Metallic taste not a good sign

[JamesDH]

Hi all,

I've got a Vivaldi II that I've had almost 2 years. It's plumbed in with the filter, charcoal filter and pressure regulator. I did not plumb the drain.
I am gone a lot so it doesn't get much use and typically stays idle for a month or more. When I'm gone I unplug the unit and turn off the water to it.
Just a few weeks ago when I returned from an 8 week trip. I fired the machine up and after about 40 minutes I flushed some water thru the machine by using the hot water dispenser and flushing a few shots thru the head. All was good and I went to make my first cup. Coffee in portafilter, portafilter sealed onto head and hit the double brew button. I hear the click of the solenoid but no pump running. I hit the button again to stop the process. I hit the button again and this time the pump ran and all was normal. I thought either the relay is going bad or the pump is going bad. For the past few weeks I've been going thru that procedure when I make coffee.
I had read about the difficulty in opening up the machine and dreaded taking it apart so I kept going using the "hit the button a few times until the pump runs" technique. It seemed to be getting better and had started coming on first try more than not.
Thinking about the symptoms I feel the relay may be going bad because I don't hear the motor humming like it was stuck. But will investigate that later.
Now comes the real problem.
This morning I walk up to the machine to find the catch pan full to the brim and a little water on the floor. I emptied the pan and didn't think much of it because I had seen the head vent (correct terminology?) leak in the past. I tested the hot water dispenser, the steam wand and pulled a few shots on an empty portafilter. All seemed good so I went about making a cappuccino. First taste and something was bad wrong. Metallic taste. I questioned the milk as it was a new jug. Nope tastes great. Water? I drank a little out of the facet. Nope, typical Houston water. I made another cup. Same horrid taste. I made another shot and drank it straight. Metallic taste to the coffee. I pulled some water from the hot water dispenser and let it cool. Horrid taste.
By this time I was fully awake and remembered I had tasted something similar when I had my old Krups machine back in the 90's. My sister had used the machine and left the heater running and burned up the element and warped the tank but I didn't know it. First cup out of it after she left had that metallic flavor. Ruined $20 Krups! (I made many coffees out of that machine)

So.. I'm thinking something leaked and the pump failing to energize was not able to refill whatever leaked out and exposed my heating element(s) and burned it/them.
Of course I'll have to rip into it and make a full diagnosis but in the mean time I've got a flight to catch later today and will not be back before the end of March.
It would be nice if I could order the parts now so they will be waiting when I arrive but not being able to tear into it I don't know what to order.

Anyone experienced this?
What would you order?

James

[SwingT]

Just wondered if you ever got this sorted out, and what it turned out to be