Lelit Mara X steam pressure gauge stuck

#1: Post by **holybean** » July 26th, 2022, 9:23 am

Sometimes lurker here with a question. What's wrong with my gauge? Suddenly it seems stuck, more or less (see pic). Even when the machine is cold, the pressure gauge doesn't quite drop to 0. The machine still seems to get hot enough to brew, however. I can live with a malfunctioning gauge as long as the machine gets hot enough.

#2: Post by **JRising** » July 26th, 2022, 9:33 am

If it's still under warranty, talk to the seller.
If it's out of warranty, but still "moving properly but always 0.6 too high", you can live with it. Or, since the pin moves properly, you could take the gauge out, take the face off of the gauge, pluck the needle off the peg and push the needle back onto the peg at zero.

July 26th, 2022, 9:57 am

Thanks. Yeah, it's still under warranty with 1st-Line, but given the cost of shipping, I think I'll just live with it. On the other hand, I like to have a fully functioning machine, etc.
In fact, I don't think the needle is 'moving but always 0.6 too high'; it doesn't appear to move much at all.

July 26th, 2022, 10:16 am

So...looking at the 1st-Line site, I see that the problem could be a clogged capillary tube. Apparently, this can happen after a descale - and I recently descaled. If this is the problem, then the next question is how to clear the capillary.

#5: Post by **JRising** » July 26th, 2022, 12:24 pm

It's very easy to disconnect the capillary, it's just a small compression fitting at each end. If the gauge immediately drops back to zero as soon as you separate it from the capillary, then the clogged capillary was a correct diagnosis.

Presuming that the capillary will be clogged at one end or the other (usually the boiler end), you should be able to clear the blockage with a pin or fine piece of wire.

July 26th, 2022, 1:22 pm

cool, i'll give it a try.

July 26th, 2022, 5:16 pm

hey, it worked! thx again.