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Mavic 2 Pro limp gimbal after initial calibration

dontic

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I've been searching the internet for weeks now but found no solution or any cases of my exact problem. I would like to know if any of you have experienced this and how you solved it.

After having my Mavic stored for 3 months I tried to fly it for the first time but noticed the feed was shaky AF. Landed and discovered the gimbal was completely dead. Tried restarting the drone several times with no luck. Never crashed the drone or hit it with anything while stored. Gimbal was always protected with the plastic clamp.

The thing is that the gimbal initializes correctly every time and it's not after the initial sound that it goes limp:

Gimbal Failure

Other times the gimbal works just fine for most of the flight, then after 10 mins of flying it dies. For instance, this video was taken 5 minutes after the previous one:

Gimbal works fine

No errors on the App, Gimbal Status on the app is "Normal", gimbal calibration doesn't work when it fails but does when it has power and calibrates correctly.

I'm really pissed that this happened barely 3 months after my warranty expired, should have flown it more. I'm looking for options before sending it to service, I am good with electronics so if there is a replacement part that someone can assure would solve the problem I'm down to do it myself.

Have you guys seen this problem before?
 
have you updated the software in it and the batteries. I know its a dumb question, but? you indicated it was stored for 3 months perhaps you need an update.
Not dumb at all!

That's the first thing I did, FW update. Didn't help, so I factory reset it, nothing.
I just discovered that batteries have FW too (wow), gonna update the 3 batteries I have with Assistant and fly it for a bit this weekend.

Honestly, that might be it. I noticed that when you turn off a mavic the first thing that powers off is the gimbal, then, some seconds after, the actual drone and the battery. So it might indeed have something to do with the batteries.
 
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dontic
No No NO. Sorry I have developed stammer.
Uninstall "Assistant 2"

Download and install "Assistant 2 for Mavic" and update the firmware.
Then Re-calibrate the gimbal in the Go 4 App.
 
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Check for poorly seated cable from camera assembly.
Thought about this but if it was poorly fited, wouldn't it had failed in the previous 2 years? I'm going to check this once I discard all the FW options.
dontic
No No NO.
Uninstall "Assistant 2"

Download and install "Assistant 2 for Mavic" and update the firmware.
Then Re-calibrate the gimbal in the Go 4 App.
Gotcha, doing that this afternoon, sadly no test flights until this weekend.
 
Not dumb at all!

That's the first thing I did, FW update. Didn't help, so I factory reset it, nothing.
I just discovered that batteries have FW too (wow), gonna update the 3 batteries I have with Assistant and fly it for a bit this weekend.

Honestly, that might be it. I noticed that when you turn off a mavic the first thing that powers off is the gimbal, then, some seconds after, the actual drone and the battery. So it might indeed have something to do with the batteries.
There is no factory reset option for the Mavic 2 pro.

The battery should update with the drone.
You should only need to do each battery if you keep getting an inconsistent firmware message, in which case you will need to repeat the drone firmware update with each battery.
 
Update:

Ok so I "refreshed" the FW 3 times with Assistant for Mavic this morning, one for each battery just to make sure. Just to be clear, I had no "Insonsistent firmware" message with neither battery before, I did it for good measure.

Powered on the drone throughout the day and the camera worked every single time with all 3 batteries.

Fast forward to this afternoon, I went for a hike and when I reached the top I got ready to fly the Mavic and surprise, dead gimbal after calibration...

Hypothesis at that moment:
  • It's the cold weather (-8 degrees) which contracts some electric component
  • The movement of the backpack shifts a poor fited cable
So I arrived home, let the drone warm up, tested and gimbal still limp with every battery.

I then re-refreshed the FW one more time and just after it was done, gimbal works fine every time I powered it on again. The drone wasn't moved, it was updated on the same table where it was failing 2 minutes prior.

Hypothesis now:
  • It's the cold weather (-8 degrees) which contracts some electric component
  • The movement of the backpack shifts a poor fited cable
  • FW issue that appears after a trigger (temp. shifts, movement, time powered off...) Is that even possible?
I'm going to keep testing.

Note: I'm hesitant of screwing around with the ribbon cable as I really don't believe that's the issue and, in the last case scenario that I send the drone to DJI, I wouldn't want them to think that it was my fidgeting that caused the issue. Although it's out of warranty, this is obviously a manufacturing issue and I'll most probably push for a warranty cover.
 
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Update:
After some testing for my hypothesis these are the results:

Base condition: FW refresh and the gimbal working propperly
  • If the drone is left resting at room temperature, the gimbal works without any issues, no matter the time it has been standing idle. I cannot replicate the issue.
  • If I put the drone outside (around -8 °C) for 15-30 mins the issure reappears. I've done this several times.
  • After the issue reappears, an inmediate FW refresh won't work, the Mavic has to warm up first. Once it's warmed up then a FW refresh solves the issue.
  • The issue will persist even if the drone is warmed up, to fix it a FW refresh is needed every time. The issue goes away after the Mavic has been warmed for a long time or has been powered on for a couple of minutes and then re-started.
  • When the drone is taken inside, a "warm" battery won't solve the issue either, so batteries are discarded as a culprit.
This is really interesting and it would explain why this issue has not appeared before last year, as I've mostly flown the drone in warm weather until now.

Current guess is that some connection of either the gimbal cable or another electronic component is partialy broken. The cold shrinks the material and the connection is broken while the warmth expands the material and the connection is restored.

That also explains why I can start flying the drone but after a couple of minutes flying in cold weather it ends up failing.

I've never seen anything like this. If anyone has an idea of what component is causing this please do reply.

I'm going to contact DJI with my findins to see if it can be fixed with warranty. (The issue appeared a month after warranty expired).

