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Inside a DJI Mavic 2 Battery

Thomas USA

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Joined
Sep 28, 2018
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DJI warrants their batteries for only 6 months regardless of the extended warranty coverage you may have. (Mavic 2 Pro in my case)
Three of my four batteries, after 100-103 cycles, that were carefully monitored and only charged when cooled, resulted in puffy and cracked housings within a 7 month period. DJI refused to honor a warranty claim as it was past the timeframe allotted.

I decided to take a careful look inside to see what was going on.

Red arrows indicated cut lines to access the guts of this battery.

Red arrow indicates micro switch behind latch that secures battery to aircraft.

Battery was carefully and fully discharged before "operating". Each battery opened had a single bad cell in position #3, coincidental ? Manufacturing error? A pissed off, underpaid, overworked employee?? Or just plain bad luck? Who knows?!

This is what it looks like inside. Lots of electronics and a few micro switches. I have a better understanding of why they have outrageous prices now. Still, overpriced, but DJI has us by the horns, right?

Check your batteries before EVERY flight, be safe...have fun.
 

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Last edited:
DJI warrants their batteries for only 6 months regardless of the extended warranty coverage you may have. (Mavic 2 Pro in my case)
Three of my four batteries, after 100-103 cycles, that were carefully monitored and only charged when cooled, resulted in puffy and cracked housings within a 7 month period. DJI refused to honor a warranty claim as it was past the timeframe allotted.

I decided to take a careful look inside to see what was going on.

Red arrows indicated cut lines to access the guts of this battery.

Red arrow indicates micro switch behind latch that secures battery to aircraft.

Battery was carefully and fully discharged before "operating". Each battery opened had a single bad cell in position #3, coincidental ? Manufacturing error? A pissed off, underpaid, overworked employee?? Or just plain bad luck? Who knows?!

This is what it looks like inside. Lots of electronics and a few micro switches. I have a better understanding of why they have outrageous prices now. Still, overpriced, but DJI has us by the horns, right?

Check your batteries before EVERY flight, be safe...have fun.
Very funny response, and very cool pictures, unfortunately for you and your relatively new battery!
 
Very good report and pics!

Others have experienced it too, here's a thread:
Mavic 2 Batteries bulging, less than 40 recharges each: Planned Obsolescence, Bad Batch...or Coincidence?

And while there's a variable, do you regularly charge batteries days before using or allow them to often self-discharge, past history may point to a bad batch of batteries.

Also, there's no doubt a reason that DJI changed the default (if I'm not mistaken) for the number of days before self-discharge starts, from 10 to 5 days. This may have been due to the number of complaints?
 
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I think I caught mine early using airdata take a look at the pic in my post.
The had me return 3 batteries, after the usual 5 emails - not in Texas yet - we will see, but I think we are in trouble.

 
Very good report and pics!

Others have experienced it too, here's a thread:
Mavic 2 Batteries bulging, less than 40 recharges each: Planned Obsolescence, Bad Batch...or Coincidence?

And while there's a variable, do you regularly charge batteries days before using or allow them to often self-discharge, past history may point to a bad batch of batteries.

Also, there's no doubt a reason that DJI changed the default (if I'm not mistaken) for the number of days before self-discharge starts, from 10 to 5 days. This may have been due to the number of complaints?

I follow the guidelines from DJI (SOP per DJI).
 
I think I caught mine early using airdata take a look at the pic in my post.
The had me return 3 batteries, after the usual 5 emails - not in Texas yet - we will see, but I think we are in trouble.

Good luck with DJI. Batteries must be their "cash cow" as the warranty is 50% that of the aircraft when new.
 
Very good report and pics!

Others have experienced it too, here's a thread:
Mavic 2 Batteries bulging, less than 40 recharges each: Planned Obsolescence, Bad Batch...or Coincidence?

And while there's a variable, do you regularly charge batteries days before using or allow them to often self-discharge, past history may point to a bad batch of batteries.

Also, there's no doubt a reason that DJI changed the default (if I'm not mistaken) for the number of days before self-discharge starts, from 10 to 5 days. This may have been due to the number of complaints?

Thanks. I hope it's because of a bad batch of batteries (or specifically, the #3 cell...it's the only common fault in all of my batteries. Could be a circuit issue?? Even with these batteries failing prematurely, I have to say, DJI builds one heck of an aircraft for the money. My days of flying and renting helicopters to get the same shots are much, much cheaper now! (and safer too...but not as exciting )
 
Many have had success in getting DJI to replace the M2 battery due to swelling even after the 6 months. Too late for the one you took apart but if you have another, keep complaining, letting them know they have covered others.
Those that had successfully gotten theirs replaced had to provide a video showing the battery could be rocked when placed on a flat surface. Also had to show the bad battery was destroyed in salt water.

