Beware crashed Mavics submerged or left out in the rain

[Former Member]

Occasionally, we have members who have crashed their Mavics into the water. We also have members that have crashed their Mavics outside then find them weeks or months later after being exposed to the elements. Some of these owners ask if it's ok to try to start the Mavic after being under water or being exposed to rain. My answer is usually yes, it's ok as long as the battery cells have not been breached by damage and/or the indicator lights still show a charge.

If my Mavic crashed into water or crashed into a tree and I couldnt retrieve it until after a rainstorm, I would not try to turn it on immediately. I would make sure that the integrity of the battery was 100%, no cracks, dents, or moisture inside. In addition, I would let the battery dry out for a few days outside the house, just in case there are fumes coming out that I wasnt aware of. The fumes could possibly be toxic or at the very least be irritating, so no need to take chances.

If any part of the battery is cracked, smells unusual, or is puffed/bloated/distorted, I never use it again. Too many possibilities for problems, and it could pose a hazard to storing it. Best to dispose of it properly instead of risking your drones life, or worse, your health on a $79 part.

Happy holidays.

Rob

P.S. The following is a video of a Youtuber who does experiments with lithium batteries. He is an amateur, and I would never recommend you try this at home. He does point out how volatile lithium strips are after being exposed to water. He is very close to the burning battery which could easily have exploded.

 

[cyeung]

So suppose you deem a battery "compromised." How do you suggest that battery be quarantined and disposed of?

 

[Former Member]

If you are in the USA, you can try this company

Battery & Cellphone Dropoff Locations – Call2Recycle | United States

Or some home depots or lowes will take them as well.

 

[DanMan32]

Assuming it will turn on, deplete the charge with sufficient resistance so that the discharge current is low.

 

[Jonny_Pain]

I crashed a racing drone two years ago in the fall here in upstate New York. It spent them whole winter out in the elements, and I found it in May.

Popped in a new battery and the sucker fired right up!!! Everything worked. I don’t fully trust it though and now use it for parts when needed.

 

[MrMike]

Here is some useful information for disposing of Lipo batteries.
How-To: Safe lipo preparation for disposal - TJinTech

 

[Charles Keen]

Occasionally, we have members who have crashed their Mavics into the water. We also have members that have crashed their Mavics outside then find them weeks or months later after being exposed to the elements. Some of these owners ask if it's ok to try to start the Mavic after being under water or being exposed to rain. My answer is usually yes, it's ok as long as the battery cells have not been breached by damage and/or the indicator lights still show a charge.

If my Mavic crashed into water or crashed into a tree and I couldnt retrieve it until after a rainstorm, I would not try to turn it on immediately. I would make sure that the integrity of the battery was 100%, no cracks, dents, or moisture inside. In addition, I would let the battery dry out for a few days outside the house, just in case there are fumes coming out that I wasnt aware of. The fumes could possibly be toxic or at the very least be irritating, so no need to take chances.

If any part of the battery is cracked, smells unusual, or is puffed/bloated/distorted, I never use it again. Too many possibilities for problems, and it could pose a hazard to storing it. Best to dispose of it properly instead of risking your drones life, or worse, your health on a $79 part.

Happy holidays.

Rob

P.S. The following is a video of a Youtuber who does experiments with lithium batteries. He is an amateur, and I would never recommend you try this at home. He does point out how volatile lithium strips are after being exposed to water. He is very close to the burning battery which could easily have exploded.

Unfortunately everybody mentions the battery troubles and yes, it contains electronics which can be shorted out by physical impacts, condensation and even a mere drop of water in the wrong place but yes, there’s the physical damage to the cells but anybody can plug in a new battery and would be wise to do if in doubt.
The bigger danger is water ingress into the main body which contains many units with sensitive electronics circuits which a mere drop of water in the wrong place or condensation in the body can destroy. It’s not only the circuit boards that are at risk of that destroying drop of water, it’s also plugs, sockets, ribbon cables, etc that are as well.
If you think that your drone could have taken in some water, however small, DO NOT CHANGE THE BATTERY AND SWITCH ON TO SEE IF IT WORKS.
Although water and condensation is the thing that shorts out the circuits because of its low resistance, it is the voltage from the battery that kills things. You must take off the top shell of the drone’s body AS SOON AS POSSIBLE and dry it out before switching on. (Youtube shows you how to take it off) However tempting it may be to switch on, you must leave it open in a warm dry place for a number of days or you could try a hair drier (at a distance) if you want to try and speed things up.
You have got to remember that water you cannot see can be under components so it’s not just a quick dry. Please remember that too much heat from the hair drier can cause other problems.
If you are more unfortunate to land in salt water, you have only a few days before the salt water eats away the copper in the circuit boards and cables so a fast recovery is needed during which you must hope that the salt water didn’t get in before the battery went flat. With salt water, the drying process has to be different because when salt water dries, it leaves a salt deposit that again can short out circuits. Because of this you need something to wash away the salt water before drying. For me, WD40 has worked on other types of circuitry that have had salt water on but recovery from salt water immersion is very unlikely as you cannot get to all the hidden parts. You could be lucky.