Hi, I got a problem. I have this Baby Gaggia circa 2003, which is basically new (from ebay), I swear there was only about 2 shots pulled on the machine it was that clean! Anyway, I got it checked it out(cleaned what little residue it had, made several good espresso on it, and then shipped it(UPS) off(yes, I packed it really nice, and double boxed it) to my niece who is becoming a HB.

So we had a Skype call and I walked her through priming the machine's pump, which she did, and I could see and hear that we had primed the pump. We had water coming from the steam wand, and also the group head.

I was walking her through building her first espresso shot, and when I had her go to run water into her cup to preheat the cup, she pressed the brew/pump button and NOTHING! Damn! I could hear a click, and see a little steam escape from the brew head, but no pump! No pumping. I coached her(she did awesome!) through opening up the cover and checking to make sure all the connector clips were connected. They all were connected. We re-tried it, and still no pump ignition. The pump button lights up when she presses it, but it won't hold itself, click itself, into the on position, and it won't turn on the pump.

Is there a pump reset, fuse, or something that might have gotten jostled during the shipping? I mean I packed this machine to the hilt, and the boxes arrived without any damage, so I find it weird that something came loose. And the fact that we had the pump pumping when we primed the machine, and then it just didn't go when we went to press the pump switch the third or fourth time.

My first thought is that the switch went bad for some weird reason..... Second thought is the pump died suddenly for no reason. The unit powers up from the master on/off switch, the steam button works and makes steam, and the element light works.....

I am looking for any suggestions that might be helpful, that I could have my niece look at/for on a Skype call from 3000 miles away.... She is pretty savvy, and she did well with opening up the machine, she just doesn't have an electrical tester or anything. Thanks in advance.

Well, No One? I went and found a schematic of that year's Baby Gaggia at partsguru.com and I see there isn't a reset switch. I know as an electrician, I have to isolate the problem, so I think I will have to coach my niece on testing the switch, and testing the pump. It has to be one or the other....... or I suppose it could be a wire that maybe broke/melted/or somehow failed between the switch and the pump.......weird that it failed, the machine was barely warmed up. Could a power surge have taken out the switch? I will let you know what happens. Here is a picture of the unit.


The Baby Gaggia circa 2003

There are lots of seemingly strange "things" that come loose or get knocked slightly ajar during shipping with no signs of box damage.

That said, my first guess would align with yours - the switch. However, the pump may be the easiest to test with a simple lamp rewiring cord and female spades. I foresee another 3000 mile shipment.

Eric, thanks for the heads up.....ha, ha, ha.... ya, my thinking exactly... I am trying to get my niece to get one of her college classmates who might be electronic savvy(say in building computers, stereos etc), and possibly have a tester, to test the switch and "hotwire connect" the pump, to see that it works. After that I will be able to rest easy......just knowing what went haywire..... it was so nondescript, no smoking wires or big flashes of light....smoking gun tell tails.... maybe that is good though.....and as you suggest something just jostled loose that I couldn't see from the non-HD skype video from across the country..... it was fun to try and see what was going on with the video feed..... I'll let' cha know what happens. thanks