Booster pump failing?

[poolsport]

Hello,
ISSUE # 1: I have a standard Model LAO1N booster pump for my Polaris 280. I am having a strange issue.

I ran the pump overnight and shut it off the following morning, no strange sounds from the pump. That afternoon, I went to turn on the booster pump and nothing happens. You can hear and feel the pump buzz for a minute then you can hear the capacitor click off (i think its the capacitor making the clicking noise). The main Whisperflo pump works fine with great circulation in the pool.

I can turn the shaft on the booster pump by hand with ease. So I flipped the breaker on the booster pump, flipped the power switch and spun the shaft by hand and it spun up on its own and started sending water pressure to the polaris. I did get a slight scent of that electrical burn smell when the pump spun up.

It will run like this fine, but once I turn the booster pump off again, I have to go through the process above to get it to kick back on. I hear the capacitor click after when I flip the power switch (after about 20 seconds), then I go flip the breaker, come back to the pump, flip the power switch back on, before the capacitor gets the chance to click off again, I give the pump a jump start by hand (spinning the shaft by hand) and then it starts running as it should. What could be causing this? A failing capacitor? I failing pump motor?


Issue # 2: One of the jets shooting into the debris bag on the Polaris 280 was clogged. I took the bottom off the polaris, removed the two jets and cleaned them. I installed them and now both jets are spraying water as they should. When the booster pump is working, it seems that the Polaris is getting enough pressure. The two jets that spray into the bag shoot about 10-12 foot into the air when the bag is removed. The problem is, the rear propulsion jet is not getting very much pressure and much of the water is spraying out of the front of the Polaris at the seam where the top and bottom shell meet. The polaris just barely moves at the bottom of the pool. The two jets going into the debris bag are shooting 10-12 feet in the air so I know the pump is sending pressure when working (with # 1 issue in mind). But the propulsion jet is weak and looks like most of the water is shooting out of the font of the polaris. What could be causing that? Any help is appreciated!

I am going out of town in the morning and of course this all happens the day before I leave. Trying to get my polaris running again so I dont come back to a debris filled pool.

[Teapot]

Probably the start/run capacitor on the booster.
Just manually clean it, you won't miss bits and be done in 45mins and do a better job.
Got rid of my Polaris when I realised how long it took and it missed bits and cost more in electricity and stirred up fine debris, dust etc which just settled again later needing more vacuuming.