Battery Swelling - beware - near accident today

[jimlips]

I've read many of the DJI battery swelling issues on the forums, so I am familiar with it. I've lost at least four MPP batteries due to swelling since I purchased my MPP new in 2018. The manufacture date on my battery (according to AirData) was 03-Sep-2018, although "IS-16046-2015" is stamped on the battery label:


The second photo doesn't do the swelling justice.

After a nice flight yesterday, when I landed the MPP, I noticed that the battery was not completely seated. I always check the seating during my preflight list.

It was warm yesterday (about 91F), but there was plenty of breeze so it didn't feel that hot.

I'm thinking the battery swelled during flight, and popped one side of the clip out, and that is how it was when it landed. Thank God for two clips! If I flew any longer, it may have completely popped out and "fell out of the sky" as many people say.

Time to buy more batteries. Can I still get MPP or MP batteries new?

 

[old man mavic]

I've read many of the DJI battery swelling issues on the forums, so I am familiar with it. I've lost at least four MPP batteries due to swelling since I purchased my MPP new in 2018. The manufacture date on my battery (according to AirData) was 03-Sep-2018, although "IS-16046-2015" is stamped on the battery label:
View attachment 113957View attachment 113958

The second photo doesn't do the swelling justice.

After a nice flight yesterday, when I landed the MPP, I noticed that the battery was not completely seated. I always check the seating during my preflight list.

It was warm yesterday (about 91F), but there was plenty of breeze so it didn't feel that hot.

I'm thinking the battery swelled during flight, and popped one side of the clip out, and that is how it was when it landed. Thank God for two clips! If I flew any longer, it may have completely popped out and "fell out of the sky" as many people say.

Time to buy more batteries. Can I still get MPP or MP batteries new?

it would seem that temperature is the biggest issue with battery life up to now my batteries are fine, but in the UK we dont get the extreme heat so maybe that contributes to the lack of swelling ,as far as replacements are concerned ,they are getting thin on the ground ,the MPP ones still seem to be available ,and of course there are aftermarket ones as well i purchased my MPP flymore in 2018 as well just around the time the M2P was released and i also purchased an extra battery so i have 4 as well i have 458 flights 108 hours 442 miles according to airdata on the MPP

 

[dirkclod]

Yes you can buy new batterys.

 

[Aerial-Pixel]

Unfortunately this is a common issue with the Mavic line. Ive had 3 batteries on my M2P swell after a couple days of extreme heat.
Be sure to let your batteries cool completely before recharging, this is another cause for puffy batteries.

 

[Brockrock]

it would seem that temperature is the biggest issue with battery life up to now my batteries are fine, but in the UK we dont get the extreme heat so maybe that contributes to the lack of swelling ,as far as replacements are concerned ,they are getting thin on the ground ,the MPP ones still seem to be available ,and of course there are aftermarket ones as well i purchased my MPP flymore in 2018 as well just around the time the M2P was released and i also purchased an extra battery so i have 4 as well i have 458 flights 108 hours 442 miles according to airdata on the MPP

I agree that one of the common factors related to this issue seems to be high temperature operations. For both the M2P and MA2, the DJI recommended max temp is 104 F/40 C, and most folks report operations at less than that, but it would seem that frequent ops even in the 90's could be a factor here. We had a very hot summer here in New England, and although I did fly a few times well into the 90's, most of my flying was typically in the range of 60 - 85 degrees F, and so far, no swelling that I can see.

 

[Pushkur]

I'm wary of one of my 3 battery's,seems slightly tighter fit than the other 2.
I have a narrow strip of velcro I considered putting on tight,once the battery was clicked in place,but I'm worried about possibly covering the gps.
I had that issue on time when I flew with a small 360 camera on top.
Wasn't aware of a problem till I started to maneuver,drone was flying like me after a few too many beers ??
Was more or less out of control and took all my limited skill to land back on my balcony .
Design should really have a better way of holding the battery in place,as this issue could potentially have very serious consequences if it pops out.