DJI enabling setting days to discharge for M2 and changing default to 5 days when default was 10 days for years across all their models to me was practically admitting a defect but not wanting to replace them.

Last summer there was a high rate of swelling, especially for manufacturing dates 7-8/2018. All of my first 3 swelled to some degree but have since gotten good deals on replacements. My worst one I took apart like you. The double sided tape holding the cells to the case halves was the hardest part.
Keep out of heat especially when fully charged.

After leaving my 3 alone with 60% charge, the swelling disappeared. I haven't tried testing at low altitude to see if swelling would return. The batteries are otherwise electrically sound. I'll still use them for any ground work such as firmware updates, checking app settings, preflight warm-ups, etc.
 
Many have had success in getting DJI to replace the M2 battery due to swelling even after the 6 months. Too late for the one you took apart but if you have another, keep complaining, letting them know they have covered others.
Those that had successfully gotten theirs replaced had to provide a video showing the battery could be rocked when placed on a flat surface. Also had to show the bad battery was destroyed in salt water.

DJI enabling setting days to discharge for M2 and changing default to 5 days when default was 10 days for years across all their models to me was practically admitting a defect but not wanting to replace them.

Last summer there was a high rate of swelling, especially for manufacturing dates 7-8/2018. All of my first 3 swelled to some degree but have since gotten good deals on replacements. My worst one I took apart like you. The double sided tape holding the cells to the case halves was the hardest part.
Keep out of heat especially when fully charged.

After leaving my 3 alone with 60% charge, the swelling disappeared. I haven't tried testing at low altitude to see if swelling would return. The batteries are otherwise electrically sound. I'll still use them for any ground work such as firmware updates, checking app settings, preflight warm-ups, etc.
What is the ideal days to discharge? I have set mine to 2 from 5, but would prefer 5 if it does not damage the battery.
 
This is what it looks like inside. Lots of electronics and a few micro switches. I have a better understanding of why they have outrageous prices now. Still, overpriced, but DJI has us by the horns, right?
I was thinking more south than that!
 
What is the ideal days to discharge? I have set mine to 2 from 5, but would prefer 5 if it does not damage the battery.
Well the default (fixed on the M2) was 10 until last summer when many of us had swelling. Most were produced 7-8/2018.

The main thing is not have it in a warm environment while fully charged. Don't leave it in a warm environment no matter what the SoC really but being full will aggravate the situation.

So 5 days should be OK.
 
No 2 days max....idk why u guys think it is a good idea to keep a fully charged LiPo battery sitting for that long these things have to be babied I guess I am just so used to having expensive stick packs for my Heli's 14s and 12s you really have to treat these things with great respect.... If I do this with one of my stick Packs and leave these charged for a week, 5 days, whatever..... I start noticing performance differences even with high "c" rated packs. Then I start losing flight time so I don't do this if I want to go out and fly I literally charge that day or night before. same thing with my DJI drones and I have never had a problem I have had just about every DJI drone. As long as you take care of your batteries they won't swell up on you. This is one of the main rules that I follow it is called the 80/20 rule .... I use about 80% keep 20% in the pack at all times. With my drones I usually like to stop flying around 25% this way when I bring it in my batteries are at a good storage charge I don't have to charge batterys up little bit or anything.... there at about 3.78v per cell which is perfect for storage /ie sitting for a few days /week or two.... Note that if you want to put these in storage for a couple months you will have to have somebody check these periodically if you will not be tending to them because they will lose charge over the weeks you don't want to come back to a completely dead lipo. So killers of lipos are, heat, sitting fully charged yes even for 5 days (I don't care what anyone says that is just too long 2 days max the only reason why DJ I had it at 10 is because it was non-adjustable I don't know why they did this for that matter to pro but every other drone was adjustable). Don't leave them in your trunk or in a car.....anything enclosed in the heat.... also another killer is always taking them down too far like down to 3% one day then the next 5% then the next day 2%.... No good eventually it will start to swell. Anyway I hope you guys get the point I have three batteries and they are from 9/2018 each battery has 105 cycles and they still look brand new and perform great.... all of the cells are very close and do not deviate more than .01 .02 from each other like I said u really do have to baby lipos .... unless you're just made of money;)
 
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