ROBOFAULTS
ROOMBA·FAULT ERR 43 WARN

Roomba Error 43 — Started inside a keep-out beam

Severity: Warning — cleaning won't start until the robot leaves the beam ij
Last verified: 2026-07-05 Tools: none Time: ~5 min Difficulty: easy

DIRECT ANSWER

Error 43 means the robot started a job inside a Virtual Wall or dock beam — on j series, inside the default keep-out zone around the dock. It won't clean from there. Carry it out and press CLEAN.
#meaning · #causes · #fix · #parts — link straight to any section

COMMON CAUSES · RANKED

1

Placed in front of a Virtual Wall MOST COMMON

Starting the robot inside the invisible barrier leaves it nowhere legal to go.

2

Inside the dock's own keep-out zone

j series robots reserve a small area around the dock and refuse to start jobs inside it.

3

Two Virtual Walls facing each other UNCOMMON

Crossed beams create dead zones the robot can start inside by accident.

HOW TO FIX IT

No battery or electrical work involved in this fix.

Move the robot clear

Carry it a couple of meters away from the Virtual Wall or dock and press CLEAN.

Reposition your Virtual Walls

Make sure no two barriers face each other and none points at the dock.

Start jobs from the dock

Docked starts avoid the problem entirely on every series.

COMPATIBLE PARTS

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Dual Mode Virtual Wall barrier

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Runs on two AA batteries and needs no app or cloud, which makes it useful insurance for older Roombas.

Check price on Amazon ↗

Sources

Verification

OFFICIAL SOURCE

Last verified: 2026-07-05 · How we verify a fault code

Corrections

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