to take off the blue plastic cover, not really too complicated. The motor pulls in super fine dust through the switch that grounds out the switch, might be a bit intermittent at first, but sooner or later it will plug solid and won't go at all. Even worse in a table.

I keep reading about a sealed switch. Bosch will supply them free? Anybody know who to call or how to get one of those sealed switches? Much as I like pulling apart my 1617 (or the ones at work) on the fly for a clean out, I would prefer never to do it again.

[John Thompson]

Its the switch. Its the switch. Its the switch. Blowing it out won't help, you need to take the switch out, take the switch itself apart an blow out the dust. Its a plug in type that snaps together in two pieces, don't lose the little spring inside. I'm so quick at doing this now its like watching an Indy pit crew. You need a torx driver, forget which size, to take off the blue plastic cover, not really too complicated. The motor pulls in super fine dust through the switch that grounds out the switch, might be a bit intermittent at first, but sooner or later it will plug solid and won't go at all. Even worse in a table.

I keep reading about a sealed switch. Bosch will supply them free? Anybody know who to call or how to get one of those sealed switches? Much as I like pulling apart my 1617 (or the ones at work) on the fly for a clean out, I would prefer never to do it again.

Hey Peter.. you don't "suppose" it could be the switch, do you? :D

The switch problem on that router has been going on for years. That's very unfortunate for the customers that didn't know then purchased it as it could have been re-designed at some point. They have known about it for a long time.

A former 1617 owner who gave mine away as I felt guilty to sell it to someone. I told the guy to replace the switch and about the problem.

Sarge..

[Paul Ryan]

My switch has only quite once, I permentaly fixed it my self and it will cost you about a nickle. Take the switch completly out of the housing, there is 2 real small holes on the sides of the switch that allows dust in. You can try to blow compressed air through those holes or just take the switch apart and clean it that way. Once you have the switch back together or blown out, make sure it works. If it is working again take it back out and put RTV silcone on top and slightly inside those holes. Now dust cannot get inside and block the contacts. Let it dry over night then reinstall it. I did that to my router switch 3 years ago and it has never acted up again.

[Joe Jensen]

My switch has only quite once, I permentaly fixed it my self and it will cost you about a nickle. Take the switch completly out of the housing, there is 2 real small holes on the sides of the switch that allows dust in. You can try to blow compressed air through those holes or just take the switch apart and clean it that way. Once you have the switch back together or blown out, make sure it works. If it is working again take it back out and put RTV silcone on top and slightly inside those holes. Now dust cannot get inside and block the contacts. Let it dry over night then reinstall it. I did that to my router switch 3 years ago and it has never acted up again.


If you plug the holes, how will the smoke get out? :D

[Paul Ryan]

I assume that was a joke, but those of you wondering, if the switch is clean you will never have smoke.

[Jason White]

Call Bosch customer service and they will mail it to you for free.

Jason



Its the switch. Its the switch. Its the switch. Blowing it out won't help, you need to take the switch out, take the switch itself apart an blow out the dust. Its a plug in type that snaps together in two pieces, don't lose the little spring inside. I'm so quick at doing this now its like watching an Indy pit crew. You need a torx driver, forget which size, to take off the blue plastic cover, not really too complicated. The motor pulls in super fine dust through the switch that grounds out the switch, might be a bit intermittent at first, but sooner or later it will plug solid and won't go at all. Even worse in a table.

I keep reading about a sealed switch. Bosch will supply them free? Anybody know who to call or how to get one of those sealed switches? Much as I like pulling apart my 1617 (or the ones at work) on the fly for a clean out, I would prefer never to do it again.