Automatic Litterbox Central

Hello-
Ok I'm going to walk you through a troubleshooting...

First, unplug the unit, and make sure there are no batteries in it.

Second, depending on your model, there may be latches on the side, If there is unlatch them.

Take off the top portion of the unit, placing it upside down on the floor.

Do you see the tracks that the rake runs on? Run your fingers down the tracks, to the opposite side that the rake is stuck on.

At the very end of the tracks you will see/feel a button or a metal tab (depending on the model).

It may be on one track or both of them. Once you find it, press it in and hold it in for 5 seconds. Release the button and do that 5 times.

Now reassemble the unit, and try to power it on.

Let me know if this works. If this doesn't work for you, explain your situation, and I will help you through it.

Thanks!
Kevin

Thank you so much for this tip. I was about to post a query in regards to the rake continually cycling. My fella and I recently bought a house together and combined households and cats. We have a total of five cats now. One of his is a diabetic and therefore pees constantly, and also has a bit of OCD when it comes to the box. He is constantly pawing and raking at the sides as well as the litter. I woke one day to find the rake cockeyed and it just kept on going. Not sure if the cat did this or not. I managed to get the rake back to normal, or at least I thought. When I went looking for the reset tab or button you mentioned, I noticed it was off by one click and it was off on the side with the tab. I have a mega elite model, and the other side has no tab I could locate. That was all it took, forcing it back one click. I could find no way to release the cogs (?) that ran along the track in order to set it back one, I had to use plenty of force. If you know how to release this please share this just in case it happens again. I've been fairly happy with my litter maid of the past, just needed to upgrade for more cats and is looking like I may have to purchase another to accommodate all 5. The raking is shallow and it does scoop un-used litter in, but saves me from peed on beds and large water bills since we both work most of the day
Cass

I did all you suggested, but the rake still continuously runs back and forth.

Suggestions what to try next?

Thank you!

Thank you for your help, I found the metal tab being held down by a piece of litter.

Pomicio wrote:Once you find it, press it in and hold it in for 5 seconds. Release the button and do that 5 times.

Simply pushing in the tab or "button" five times is enough. Holding it in for 5 seconds won't really change anything, since its just a mechanical switch.

If LitterMaid wanted to do it right, they would have used magnetic switches, which won't get dirty and fail, but then, the profit margin would take a hit. I'd like to see someone come up with a retrofit that replaces the switches and replaces the circuit board with a small computer chip that can be programmed to add features, like variable timing and smart occupancy sensing. Maybe even a USB interface to monitor use.

I tried this but it didn't fix my problem.

The rake on my unit (a LitterMaid Elite Mega) stops in midcycle with the motor still running and making an awful sound. Sometimes it frees itself and moves forward a few inches but then stops and starts screaming again.

If I give it a little push, I can get it to complete the cycle, but it sometime gets caught on the return sweep.

I've oiled every thing I can see to oil, but no luck.

I can't tell if the rake is somehow catching on the basin beneath the litter or if there is something in the tracks that's making it stop.

Any advice?

Thank you Kevin!

Your trick worked perfectly, there was a small piece of litter stuck in between the metal piece and the plastic.

One of my cats will not use our traditional cat box with lid, he will only use "open air" boxes. So this saves me 200 dollars!

I tried your tip but the rake still is stuck at the container end. When it is initially switched on, the rake moves about a millimeter but then absolutely nothing happens. Is there something else I can try or do I have a dead box?

My rake moves about an inch and then stops... I found the button and held it down... no dice... Even cycled off and on again it does not move anymore... (doesn't even return to "home" position...)
If I force the rake back and then turn in on again, it repeats the process.. moves about an inch and then stops...

Is it shot?

J.D.

I am having a problem with the rake being stuck at the waste receptacle, and if there is a reset button I can't get to it. I washed it really well one day and must have gotten it damp. because when I started it back up I had to turn it on and off several times just to get it to the receptacle, and now it won't budge! Help! This is my third littermaid and I love it, and I just need to know if this thing is dead or not.

my rake is stuck forward at the receptacle and will not go back. can you help me with this?

Try this:

littermaid/topic1971.html

Wow!! I found this thread when searching for help on my Littermaid Mega. It worked like a CHARM!! I was about to order another one but this saved me big bucks! Thanks, Kevin!!!