Dyson V6 Vacuum

Easy Fix for Dyson v6 v7 v8 Vacuum Surging – Revving Pulsing On and Off

ByRichard Tomlinsen

My Dyson v6 Motorhead vacuum started surging the other day. Really annoying! (Zoom, zoom, zoom…) When you pressed the trigger, it would turn on and off repeatedly. I was disappointed, other than that, I love this vacuum cleaner! Luckily there is an easy fix for this to get it going again, good as new. Follow this picture guide for a super simple fix for this problem!

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The long and short of it is that the filter is clogged, read on for a simple method to unclog and clean your existing filter! Alternatively, replacing the soiled filter will also accomplish the task:

(Note: On the Dyson V7 and V8 (as well as the DC58 and DC59), it is usually either a stuck flap on the intake head or the filter issue discussed in this article.)

Battery Replacement

If you’ve already cleared any blockages, changed the filter, and the problem persists, then you have a bad or failing battery. It is much more cost-effective to replace the battery than to buy a whole new vacuum. I recommend these replacement batteries:

This fix applies to the following Dyson Vacuums: 

  • V8 Absolute, V8 Motorhead, V8 Animal
  • V7 Absolute, V7 Motorhead, V7 Animal Plus,
  • V6 Absolute, V6 Animal, V6 Animal Extra, V6 Motorhead, V6 Motorhead Exclusive, V6 HEPA, V6 Cord-free, V6 Baby+Child, V6 Car+Boat, V6 Top Dog, V6 Trigger,
  • DC59 Animal Exclusive, DC59 Animal V6, DC59 Motorhead,
  • DC58.
Dyson V6 Vacuum
The Dyson v6 vacuum is a workhorse!

Why is my Dyson Vacuum Pulsing?

The Dyson v6 has a flow meter circuit that shuts the vacuum cleaner down if the flow rate decreases beyond a certain point. This is a safety feature to protect the vacuum from burning out the motor. The cause of low flow rate is usually a clog of some sort. So, the first step is to check the rotating brush and tube to make sure there is nothing clogged or jammed in there.

How do you troubleshoot a Dyson Vacuum?

In my case, there is nothing clogging the vacuum (nice!). If yours has this issue, the next step is to remove the filter and clean it. If you want to skip the filter cleaning step, new filter cartridges are actually pretty inexpensive and available at this link:

Remove the Filter

Alright, let’s get to it! The filter is located under the circular cover on top.

Dyson V6 filter compartment
The top of the Dyson v6 filter.

It is kind of tough to grab this filter by the little knob they have in there, so, if necessary, use some pliers to grab it and pull it straight out.

Removal of the pre-filter for the Dyson v6 vacuum
Removing the filter.

With the filter removed, try running the vacuum. If it is no longer surging or revving, then your problem is a clogged filter!

The filter for a Dyson V6 removed from the vacuum.
The filter removed from the V6.

Rinse out the Filter

Notice the ‘faucet’ icons on the filter. These indicate that you should clean the filter by washing it out.

Run water on the filter and squeeze it. You will see a bunch of dirty water come out. Repeat this until the water you squeeze out is clear. Then the filter is clean!

Dyson v6 filter being rinsed in a sink.
The pre-filter from the Dyson v6 vacuum being rinsed out.

For many cases, this level of rinsing may be enough. For me, several months later the same thing happened (the surging) so I had to rinse it out again. This time I disassembled the filter more fully and found a nice little wad of hair inside of it. So, it is worth it to take the filter off of its housing. To do this, twist the filter, and pull it off. If it is stuck and won’t twist, take a flat-bladed screwdriver and press in the clips as shown while pulling the filter off of the plastic housing.

Dyson v6 filter removal from housing with a flat-bladed screwdriver
Use a flat screwdriver to remove the filter from its housing.

Once the clip is depressed, pull the filter at an angle, then do the same thing to the next tab.

