About 5 years ago we were tired of going through cheapo vacuums every few years and wanted something of quality that would last, so we bought a S434i and it wasn't cheap, but it was supposed to be the kind of high quality vacuum that would last a lifetime. Miele has such a good reputation?

Well I've been going by the orange vacuum indicator on top, to tell me when to change the bags. It's worked fine so far, until this time.

This time was a few weeks ago.

The orange indicator looked fine, it was staying down near the bottom, but the vacuum sounded funny and began to smoke!

I shut it off and opened the cover, to find that the bag was overly full and weighed a ton!

I couldn't believe it. I thought the orange indicator was supposed to tell me when it was full!

So I bought a new HEPA and some new bags and replaced them all, then turned on the vacuum again today, but now the motor makes weird sounds and it will barely run.

I'm disgusted. It appears that the motor is shot now, all because the indicator didn't work right.

So much for the reliable vacuum that was supposed to last a lifetime. <sigh>

I wonder now, how much it will cost for a new motor, and if I can replace it myself and save some money? I'm an electronics technician ASET ( Associate in Science in Electronics Technology ), so I can do electrical stuff.

But I'm just disgusted by this. I loved this vacuum so far.

well, when you own a bagged vacuum with an indicator, do not rely on them. they basically estimate when the bag is full, or needs changed. i had a dirt devil with a bag indicator, and when the indicator said full, the vacuum bag itself was 2/3 full. so, my advice to you is before you use your bagged vacuum, check the bag yourself. also, to maintain a bagged vacuums performance, change out the bag when it is 1/2 to 2/3 full, to optimize peak performance.

But that was exactly what the indicator was supposed to tell me.

If I can't trust that indicator, do I have to open the case every time I use the vacuum, to make sure the motor doesn't burn out?

This is really turning me off to Miele now. I spent about $700 on a vacuum that I thought would last a lifetime and would be worth it.

Guess I'll toss it and go get a much cheaper vacuum where at least the indicator works?

I've never burned out a motor in any vacuum before in my life.

i mentioned the check the vacuum bag because i have heard many vacuum experts say that. also, you said that your vacuum bag was overfilled. here is why i think your motor burned out. i believe that you said your bag was overfilled, which reduced the vacuums airflow to the motor. the full bag not only reduced the vacuums cleaning performance, but also restricted airflow, thus making the motor work harder, and restrited airflow also prevents the motor from keeping cool. that is why manufacturers as well as vacuum experts reommend checking the bag to make sure its not overfilled, which can cause damage. miele suggests to replace the exhaust filter on the vacuum every 50 or so hours. new miele canisters have a motor shut off switch incase of overheating.

also, your miele may have this overheat light that will go on if the motor begins to overheat. if you used standby mode, and left the vacuum on that setting for prolonged periods of time, that also an cause damage and overheating.

here is a way to check the dustbag change indicator:
1.) Attach the floor tool to the vacuum cleaner. Perform this test only with the floor tool, since other attachments can affect the function of the dustbag change indicator.
2.) Turn the vacuum cleaner on and select the highest power setting.
3.) Lift the floor brush slightly off the floor. If the marker completely fills the indicator window, the dust bag needs to be changed.

the dust compartment filter must be changed every time you open a new box of miele dustbags. also, if the sution tube is blocked, or the dustbag is filled of fine particles can cause overheating. a heavily soiled exhaust or dust compartment filter can also cause overheating.

so, any of the things i listed could have caused damage to your machine. if you get it repaired, just remember to not only check and change the dustbag, but also refer to the owners manual or mieles website for other maitenance info, i.e. when to change your filters. just changing the dust bag is not enough. the clogged filters could have caused the damage, as could have the overfilled dust bag. i hope this helps you out.

I understand all that, but was relying on the indicator to warn me as the bag was getting full, not the destroyed motor.

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