Robot vacuum says “Error 17: Roomba cannot return to the Home Base” and stops away from the dock.

Safety first: Unplug the Home Base before moving or cleaning it.

Steps to resolve:

• Relocate Home Base: Place the base against a wall on a hard, level surface with at least 1.5 ft (0.5 m) clear on each side and 4 ft (1.2 m) clear in front.
• Clean base contacts and window: Wipe the charging contacts and the dark IR window on the front of the base with a dry cloth.
• Clean robot’s front sensor: Wipe the robot’s front IR window and top sensors.
• Avoid interference: Keep the base away from direct sunlight, mirrors, and other IR-emitting devices (space heaters, some lamps).
• Test docking: Place the robot 6–8 ft (2–3 m) in front of the base and press HOME (Dock) to see if it can return.

When to replace parts: If the robot consistently fails to find the base despite good placement and cleaning, the Home Base or the robot’s RCON/docking sensor may be faulty.