Lelit MaraX stuck in HX mode

RobertRo101

Hello, forum, my first post here. So here is my problem (the 3rd in almost a month since I had the MaraX) my group thermometer reads too hot temperatures with quite a bit of variation and after some digging, I have found the problem, as per Mauro’s video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HNZfKJaAZM) my MaraX V2 has been in HX mode only for a few days now. I tried both 0 and 1 modes with different temperature switch positions, after warm-up, and the temperature light is always on, indicating that the HX mode is active. I have also spoken with other MaraX owners and their light starts flashing when changing the temperature switch position indicating Coffee Priority Mode active. I have checked the wires and they look good, connected as they are in Mauro’s video. Any idea why this may happen and how to fix it? Thanks

MediumRoastSteam

RobertRo101 - I saw your post yesterday on CFUK. I was going to reply but it’s very hard to comment on what you describe without a video of your own.

Please upload a video to YouTube and paste the link here. Try to demonstrate everything you describe, so it gives us a better idea of what’s going on. Don’t worry about it economising on time. We’ll watch it. 👍😊

MediumRoastSteam

RobertRo101 I tried both 0 and 1 modes with different temperature switch positions, after warm-up, and the temperature light is always on, indicating that the HX mode is active.

OK - so your machine definitely has a problems according to the image you posted above.

RobertRo101

Video with what? With the steps I take to do the extraction or what do you mean?
If you mean the steps in Mauro’s video for checking X mode, I can do that, but they are just the same as his and my temperature light always stays on, so not much to record there:)

MediumRoastSteam

OK - I was thinking more of a recording which shows what’s happening to the machine when you switch between modes, etc - showing pressure gauge, lights - so other owners can easily check theirs and compare.

If you firmly believe it’s not working as intended… have you contacted the retailer?

RobertRo101

Ok, will do it and post it here. I actually spoke with another owner of marax and when he changes temperature settings in coffee priority mode, the temperature light starts flashing, like in Mauro’s video, meaning he is in coffee mode. Again, this problem of mine only happened in the past few days, it was perfectly normal until now.
My retailer said that if it is necessary, they will get back to me, so… yeah:)

DavecUK

RobertRo101 this problem of mine only happened in the past few days, it was perfectly normal until now.
My retailer said that if it is necessary, they will get back to me, so… yeah:)

Check that a wire is not defective from the little switch on the right (HX/Brew mode) to the control box, or at the back of the switch….you will need to remove the case.

RobertRo101

I already checked it, both of them, the black and the red one, they are in the same position as in Mauro’s video and are connected, I actually disconnected them and connected them again just to be sure there is contact.
Here is my video, English is not my first language and I hope I could make myself clear: (maybe wait a few minutes to get to HD quality)

MediumRoastSteam

RobertRo101 - That video is excellent. I think it is a lot better for someone to visualise what’s going on.

So, if I understand correctly, it’s almost as if the Brew/HX priority mode button is completely dead, does nothing, and it’s stuck in HX mode, right?

I didn’t realise that it wasn’t the case until recently. I don’t understand the machine well as I don’t have one, but, it does seem it has developed a fault. I would check for disconnected wires on the switch and control box - but that was already suggested and you seem to have done it anyway.

Personally, I’d contact my retailer to say that the machine is not working as expected and let them deal with the problem.

RobertRo101

Thanks. I was hoping I could maybe find a fix that I could do myself, I also posted the initial post on reddit and there is another person that has this problem but did not know how to check the coffee priority mode because he did not know about Mauro’s video. The problem I have with the retailer is that their service is known in my country to not be the best had actually had some problems in the past with a few customers and their only service is 550km away and I am afraid of the transport to be quite honest, we don’t have the best of them either so the machine may come back broken or idk:)

MediumRoastSteam

RobertRo101 - that’s very unfortunate and sad to hear.

Maybe it’s worthwhile chatting to your retailer and they might be able to work with you to try to diagnose the issue yourself. Maybe it’s a faulty Gicar box, in which case, they could simply send you a new one and you could replace it easily.

At this point, I wish you good luck, and I’m sorry to hear your machine is not working as expected.

