r/Dreame_Tech

Hi all, I'm having a mop-related docking problem with my Dreame L40s Pro Ultra and I'm out of ideas. Everything has been cleaned and checked (ramp, wheels, washboard, sensors).

Symptoms, in the order I found them:

1. Mop pads left in the base → robot can't dock. As soon as I take the pads out of the base, it docks without any problem.
2. Mop pads mounted on the robot → same failure. It climbs about halfway up the ramp, then the wheels start slipping and the robot drifts off-center. Removing only the cloth pads (leaving the plastic holders on) makes no difference.
3. Workaround that worked once: I flipped the robot over, reinstalled the pad holders and rotated them by hand until they dropped fully onto the shafts. With the holders fully seated, the robot docked fine. So it looks like the holders were held by the magnet but not properly engaged on the shaft, sitting a few millimeters too low and dragging on the ramp.
4. Now, once docked, the base reports that it's unable to remove the mop pads.

So it seems the holders neither seat fully on their own nor release in the base.

Questions:

• Has anyone seen this combination of issues?
• Is this a known problem with the mop holders (worn or tight coupling), or does it point to the robot's shafts or the base's detach mechanism?
• Is replacing the mop pad holders worth trying before contacting support?

Mop pads/holders: original Dreame
Firmware version: 4.3.9_3276
Robot age: 1 year

Country: Europe

Thanks in advance!