The Dyson V8 cordless vacuum cleaner is a great upgrade to the V6 and V7 models. But just like the previous versions, you can fix some little troubleshooting issues such as a pulsing motor or a flashing red light while you are charging. In this post, we will show you how to repair many of the common faults with the Dyson V8.
It may be an older cordless vacuum but there is life in this old girl yet.
Table of Contents
Dyson V8 Troubleshooting Pulsing fix
If your Dyson V8 is pulsing it could mean there is a blockage in the motorhead, handstick, filter blocked, or the bin capacity is full. If the motorhead senses a rise in power draw then the control circuit will cut off the power to the motorhead to protect it.
If the power is cut and you still have your finger on the trigger then the machine will start up again. Which in turn pulls a high current and shuts down the machine. This is the pulsing effect.
The only way to fix this is to remove the blockage in the motorhead. Sometimes the blockage is not obvious or it can just be a tangle of hair around the powerhead vacuum. In some extreme cases, the battery could simply be failing.
We have a post that shows you how to take apart a Dyson V6 brush that’s not spinning which is very similar to the Dyson V8 design. The post has some good tips and tricks on how to take it apart and what to look for. It is amazing where you can get a buildup of hair and dirt that will cause the V8 vacuum cleaner to start pulsing.
A small knife is often all you need to remove a blockage in the Dyson motorhead. Be sure to remove all the tangle of hair around the spinning brush bar. Pull apart all of the connections and look down at them to make sure it is clear. A high pitch vacuum sound plus pulsing is a sure sign that you have a blockage.
If you are using some aftermarket attachments check if there are any burs or plastic protruding into the voids that could catch unwanted debris. Dyson V7, V8, V10, and above attachments are interchangeable but not the V6.
Never suck up liquids or wet dirt with the Dyson V8 as it will clog up the filters and cause a blockage. There are electronics in this codless vacuum that need to be kept dry.
Dyson V8 battery lifespan
If you use your Dyson V8 every day for 20 minutes you should expect the battery to last around 2 years before you begin to notice a degradation in the battery performance. This can manifest itself in a number of ways such as turning on and off, pulsing, short runtime, and not charging issues.
This is due to the fact that Lithium-Ion batteries slowly lose their max capacity after around 500 charge cycles. This is normal and can be controlled by charging your cordless vacuum cleaner in a dry cool area.
Dyson V8 not charging
Often the Dyson V8 after a few years of use will simply stop charging. This is due to the internal charge control circuit of the 6 cell battery that senses a low voltage on one or more of the internal Lithium-ion cells.
This is a safety feature and will mean the battery will need to be replaced. Don’t throw out your Dyson it can be fixed. Many people try to buy a new wall charger first. But in 99% of the cases if your Dyson V8 is not charging it is the battery that has failed.
It is a user-replaceable item that anyone can do with only a small Philips screwdriver.
Best Dyson V8 battery replacement
If you like to spend a fortune then buy your replacement directly from the Dyson website. For me, I like to save money and the best Dyson V8 battery replacement is the FirstPower 5.0Ah V8 battery (Amazon). It has nearly double the capacity of the original battery because it uses high-capacity Lithium-ion cells inside the pack.
It is a great Dyson V8 battery hack, getting a longer runtime by only replacing the battery. I don’t know why Dyson would use lower-capacity cells. I guess cost is a factor.
These aftermarket Dyson V8 batteries are CE, FCC, PSE, and RoHS Safe certified, so you don’t need to worry about the battery damaging the machine. The internal charging circuit has been calibrated to charge and balance each internal cell. This means you will have a longer run time.
Charging will be slightly slower as 5.0Ah is a much higher capacity than the original battery. The wall charger will have no issues charging this Dyson V8 extended runtime battery.
This battery is 100% compatible with all V8 Series vacuum cleaners such as the: V8 Animal, V8 Absolute, V8 Fluffy, V8 Motorhead, and V8 Carbon Fiber vacuum.
