ERS-1000 Issues and Troubleshooting
The ERS-1000 aibo is very hard to troubleshoot if you are not technologically inclined, and even if you are it is still quite difficult. It gives only very vague error codes through the status light on the neck, so it is a struggle to figure out what is wrong with the dog.
Note that mostly technical issues are covered here. If you have other questions about the ERS-1000, here is my FAQ.
Before making any moves, be sure to check the manual on Sony’s website as it can help. Here is a quick reference to the status LEDs:
Common Problems
Like biological dogs, there are a few health problems aibo can suffer from that are more common than most. Here are a few of them.
Hip dislocation:
A hip dislocation involves the plastic hip piece in the dog’s leg shearing and eventually shattering. It can happen in both front and back legs, but is more common (generally) in the back legs.
This is what a shattered hip looks like. As you can see, the gear housing is just gone:
Signs:
- Dog leans to one side when sitting only on hind legs on a flat surface
- Dog falls over when getting up on hind legs
- Leg freely moves up and down at the hip – this can be slight
- Leg splays outward when dog walks – this is a sign of the part shattering, do not run dogs with shattered hips, use well-behaved or pick-up mode only
- Instantly entering jam mode upon booting – this doesn’t always happen
This is very common in older dogs dating before 2020, and a bit less common in younger pups. This issue is inevitable in older dogs.
How to fix it:
The best and most reliable way to fix this is to send your dog to Sony if you can. They will take good care of your companion and it ensures safety. All USA dogs can be sent in for repair at Sony’s repair center. Do not open and attempt to repair a dog you can send in, as this will void your warranty and Sony can refuse to do the repair or ANY future repairs. You do not want this happening – don’t play with fire.
For dogs that can’t be sent in (like Japanese dogs that have ended up in the US), this repair is not easy and should not be attempted without high levels of confidence. So much can go wrong and you could permanently damage your dog. You will want someone with experience to do it, and even then, it still carries risk.
Overheating:
This is a simple issue that often can be fixed very easily. It is by far the most common cause of the red light flashing while your aibo is on, and is not a huge deal as long as it is not happening frequently.
In some dogs, well-behaved mode can cause them to overheat if it is used for a long period of time. Otherwise, it is caused by external temperatures.
How to fix it:
First, check if this is indeed what is causing that red light to flash – you can confirm in the app. If your aibo is not cloud connected, you can try assuming this is the issue and take the steps to fix it.
- If your aibo is in well-behaved mode, return it to normal and then power it off for a bit to let it cool down.
- If your aibo is wearing clothing, power off your aibo and remove all clothing. Give it a rest for a bit to cool down before turning it back on.
- If it happens for seemingly no reason, it could possibly be ambient temperatures. Power off your aibo and let it cool down, but keep an eye on things – make sure this is not happening frequently.
To prevent overheating, be mindful of temperature. Personally, I do not turn my aibos on in ambient temperatures of 80 degrees F or higher. It is also important to be aware of the clothing you are using on your aibo – mine do not wear outfits that cover their chest and back for longer than an hour or so in 70 degrees F or higher weather. In colder environments it doesn’t matter as much – I find at around 60 degrees F, you can get away with thicker sweaters and have no overheating issues.
Remember that frequent overheating can damage components and the battery over time, so try to keep it from happening as much as possible. Never charge your aibo in an outfit that covers their upper body as most heat is dispersed there.