Automatic Litterbox Central

I've had my LR2 for 2.5 years. It's been basically trouble free to this point. About 2 mos ago, it was thumping terribly. We removed the globe and cleaned and sprayed the unit with some silicone lubricant and it solved 90% of the issue, altho it would usually do one big "thump" on each emptying cycle. Today I heard the robot cycling on and off every few seconds and noticed that the globe would just move an inch or so, then stop...and repeat. In addition, the yellow light is on and stays on....and all the litter had emptied into the drawer at some point today.

Now, my fatty cat did pee all over the outside on Friday. I found the mess and cleaned up and things have been OK until today. Of course customer service at LR is gone for the evening. I'm hoping to get a general idea of what is happening before I call them again in the morning.

Of course this happens a few days before we leave on vacation...ARGH!!!

Thanks in advance for any info/advice you can give me.

Does the outside of the globe look worn and rough where it rotates on the feet in the base? After a few years of grinding in kitty litter, the globe can wear out in these two spots and become hard for the motor to rotate.

The DIY solution (if you don't want to buy a new globe) is to lightly sand the rough spots smooth.