Dyson V8 battery upgrade procedure
Anyone with some basic hand tools in their garage can remove a Dyson V8 battery. It is a straightforward procedure, and it should take you around 5 minutes.
- Start by removing the long wand. This will make it easy to work on the Dyson V8
- Remove the top small Philips #2 screw near the red trigger.
- Open the bottom flip bin lid to give you better access to the screws
- Remove the two small Philips #2 screws at the bottom of the battery closest to the bin flap hinge.
- Slide out the Lithium-ion battery.
- Replace it with a new Dyson high-capacity battery of 4000mAh or above to get a longer runtime.
- Replace all three screws and test out the new high-capacity battery to make sure it works.
- Fully charge the extended capacity Dyson V8 battery before you clean your whole house.
Dyson vacuum shuts off after a few minutes
There are a number of reasons why your Dyson V8 vacuum shuts off after a few minutes.
- Blockage in the motorhead – Remove blockage
- Overheating of the Dyson handstick – Clean the filters
- Battery not charging – Replace the Dyson Battery, and check the wall charger
- Battery internal cells degrading – Replace the battery pack
- No power at the wall outlet – Check the power switch or circuit breaker
- Dyson V8 Troubleshooting Pulsing – Often this is caused by a blockage or a faulty battery.
- Motorhead tangled – Remove hair, string, and carpet fibers wrapped around the motorhead.
The above faults can cause the Dyson V8 to pulse, stop and start quickly. Troubleshooting is easy if you go through the above faults one by one.
Sometimes you can jump-start a lithium-ion cell to bring it back to life, but this will mean opening up the battery pack. Dyson V8 battery packs are very hard to open up so it is best to replace the battery. It is cheap enough nowadays with aftermarket batteries.
Dyson V8 battery specs
Dyson has upgraded the battery for the V8. It can now run for around 27 minutes on low power and 7 minutes on High power. A vast improvement on the Dyson V6 and V7.
| Dyson V8 vs V7 battery specs | Dyson V8 | Dyson V7 |
| Voltage | 21.6 Volts | 21.6 |
| Amps | 2800 mAh | 1900mAh |
| Power Watts | 65Wh | 42Wh |
| Runtime | 27 minutes | 23 Minutes |
Conclusion
If you are having any sort of battery problems like low power suction, pulsing, short run times, flashing red lights, and overheating of the battery pack you may need a new Dyson V8 battery upgrade.
Often these aftermarket batteries are 1/2 the price of a genuine Dyson battery and I have replaced many for myself, friends, and neighbors. It really is an easy DIY procedure.
So rather than throw out your expensive Dyson V8 handstick just replace the battery and get another 2-3 years out of your vacuum cleaner. The Dyson V8 extended battery mod will give you many years of high suction power and longer runtimes than the stock battery.
I am a qualified Industrial Electrician for the past 20 years and I love to share my knowledge on home repair and maintenance jobs.
I love fast toys like Motorcycles, Cars, Jetskis, Boats, and Computers so writing about them is easy. Working on them is fun.
To keeps costs down I do all my own mods, repairs, and servicing. These skills I want to share with everyone. DIY is a skill everyone can learn.
For what it’s worth the 2170 cells used in the V8 were quite new as a format when it came out. As a general rule cell chemistries capable of high storage density aren’t capable of high current draw, so batteries used in things like power tools tend to have lower capacities than you might expect from the battery format. Interval improvements in cell chemistry and 2170 cells specifically have probably allowed higher density cells to deliver adequate current to the Dyson to permit their use over the high density chemistries available at the time.
Replaced battery (aftermarket), new filters and thoroughly cleaned handheld device by disassembling unit. New Battery charged 24 hrs and a red light indicator continuously blinks and stops running. New battery capacity numbers are higher than original. 21.6 volt. 5000mAH.
108Wh. Rechargeable ion lithium battery recommended by Amazon