 

[old man mavic]

i dont believe velcro on its own will effect the GPS it was the camera that was the culprit

 

[DanMan32]

I transport my batteries in a cooler now, especially if I'm not flying immediately after leaving the house.

Operating temperature I don't think is as much an issue as cumulative time stored in elevated temperatures.

Batteries won't let you charge them if they are too hot, so no worries there.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

I live in upper Michigan so my temps are not like Florida! I have acquired 7 batteries for my MPP since Aug 2018 and never experienced swelling.

 

[Jeff A]

I've read many of the DJI battery swelling issues on the forums, so I am familiar with it. I've lost at least four MPP batteries due to swelling since I purchased my MPP new in 2018. The manufacture date on my battery (according to AirData) was 03-Sep-2018, although "IS-16046-2015" is stamped on the battery label:
View attachment 113957View attachment 113958

The second photo doesn't do the swelling justice.

After a nice flight yesterday, when I landed the MPP, I noticed that the battery was not completely seated. I always check the seating during my preflight list.

It was warm yesterday (about 91F), but there was plenty of breeze so it didn't feel that hot.

I'm thinking the battery swelled during flight, and popped one side of the clip out, and that is how it was when it landed. Thank God for two clips! If I flew any longer, it may have completely popped out and "fell out of the sky" as many people say.

Time to buy more batteries. Can I still get MPP or MP batteries new?

Yikes!

 

[TreeHugger]

It appears to be a case of "bad luck". I believe there are more in-depth threads related to battery issues on the board somewhere.
Really though - you could make anything up regarding a potential cause. Why some and not all. OEM chargers only! Lol.

 

[Brockrock]

It appears to be a case of "bad luck". I believe there are more in-depth threads related to battery issues on the board somewhere.
Really though - you could make anything up regarding a potential cause. Why some and not all. OEM chargers only! Lol.

Over many years, both here and on the Phantom Pilot's forum, I have followed this battery swelling issue, all the while, hoping that it did not happen to me - which it has not... That's why I mentioned above that it seems to be a heat issue. And mostly, pilots are flying within DJI spec too, although at the upper end in many cases that I have read about. That leads me to believe that the DJI upper spec is more based on the stability of the electronics as they heat up, and less about the battery itself. That's just one guy's opinion, of course, who does not believe in luck...?..

 

[TreeHugger]

Over many years, both here and on the Phantom Pilot's forum, I have followed this battery swelling issue, all the while, hoping that it did not happen to me - which it has not... That's why I mentioned above that it seems to be a heat issue. And mostly, pilots are flying within DJI spec too, although at the upper end in many cases that I have read about. That leads me to believe that the DJI upper spec is more based on the stability of the electronics as they heat up, and less about the battery itself. That's just one guy's opinion, of course, who does not believe in luck...?..

Indeed - "Luck" would be closer to a probability that X percent of anything manufactured - related to technology - is going to fail.

 

[julius13]

I live in Georgia...the new Arizona. Over the last 4 years I’ve lost 4 P4P batteries and 3 M2P batteries due to swelling. Gets pricey replacing them too. Now I know not to even think about flying with a swollen battery. When this 1st happened, I noticed when landing I had to forcefully remove the battery from the P4P. One of the batteries on the Mavic 2 Pro buldged until it cooled down. I thought I would try it at low level testing and when I exhausted the charge during flight it buldged again so I decommissioned it. As I said they are pricey but a lot less expensive than a drone.

 

[bushie]

I had 2 batteries swell last week. We are at the end of winter here so nothing to do with excess heat

 

[Platinum 4 ever]

I've read many of the DJI battery swelling issues on the forums, so I am familiar with it. I've lost at least four MPP batteries due to swelling since I purchased my MPP new in 2018. The manufacture date on my battery (according to AirData) was 03-Sep-2018, although "IS-16046-2015" is stamped on the battery label:
View attachment 113957View attachment 113958

The second photo doesn't do the swelling justice.