The dyson filter clip depressed allowing it to be released from its housing.
The filter has been pushed loose of the tab holding the filter onto its housing

Repeat for all 3 tabs until the filter comes loose from the housing. Then pull it off.

The filter is loose from its housing in a Dyson v6 filter.
The filter is now loose and can be pulled off of the housing.

Clean out any new hair and debris.

The filter housing has a clump of hair and dust that should be removed.
The filter housing contains the hair and debris to be removed.

Turn the filter upside down and tap out any loose dirt and dust.

Dust, dirt, and grime accumulated on the inside of the filter.
The inside of the filter shows lots of debris that needs to be rinsed out.

After all the loose stuff comes off, rinse it out with water.

The Dyson v6 filter being rinsed out with water in a sink.
Rinsing out the v6 filter

Be sure to rinse the outside as well, so that the dirt is pushed through the filter from the direction where it came from.

Be sure to rinse out the outside of the filter as well to push dirt back through the filter.
Rinsing the outside of the filter.

Wring out the filter, then repeat the rinsing process.

Wringing out the filter
Rinse, wring, and repeat.

Dry the Filter

IMPORTANT: The final step is very important. Make sure you let the filter dry out before you put it back into the vacuum and give it a try. If the filter is still wet, the vacuum will continue to surge because not enough air can pass through it.

For me it took about 24 hours for the filter to dry out. I put it on the warm air vent to keep airflow moving around it.

Once the filter is fully dried out, put it back into the vacuum and give it a try. When I did this, it did surge a couple times at first, then I heard a slight popping sound, like the filter expanded into place or something, then it worked fine again!

If after you’ve cleaned the filter and let it fully dry, it still pulses, you may need to replace the filter. You can check the price here:

After Removing the Filter my Dyson Still Pulses?

If your Dyson still pulses and surges even with the filter removed (and no obstructions visible in the filter hole), you may need a new battery.

Note that the battery is slightly different for the V6, V7, and V8, so make sure you choose the correct one based on the model that you have:

Why does my Dyson smell bad?

It seems to me you can get about 3 rinses out of a filter before it is too clogged with tiny particles that it doesn’t make sense anymore.

In addition, the filter will usually start to stink! The new filters are pretty cheap, e.g., this is the 3-pack available on Amazon.

This fix should also apply to the following Dyson Vacuums: 

  • V8 Absolute, V8 Motorhead, V8 Animal
  • V7 Absolute, V7 Motorhead, V7 Animal Plus,
  • V6 Absolute, V6 Animal, V6 Animal Extra, V6 Motorhead, V6 Motorhead Exclusive, V6 HEPA, V6 Cord-free, V6 Baby+Child, V6 Car+Boat, V6 Top Dog, V6 Trigger,
  • DC59 Animal Exclusive, DC59 Animal V6, DC59 Motorhead,
  • DC58

Thanks for reading and check-out these other money-saving home maintenance articles!

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36 Comments

  1. Oh my god thanks. I almost bought a new vacuum. You can get these filters new on amazon for cheap. I found an extra and changed it. works great now!

    Reply

  3. Pretty spot on advice! After cleaning everything – I discovered I had a round cardboard disc (like from the top of a cleaning product) stuck in the area right before dirt enters the chamber. There is a piece of plastic that guides dirt ‘right’ and the disc was right there almost impossible to see.

    Reply

  4. Thank you for clear step by step directions with pics! I removed filter and it stopped pulsing. I opened up the filter ( I had no idea that could be done ) and there was a bunch of dog hair compacted together.

