How To: Rupes Electric Motor Brush Replacement

Your car is clean and decontaminated, you plug in your Rupes, prime the pad, place it on your panel, hit the switch and…nothing. Let go, try again…nothing. Panic ensues, click, click, click…nothing! Oh no my trusty Rupes has failed me what do I do?

If this has happened to you and for the people it will happen to in the future, this, my friend, is for you.

Okay, a little dramatic? Maybe but this is a very real problem that there was not a ton of available info on when it happened to me. The electric motor brushes are a wear item that will fail at some point, and luckily very cheap and easy to replace. The therapy needed to get over this experience is a different story.

First, remove the 4 Philips head screws by the lever handle.

Next, remove the plastic covering to allow access to the brushes.

This is your brush, this is one on either side.

Pull the connector off, a pair of pliers will make quick work of this.

Then simply lift the spring and the brush will slide right out.

Here is a worn brush next to a new one, notice the dark area at the edge.

Grab your new brush and slide it back in, ensure the spring is making contact and plug the connector back in.

Repeat for other side.

Test for power and reassemble.

Breathe a sigh of relief.

If this does not work you may need to replace or repair your power cable. Simple cut off and splice in a new cable.