If I cannot get a warranty fix from them then I will disassemble the gimbal and check the cable myself.
 
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You dismantled and reassembled the gimbal.
Clearly since the gimbal IC board has thermal paste on some components then the gimbal board is temperature sensitive.
Admittedly you would assume that the thermal paste is to dissipate heat but it probably also acts as a heat sink in cold weather.
The operating temperature range is supposed to be -10C for the aircraft, but no figure is given for the gimbal that I have found.

So two things.
Did you ensure that the disturbed paste was replaced and secondly.
Have you verified that the temperature is not below -10C .
Fortunately I live in a temperate zone although it will be -2C tonight I doubt I that I will ever go flying below +10C.
 
You dismantled and reassembled the gimbal.
Clearly since the gimbal IC board has thermal paste on some components then the gimbal board is temperature sensitive.
Admittedly you would assume that the thermal paste is to dissipate heat but it probably also acts as a heat sink in cold weather.
The operating temperature range is supposed to be -10C for the aircraft, but no figure is given for the gimbal that I have found.

So two things.
Did you ensure that the disturbed paste was replaced and secondly.
Have you verified that the temperature is not below -10C .
Fortunately I live in a temperate zone although it will be -2C tonight I doubt I that I will ever go flying below +10C.
I have never replaced any part of the drone nor dissasembled anything. I also never crashed it nor bumped it with anything, so I guess it's a manufacturing issue.
Temp has been always above -10C.

Gonna wait to see what DJI sais
 
Everything you're saying sounds like an electrical problem related to temperature. With a bad connector though, it should ultimately fail entirely with repeated cycles of heating and cooling, not to mention vibration and jostling. Also, not getting an error message is odd. I'm guessing either a faulty component on a pc board or a poor solder connection.

Ultimately, this is just a guess, based on 30 some years experience in metrology.
 
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Everything you're saying sounds like an electrical problem related to temperature. With a bad connector though, it should ultimately fail entirely with repeated cycles of heating and cooling, not to mention vibration and jostling. Also, not getting an error message is odd. I'm guessing either a faulty component on a pc board or a poor solder connection.

Ultimately, this is just a guess, based on 30 some years experience in metrology.
Exactly my thoughts. I'm afraid that this will kep getting worse to the point of a full fault. I will let you guys know what DJI tells me, but I'm not hopeful that they're gonna cover it under warranty... Shame the issue didn't appear before
 
Exactly my thoughts. I'm afraid that this will kep getting worse to the point of a full fault. I will let you guys know what DJI tells me, but I'm not hopeful that they're gonna cover it under warranty... Shame the issue didn't appear before
Indeed (not failing under warranty). Stress to DJI that it happens in cold conditions. Otherwise they may say, we can't replicate the problem. They shouldn't give you any grief over the temperature you quoted, (-8 deg C?) as the Mavic 2 is rated to -10 C.
 
I have never replaced any part of the drone nor dissasembled anything. I also never crashed it nor bumped it with anything, so I guess it's a manufacturing issue.
Temp has been always above -10C.

Gonna wait to see what DJI sais
Sorry my mistake for mixing threads.
You have not disassembled the gimbal!
 
Update:

The drone is now failing to subtle temperature changes, I believe the component is indeed failing more and more due to cycling as @Barbara stated. If I leave it close to the window (around 18-20 °C?) the issue appears, if I get it warm again issue goes away.

After a couple of emails back and forward with DJI support they are washing their hands, which I understand from the company's perspective. Still, I offered to send the encrypted logs their way so they can check without me having to send the drone. They refused and said that the drone is out of warranty. Implicitly saying that even if the fault is from manufacturing (which most likely is), I will have to pay for the repairs.

Thus I decided to disassemble the gimbal today to inspect it. Everything on the inside is good as new, connectors seemed perfectly fitted.

I got the ribbon cable out and indeed it seems to have a couple of "lumps" on one side. Sadly I haven't found any circuit diagram online to check what those lanes do:

IMG_1405.jpg

IMG_1404.jpg

I will try to get my hands on a multimeter, I'm in temporarily working in Norway and all my tools are back in Spain, so I'm just feeling lucky I brought my screwdriver set with me.

I also ordered a new ribbon cable from China, guess it's worth a try to replace it.
 
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Those two look like the power tracks. Trying to see from the image, are those two tracks showing exposed metal? If so that could well be the issue and if so the replacement cable could be the solution. Please keep us posted.
 
Those two look like the power tracks. Trying to see from the image, are those two tracks showing exposed metal? If so that could well be the issue and if so the replacement cable could be the solution. Please keep us posted.
I'm crossing my fingers. The cable will take quite a while to come. I haven't found a source here in Norway that has it.

No metal exposed, but the "lump" is clear up close. My guess is that this lump was created when manufacturing this unit, then vibrations + temperature expansion and contraction cycles has ended up breaking the conection inside.

Again this is a wild guess and it's me really wishing this is it, because if it's not I better prepare some cash!
 
If it is the power it would certainly cause the gimbal to flop and if it is a fine crack it could easily contract with below freezing temperatures and go open circuit.

Be careful when seating the new cable’s connectors. As I’m sure you’re aware they’re delicate.

Good luck.
 
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I'm crossing my fingers. The cable will take quite a while to come. I haven't found a source here in Norway that has it.

No metal exposed, but the "lump" is clear up close. My guess is that this lump was created when manufacturing this unit, then vibrations + temperature expansion and contraction cycles has ended up breaking the conection inside.

Again this is a wild guess and it's me really wishing this is it, because if it's not I better prepare some cash!
Hope that's the issue. Too bad you don't have a meter, even a simple continuity tester would do the trick.
 
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