RobertRo101

Thank you for your help. I really don’t know what could have caused this problem, it was working perfectly for the first 3 weeks and I was really enjoying it. Eh, I guess I better learn how to temp surf now until this is fixed:)

DavecUK

RobertRo101 I would definitely recommend letting Lelit know as well. I am faily sure connected (via the switch) is coffee priority and disconnected it HX mode….e.g. if the switch was removed and the wires left dangling, it would be in HX mode.

As you have checked the wiring and it’s all OK I would suspect the Gicar box.

There is a check you could try, with the machine off, use a resistance meter and see if the switch itself is actually working!

RobertRo101

Thanks, will try and find a meter and check if the wires are alive and you are correct, if the switch is broken or the cables have any sort of problem, the machine only works in HX mode.
I contacted Lelit on the Lelit care platform and their last response was that “the video doesn’t apply to the V2 of the machine, which has a new software version” I asked what part of the video doesn’t apply, the flashing light to check for coffee mode or the wiring to the switch is different in V2 thank in V1 but still no response to this question yet.

DavecUK

RobertRo101 I contacted Lelit on the Lelit care platform and their last response was that “the video doesn’t apply to the V2 of the machine, which has a new software version” I asked what part of the video doesn’t apply, the flashing light to check for coffee mode or the wiring to the switch is different in V2 thank in V1 but still no response to this question yet.

It can be difficult at first for the manufacturers to understand the problem…they will initially make the assumption that it is some other problem….or a misunderstanding.

RobertRo101

I should actually send them the video I made for the forum, maybe that will help.

RobertRo101

Hi guys, so after speaking with lelit care and my reseller, they both seem to think that this is normal for the V2 of the MaraX. I am going to send them this video that I just made regarding the temperature on setting 0. Lelit said that for V2 a new software was installed and that may explain the high temperature but I did not buy this machine to only get temperature from 93 to 96 degrees. Also, the machine was much much more stable in the first 2-3 weeks that I got it. The temperature on setting 0 was around 91.5 (93-93.5 on the thermometer). Any thoughts?

Ps: this was one of the good days for the machine:) most of the time the variance in temperature is greater than this

DavecUK

RobertRo101 You need to always show the pressure gauges, not keep wobbling about….try landscape mode. You also need to state whether this was just after it was warmed up..and hoe long, or how long since the last shot, or was t simply standing for 20 minutes?

In this way you put the video in proper context.

Also keep the camera low, so they can see the flow rate and mention how many gs of espresso you extracted in what time.

Everything I have mentioned is information that is unclear and may well not elicit an accurate response.

RobertRo101

You are right. The pressure is at 9 bars, the machine was 1 hour and maybe 10-15 minutes warm, no shot before. The flow is around 47g/10s without the portafilter in place, the Mara V2 also has a green pump.

But none of this above explains anything for me because the same routines I have now are the ones I had before this whole strange temperature thing happened. I had around 91.5 on setting 0 and it was constant.

MediumRoastSteam

RobertRo101 - so… is the machine stuck in HX mode or not?

DavecUK

RobertRo101 flow is around 47g/10s without the portafilter in place, the Mara V2 also has a green pump.

But you were extracting through coffee I think? Obviously with an empty group the temperatures shown on the group head thermometer will be higher when you run the pump.

RobertRo101

I have no idea. They said that that video does not apply to V2 but they did not say how to check for that in the V2. My guess is that it is indeed in HX, and that would explain the fluctuations in temperature I see on the thermometer, the variance in extraction, and the hotter than normal starting point. I am still waiting to see if they can tell me how to check for HX mode in V2.
Also, if it helps, when I put the lever in the middle position, there are no droplets of water coming out, if that is a sign of anything:), I saw that there should be a few droplets coming out, some people on other forums use this as a kind of preinfusion, idk.

MediumRoastSteam

RobertRo101 - I believe that, in order for he machine to be “brew stable”, the pressure has to oscillate quite a bit in order to not overheat. If the top half of the manometer remains at, e.g. 1bar pressure constantly when idling, then it’s in HX mode. If it keeps fluctuating to lower pressures, dumps water now and again (in order to keep the HX cooler), then it’s in brew priority mode.