I got my Yarbo robotic snowblower a couple of weeks ago, and for the first seven days it worked really well. It handled heavy, wet snow without any issues, and the app made everything straightforward. I was genuinely impressed.
Then, out of nowhere, it started throwing a “Left wheel blocked” error. There’s no visible debris, the tracks are clean, and nothing is jammed, but the left side is completely locked up. I’ve tried power cycling, manually moving it, cleaning everything again, and doing a factory reset; nothing helps.
After some searching, this exact “left wheel blocked” error is extremely common—dozens of identical reports across forums, Facebook groups, and reviews.
Support has been slow. First they asked for video proof (I sent two different detailed videos from different angles). After that they requested remote access to the unit, which I granted. Still no follow-up or update.
At this point we’re on the verge of returning it for a full refund while the window is still open. Has anyone else gone through this same process? Did the remote access ever actually result in a fix, or did you end up returning yours? Any experiences welcome before we ship it back. Thanks.
Hi there, sorry for the inconvenience this issue has caused. We normally request remote access so our team can run diagnostics on the unit and identify the root cause. Please rest assured that we will do our best to get this resolved for you as soon as possible.
However, I wasn’t able to locate your support ticket using the email associated with your forum account. Could you please share your ticket number here? I’ll be happy to follow up and make sure everything is on the right track.
Thank you for reaching out. Here are the responses to your questions:
The issue with the left motor is a known and common one. Frequent overcurrent has led to wear on the wheel motors, which is categorized as a wear part. When this type of issue occurs, we provide either a motor replacement or a full core replacement, depending on the situation. Yarbo is continuously analyzing these occurrences and working to improve the quality and durability of these components.
We appreciate your feedback. If there is any further issue, please feel free to contact us.”
So, now I’m curious…. replied “Thank you for the reply. The statement that “frequent overcurrent led to wear on the wheel motors (a wear part)” doesn’t fit my case: the failure occurred within about one week of first use, during light mapping with the physical remote, and with very limited runtime. The right track spun freely while the left side was seized.
Just wondering; What fault data on my unit indicates overcurrent (codes, timestamps, thresholds, duration)? If overcurrent truly is the root cause, adding/strengthening current-limit hardware and corresponding firmware safeguards (or an inline fuse) would help prevent mechanical damage on early units.”
@yjjadara Thanks for following up and for sharing your detailed observations.
I’ve checked with our field service engineer regarding this. Based on our analysis of previously returned units, the explanation provided reflects the most common cause we’ve identified for left wheel blockage issues. That said, for your specific case, we may need to conduct further investigation once we receive the returned unit to better understand what happened.
We appreciate your thoughtful feedback and patience as we continue to look into this.
Do you happen to have a support ticket related to this issue? I wasn’t able to find one in our system. If not, please submit a support ticket so our support team can look into the issue and help you resolve it as quickly as possible.
Yes, I have several tickets for this issue. Here are the ticket numbers related to this issue.
144809; 144720; 142134; 138143; 136836
Your latest response was; “Dear Yarbo Owner,
Thank you for your detailed feedback.
The conclusion that “frequent overcurrent leads to motor wear” is based on statistical analysis of a large number of returned wheel motors. However, this does not mean that overcurrent is the cause of failure in every case.
We truly appreciate your suggestion regarding hardware current limits and firmware safeguards. Your input has been forwarded to our R&D team for review and consideration in future improvements.
Regarding your specific unit, we will arrange for it to be returned for further analysis. Once our repair team completes its diagnosis, we are happy to share the findings with you if you wish.”
I have the ‘Left wheel blocked by a foreign object error’ since this morning.
I checked and nothing is blocking the wheel. After clearing the error, when I drive a little forward and backwards everything is functioning normal for a few minutes, but the error comes back.
Yesterday Yarbo cleared 1.5 foot of snow without an issue, but the error started this morning with 1 inch of snow.
I did a reset of the core in the app and with the button on Yarbo. After that it is good for a few minutes but then the error is back.
When I send it to recharge the error occurs also while docking.
I hear a little high pitch sound (like whistling, very faint) when the left motor runs. I do not hear that sound with the right motor.
So I believe it is the common left wheel issue.
@Yarbo-Forum : My ticket is 171125. Can you please check on this?
I cannot clear my driveway now, besides with the good old shuffle…
I cannot afford to do this otherwise my wife will enjoy this too much since she always tells me ‘Little Pete’ is not up to the task So please help me to solve this quickly
Can you bring “little Pete” into the garage to thaw out some? Let’s hope it’s that simple. It’s also possible it’s a wheel encoder issue. If so, that’s just a software fix. Lets hope that the whistling isn’t something mechanical and just a byproduct of whatever else might be happening.
Have you checked for any loose bearings or anything that might be causing the wheel to periodically catch? You will probably have to pull the track off to really see it. That is not ideal, but also a fairly simple fix vs a core replacement. It would be a good opportunity to capture some video for support anyways, as I’m sure they’ll ask.
Definitely and check for ice and snow pack build up. Thaw it out in a garage if you can. You can pull the battery, flip it on its side and try and spin the track by hand. See if anything is loose or binding.
So please help me to solve this quickly 