New Mini 2 fresh out the box with stuck motor

[Spoonablehippo]

Got my brand new Mini 2 “Fly more combo + care refresh” from Amazon yesterday, unboxed updated the fw etc

Went to start the motors and 3 of them briefly start but stop and I get an error message to “check motors”!

One of them is very stiff. I have turned it by hand and after a few turns it feels better and the drone flys normally now, and the motor feels the same as the others!

Was this just debris from production maybe or where it’s been sat on the shelf for a long time?
DJI support said as long as the drone flys and there is no error messages than all is ok!

But just wanted to check. Can’t return to Amazon as they are out of stock atm

Thanks in advance

 

[Starz]

As long as all the motors spin and feel the same when you turn them slowly by hand, should be fine. You should be able to feel some slight resistance/pulse from the magnets in the bell part of the motor.

 

[Spoonablehippo]

Thank you!
Yes, they are all slightly “notchy” as they go round!

 

[old man mavic]

@Spoonablehippo welcome to the forum,let the drone hover for a few minutes ,then switch off and see if the motor that was tight feels any hotter than the other three ,if it does this could indicate a faulty motor ,or if you are lucky enough to own an infra red thermometer ,use that while the drone is flying to check the motor temps

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Welcome to the Mini 2 Forum,

You are likely to always have an issue with that motor be sure you fixed the problem . I would do 20 to 30 start up to confirm in different ways.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mini 2 in the Rain. Land on the Water.

 

[Faster]

As said before, start>take off>hover for a couple of minutes>land, check motor temp, repeat again a few times just to be sure everything is ok. Did you register with DJI? Did you buy the DJI Care Refresh? If not, return to Amazon and buy another one in any other place, if yes just send the drone to DJI under warranty replacement.

 

[Spoonablehippo]

Thank you all for your suggestions!

To answer a couple of questions, After freeing the motor I let the drone hover in my living room for 20 minutes, motor felt same temp as the others.
I have also flown it outside today, putting it though it’s paces in sport mode with lots of sudden changes of direction etc and depleted 2 batteries!
Motor still as free as others and same temp.

The drone came with “Care refresh”.

I do actually have a Flir thermal imaging camera here at work, so I will let it hover and monitor the motor temps and see if it’s any different.

Thanks once again for all your input and welcoming me to the forum

 

[Starz]

Did you buy the DJI Care Refresh?

Why would this be pertinent to the issue being discussed? Wouldn’t the warranty period cover the possible faulty motor?
Last time I checked, DJI still provides warranty coverage on new products.

 

[Spoonablehippo]

UPDATE:
So let the mini sit on the desk with the motors running for 20 minutes, all 4 motors recorded a temp of around 24 c

Then let it hover in the middle of the room for 20 minutes, and land.
All 4 motors around 32 c

So The motor feels and runs as freely as the others, and doesn’t get any hotter.

I would say it’s fine?

 

[Starz]

Yes. Normal temps.

 

[Deleted member 154384]

@Spoonablehippo welcome to the forum,let the drone hover for a few minutes ,then switch off and see if the motor that was tight feels any hotter than the other three ,if it does this could indicate a faulty motor ,or if you are lucky enough to own an infra red thermometer ,use that while the drone is flying to check the motor temps

The thermal imaging camera is a great tool for this type of temperature verification. It must arrive these days, I bought a professional one and I will use it for this hobby and not only ... This is an example.

 

[cheddar-man]

Nice! Wish I had that facility!
Yes, the bearings are filled with grease and probable it was a bit "stiff" to start with and now has settled down into a normal running condition.

 

[DrMarkOsman]

Thank you all for your suggestions!

To answer a couple of questions, After freeing the motor I let the drone hover in my living room for 20 minutes, motor felt same temp as the others.
I have also flown it outside today, putting it though it’s paces in sport mode with lots of sudden changes of direction etc and depleted 2 batteries!
Motor still as free as others and same temp.

The drone came with “Care refresh”.

I do actually have a Flir thermal imaging camera here at work, so I will let it hover and monitor the motor temps and see if it’s any different.

Thanks once again for all your input and welcoming me to the forum

Hello everyone, brand new to this great forum. Well, it finally happened to me. I just received my brand new, sealed, beautiful Mini 2, and as a grown man, I couldn’t contain my excitement—LOL. Before inserting the battery, something told me to manually check the motors. I gave them a gentle spin, and sure enough, the front right motor feels sticky and stiff, definitely not normal. The other three spin smooth as silk. I’m really worried because I can’t afford a crash. Inventory is low, and I was hoping this little bird would last me a long time. I'm hesitant to power it on or attempt a flight until I know what’s going on. What should I do? Has anyone else experienced this with a brand new unit? If there's any chance someone here would be willing to speak with me for a few minutes, I’d be incredibly grateful. Please let me know, and I’ll be happy to share my contact info. Many thanks in advance.

 

[Max Headroom]

I gave them a gentle spin, and sure enough, the front right motor feels sticky and stiff,

Put the battery in and start the motors i will be very surprised if the sticky one doesn't turn.

Please let me know, and I’ll be happy to share my contact info. Many thanks in advance.

There is no need to share contact information this is a discussion forum its purpose is to let pilots discuss problems and get help.

 

[Starz]

What should I do?

It is possible some debris may be in that motor. Any ferrous metal will create an issue with how that one spins. Would be difficult to actually see if something is in there and it could be very small. If you have access to compressed air, you could try blowing out what could be there. If there is something there, it’s possible the air may just move it to a different spot inside the motor.

 

[Felix le Chat]

Put the battery in and start the motors i will be very surprised if the sticky one doesn't turn.



There is no need to share contact information this is a discussion forum its purpose is to let pilots discuss problems and get help.

Concur. Boot up the drone, controller & flight app then pull both control sticks down and in at the same time hold them in this position for about a second.

This will spin-up all four motors but your drone won't automatically try to take off. Leave the motors running at idle speed for a few minutes and when you want to kill the power: down, in and hold with the control sticks again.

Physically check the motors after you've stopped them. Do they all feel roughly the same temperature? Does the 'sticky' one feel more free moving?