I was using Grindz in my Pro M and it has locked up on me- I get the blinking light and the motor doesn't start now. The first couple of presses on the button produced a little grounds now nothing. I have followed the instructions in the manual to troubleshoot but it doesn't work. Any ideas?

Let it cool down; it is possible a thermal fuse has opened and needs to cool down to reset.
Is it under waranty? The manufacturer does recommend using Grindz, so you're not out of line there.
(though they do recommend running it at the coarsest setting -- did you?)

I'd clear the grind path, make sure it moves smoothly (manually), then let it cool down and try it unloaded.

Do you mean that the burrs should move freely if I were to try to move them? They don't at all. I was using the coarse setting- use the pro m for FP. Also I wasn't using it at all and hadn't in a week or two (been on vacation so I emptied the hopper and vacuumed out the remaining beans at that time).

Unplugged while you do this. Sorry, I don't know anything about the grinder - but I know it can be tempting to just reach in. Please be careful and good luck.

First time I used my new to me SJ, I turned it off and stuck a brush in to clean out the grind path - learned two things :

The burrs are RIGHT THERE.

It spins a while after you turn it off, unless you stop the burrs with a brush...

Had to take the top burr off to get it unstuck - bristle bits in the grinds for a while, but it's worked fine since.

Good luck!

Tomesd wrote:Do you mean that the burrs should move freely if I were to try to move them? They don't at all.

Not sure if this is relevant or not given that I have no experience with the grinder, but on my Vario you cannot move the burrs with the hopper removed (safety precaution).

I'd recommend unplugging, emptying the hopper, and seeing if you turn the burrs backwards by reaching in with the hopper fully in place. Hopefully you can dislodge whatever is preventing the burrs from turning.

I take it you don't even hear the motor making a noise other than perhaps a full load? By this, I mean the motor is not whining indicating a broken belt or gear on the drive mechanism.

Sounds exactly like burrs being jammed by the grinds that are stuck to the exit chute. This was irritatingly common in the early models and I am sorry to hear that it can happen in the improved later models also.

The only way to fix this that I could come up with is to use some sort of stick to dig out grinds through the exit chute. You can also use a powerful vacuum cleaner to suck out loose grounds. Be careful while doing this, as I managed to dislodge one of the rubber flaps in the exit chute and the grinder was basically useless after that. So probably you should not try to run the grinder, but only use sticks and suction.

I've tried sucking from the bottom but have been hesitant because of the reason mentioned. The motor never runs now- I just get the rapid flashing light when I try to use it. It's obvious the burrs are stuck on beans or grindz, any more ideas on freeing it up?

Have you tried digging grounds out with a stick?

One thing that I did not try when I had the grinder was to use some sort of drill bit or corkscrew to drill out grounds through the exit chute. If you have nimble fingers, you can also try to feel where the blockage is.

The challenge is that you are basically limited to stuff that you can do through the exit chute. Burr chamber is quite inaccessible from above and it is not possible to remove the top burr.

I might also consider opening the grinder, but I don't have any experience from that. You should consult the tech support first, as the grinder was not designed to be opened by the user.

Hi the instructions say to clear the outlet with a spoon handle if it was mine I would remove the grind adjustment dial then remove the calibration screws and try to release the burrs by turning the adjustment shaft anti clockwise

If its still under warranty call the retailer

Regards Keith

Despite Mahlkonig's warnings about the ProM not being user serviceable, you can open it up quite easily by removing the two tiny vertical screws that are just forward of the chute. When you do that (and remove the hopper), the entire top assembly, including the silver "Mahlkonig" face plate, will slide forward and off as a single unit.

The chute assembly is attached to the burr chamber (the yellow object in the diagram). The chute slides off after you loosen the little screw at its top (which I assume also acts as an anti-static ground). If Mahlkonig hasn't sent you a parts diagram, PM me, and I'll forward it to you.



I learned all this last night when I replaced the plastic chute, which had stopped removing static after a year. I'm a total non-DIYer, and it took me about 10 minutes. You will then have better access to the burr chamber. I didn't need to open the chamber myself, but it looked pretty easy to open up by removing a couple of screws.