After a nice flight yesterday, when I landed the MPP, I noticed that the battery was not completely seated. I always check the seating during my preflight list.

It was warm yesterday (about 91F), but there was plenty of breeze so it didn't feel that hot.

I'm thinking the battery swelled during flight, and popped one side of the clip out, and that is how it was when it landed. Thank God for two clips! If I flew any longer, it may have completely popped out and "fell out of the sky" as many people say.

Time to buy more batteries. Can I still get MPP or MP batteries new?

You seem to have a bit of bad luck with batteries. I also bought my mmp in February of 2018 with two batteries. And no swelling here.

 

[Ken-Mav-Mtl]

I have had the misfortune of writing about "in-flight battery ejection" on the Mavic 2 series (M2P, M2Z). The design of the Mavic 2 type batteries does not allow space for the battery to swell and a battery that swells in flight will have a much greater chance of ejection, causing a crash.

See the Mavic Pro battery on the left. It has a hard, molded plastic frame on its base that allows about 1/32' of space for expansion if the battery swells.

See the M2Z battery on the right. It has no ridge on the base and the flexible membrane that contains the battery is flush to the base of the battery. You can also see signs of "scuffing" or scratching on this membrane, especially near the bottom right, which is evidence of the battery being compressed to the inside of the battery compartment on the aircraft.

These are signs of in-flight swelling and such a battery should be retired ASAP!

The use of Velcro battery ties is an option to overcome this design flaw on the Mavic 2 series drones. I have attached a PDF file of the battery straps that I ordered after my M2Z ejected its battery in flight.

Using a velcro strap should keep a swollen battery in place and avoid the loss of your drone.

The 20mm x 300mm size fits the drone but the 20mm width may interfere with bottom sensors so try to get a narrower size or trim the straps to avoid interference.

Another precaution to using straps is that they may cover the battery ejection buttons on each side of the battery so you may require a "shim" to raise the strap so that it cannot apply pressure on the battery ejection buttons.

Finally, I recommend to always remove the battery from the drone immediately after landing and check for battery swell. You are far more likely to identify swollen batteries this way, than if they are left to cool and return to normal size.

The sudden loss of a drone in flight that is not due to pilot error makes you seriously rethink flying over any path where the drone could fall and cause injury or damage.

They are very reliable, but not absolutely infallible.

 

[howardK]

I recently replaced 4 batteries for my M1P's. 3 of them had swelling issues and one had a broken lock clip on the starboard side.
I got the 4 replacement ones on Ebay. They are DJI brand and I paid $85.00 USD/each. I then bought replacement wraps for them on Amazon. I now have 3 neon green, 3 neon orange and 4 that can be used for paper weights.

 

[wayne brow]

I lost communication with my drone and it fell from the sky when I found it the battery was hot and so was the day in July it had separated from the drone I think you are on to something about the air temperature.

 

[Reginald E Johnson]

I've read many of the DJI battery swelling issues on the forums, so I am familiar with it. I've lost at least four MPP batteries due to swelling since I purchased my MPP new in 2018. The manufacture date on my battery (according to AirData) was 03-Sep-2018, although "IS-16046-2015" is stamped on the battery label:
View attachment 113957View attachment 113958

The second photo doesn't do the swelling justice.

After a nice flight yesterday, when I landed the MPP, I noticed that the battery was not completely seated. I always check the seating during my preflight list.

It was warm yesterday (about 91F), but there was plenty of breeze so it didn't feel that hot.

I'm thinking the battery swelled during flight, and popped one side of the clip out, and that is how it was when it landed. Thank God for two clips! If I flew any longer, it may have completely popped out and "fell out of the sky" as many people say.

Time to buy more batteries. Can I still get MPP or MP batteries new?

And here I thought that it was just me that this happened to and then the Frame is cracked right where the Battery snaps in at so I have to send it out for repair!