Making a Loud Clattering Sound

The most likely cause of a LOUD CLATTERING SOUND is either a foreign object wrapped around the brush bar or a defective clutch (Brush control). All DC03's are fitted with a clutch which has two main purposes. The first is to allow the drive to the brush bar to be disconnected for vacuuming hard surface floors. The second is to prevent damage to the motor in the event of a foreign object, such as a sock or the tassles on a rug being vacuumed up, causing the brush bar to stall.

PLEASE NOTE: If your are in anyway unsure of any of the steps listed below. Please consult a qualified electrician and always remove the plug from the socket before commencing work.


1. Lay your Dyson onto it's back and, using a two pence piece, turn each of the three soleplate fasteners a quarter of a turn in an anti-clockwise direction.

2. Remove the soleplate by twisting either side of the centre plastic screw.

3. Carefully pull the brush bar out of the cleaner head and check for objects wrapped around it such as loose threads, hairs, fluff etc. Also check the inside of the soleplate and clear any blockages, especially the channel down the centre of the cleaner where the dirt is sucked up into the cleaner. If there is no obvious cause of the brush bar being stalled then inspect the clutch assembly by grasping the brush roll in the centre and carefully pulling it away from the cleaner head.

4. Carefully rotate the brush roll to 'unwind' it from the belt. You must take great care doing this as the edges are very sharp where the belt passes through the brush holder. It is sometimes beneficial to first remove the black plastic end cap from the brush roll.

5. Lay the Dyson onto it's right side and prise off the glamour cap (Hub cap) from the wheel.

6. Then remove the circlip holding the wheel onto the axle.

7. After removing the wheel, use a Torx T15 screwdriver to remove the three screws holding the clutch cover in place. When removing the clutch cover be careful not to break the rubber soleplate seal (Blue arrows).

8. Very carefully pull the rubber soleplate seal from the groove in the clutch cover.

9. Remove the clutch cover from the cleaner head.

10. Using a flat bladed screwdriver, carefully remove the belt from the motor shaft.

11. Remove the clutch from the cleaner head by pulling on the belt.

12. Examine the clutch assembly for damage. If either the white pulley wheel or the belt around the pulley (The clutch to brush bar belt) is damaged then the whole clutch assembly must be replaced. If the outer belt (The clutch to motor belt) is damaged this can replaced by following these simple steps. Undo the two Torx T9 screws on the clutch end cover.

13. Depress the tab at the opposite side to the two screws and remove the clutch end cover.

14. Once the cover is removed, take note of the order of the components before changing the clutch to motor belt.

Reassembly is a simple reversal of the steps listed above.