    Reply

  5. All the information in the article is correct. But as I am awaiting a new filter to be delivered I watched another video on the continued surge/pulsing. The woman took off the nozzle and looked down the barrel and pulled out a big plug of hair. I had looked down the barrel and pulled out some doghair. But what I saw on this woman’s video was that you could see to the clear cannister when she unclogged hers. I went back and took the clear cannister off and could get to the barrel more easily and found a small amount of dog hair, I mean small amount but it was enough to keep the flap to the clear cannister closed. I got tweezers and pulled out the hair, maybe 10 German Shepherd’s finest and the flap opened! Holy cow, I reassembled all the parts and it’s working! Good to have a back up couple of filters but my stubborness served me well! And by the way, initially I had pulled the filter out to clean it and the unit didn’t surge but the issue was not the filter. So removing the filter and checking if it surges is not totally diagnostic of the filter being the culprit.

    Reply

  7. MR D Curtis Hiya just got a new motor for the Dyson v6 and all new filter and i striped right down and cleaned it all out and this Dyson is still pulsating and a new Battery as this Dyson is costing money to buy new parts so i think it’s the BIN JOB for this heap of crap

    Reply

  8. The bit about three filter rinses probably being the limit was also helpful. Thank you

    Reply

  9. One vacuum cleaner that HAS to be kept clean in the working end of it. Ignore that and it will quit, quickly. Oh, it’s cute and powerful but it can suck some things it can’t digest. Clumps of paper, clumps of hair, anything that is a wad might not make into the chamber. I found that if I take my old hose vacuum, flip it to full power, it can back suck what is blocking the entrance to the chamber.

    Reply

  12. My friend and I are having the same issues with our V8s. They keep shutting off and we have replaced the batteries and the filters. Dyson is no help, so now we will never use the brand again.

    Reply

  14. Good morning! My Dyson V6 Slim is out of warranty, and Dyson has told me that I need to replace the Motörhead. I’d rather try fixing it. Any ideas for the V6 Slim pulsing ONLY when the Motörhead is attached? (I’ve also tried some motörheads from my older models: Dc35 and DC45 (I can’t remember which one worked-they are not all compatible), it worked for a short time, but now it’s pulsing again. It does however work without any pulsing with the mini Motörhead…
    (looks like this part is only available on eBay now). Any thoughts?

    Reply

    1. I’m having the exact same issue–the small motor head attachment is working, but the larger, main head spins, then there is a pause in the power, and when the motor starts again, the head won’t spin. Did you find a solution? We have gone through the whole machine top to bottom.

      Reply

  15. Thank you so much! This essential tip has just saved my wife’s patience and my sanity. Flow and suction now fully restored to what it was when we first had it.

    Reply

  16. Thank you! I did not realize the filter could be taken off the housing. When I did, it had a big clog of wet debris and hair at the bottom. The whole inside was very dirty but is not apparent until you take it off the housing. I had rinsed it before with the housing on, and it just did not come clean until I took it apart. I am back in business at no cost, hurray!

    Reply

  20. I have new Dyson. I refunded to previous one to Costco as it surged and pulsated. I now have a second one and in the first couple of days it did the same thing. We have one in our office too and everyone hates it because of this chronic surge problem. I am annoyed with Dyson because their refund policy requires you to give back the box. Just a classic example of putting barriers in your way. I’ll write to the ACCC on this one as its disgusting

    Reply

  21. Thanks so much!
    I had tried rinsing the purple filter first, but that didn’t work. Then realized that the motor worked fine when not attached. So the clog was in the connector from the revolving brush to the tube. I just couldn’t see it until I poked around the hole a bit.

    Reply

    1. Try it without any filter installed at all. If it still pulses, it could be a bad battery. Call Dyson and explain the situation. Depending on how old the unit is, it may still be under warranty, in which case they will send you a new battery. They are pretty good to work with.

      Reply

  23. Thank you.
    I was looking for receipts and a service Centre.
    Problem fixed in 30 seconds.

    Reply

  24. Thank you!! I was worried my Dyson was on its last leg of.life when it started sputtering. This worked like a charm. I’m now back to being fascinated by how much my 50# dog can shed in such short periods of time!!!

    Reply

    2. Mine weight 75#, quite a bit dog falls off of him too, about a cocker spaniels worth I say per day. Wonder he isn’t hairless!

      Reply

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