ROOMBA·FAULT ERR 43 WARN

Roomba Error 43 — Started inside a keep-out beam

Q: Roomba Error 43 — Started inside a keep-out beam

Error 43 means the robot started a job inside a Virtual Wall or dock beam — on j series, inside the default keep-out zone around the dock. It won't clean from there. Carry it out and press CLEAN.

Severity: Warning — cleaning won't start until the robot leaves the beam ij

Last verified: 2026-07-05 Tools: none Time: ~5 min Difficulty: easy

DIRECT ANSWER

Error 43 means the robot started a job inside a Virtual Wall or dock beam — on j series, inside the default keep-out zone around the dock. It won't clean from there. Carry it out and press CLEAN.

#meaning · #causes · #fix · #parts · #models — link straight to any section

COMMON CAUSES · RANKED

Placed in front of a Virtual Wall MOST COMMON

Starting the robot inside the invisible barrier leaves it nowhere legal to go.

Inside the dock's own keep-out zone

j series robots reserve a small area around the dock and refuse to start jobs inside it.

Two Virtual Walls facing each other UNCOMMON

Crossed beams create dead zones the robot can start inside by accident.

HOW TO FIX IT

No battery or electrical work involved in this fix.

Move the robot clear

Carry it a couple of meters away from the Virtual Wall or dock and press CLEAN.

Reposition your Virtual Walls

Make sure no two barriers face each other and none points at the dock.

Start jobs from the dock

Docked starts avoid the problem entirely on every series.

Did this fix your robot?

No reports yet for this fix — be the first.

COMPATIBLE PARTS

As an Amazon Associate, RoboFaults earns from qualifying purchases. Prices are shown on the retailer's site.

Dual Mode Virtual Wall barrier

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Runs on two AA batteries and needs no app or cloud, which makes it useful insurance for older Roombas.

Compatibility and replacement details → Check price on Amazon ↗

MODELS AFFECTED

Model	Status	Firmware	Parts	Verified
Roomba i1 / i1+	limited	i	Parts →	2026-07-05 · Source
Roomba i3 / i3+	limited	i	Parts →	2026-07-05 · Source
Roomba i4 / i4+	limited	i	Parts →	2026-07-05 · Source
Roomba i6 / i6+	limited	i	Parts →	2026-07-05 · Source
Roomba i7 / i7+	limited	i	Parts →	2026-07-05 · Source
Roomba i8 / i8+	limited	i	Parts →	2026-07-05 · Source
Roomba j7 / j7+	limited	j	Parts →	2026-07-05 · Source
Roomba j9 / j9+	active	j	Parts →	2026-07-05 · Source
Roomba Combo j7+	limited	j	Parts →	2026-07-05 · Source
Roomba Combo j9+	active	j	Parts →	2026-07-05 · Source

Models resolved from the series chips above. Support status comes from our EOL library; rows link to the matching parts and firmware pages.

Sources

Verification

OFFICIAL SOURCE

Last verified: 2026-07-05 · How we verify a fault code

Corrections

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