Two More Battery Failures

[WWK888]

Now a total of three batteries have failed (swollen). I use and care for my batteries properly so don't try and tell me I did anything wrong. I am convinced there was a bad batch or batches of batteries. Some these batteries have less than 30 charges. Since I rotate between five batteries they are all out of warranty.

 

[WithTheBirds]

Now a total of three batteries have failed (swollen). I use and care for my batteries properly so don't try and tell me I did anything wrong. I am convinced there was a bad batch or batches of batteries. Some these batteries have less than 30 charges. Since I rotate between five batteries they are all out of warranty.

Do you have any packs that haven’t failed? What is the production date on those?

 

[AnzacJack]

Strange. Could it be something bird side that is causing this? Or perhaps a faulty charger?

 

[WWK888]

I currently have three other batteries, one has a production date of Nov 2018, another is Dec 2018 and my newest is May 2019. All three failures had the production date of July 2018.

 

[WWK888]

Strange. Could it be something bird side that is causing this? Or perhaps a faulty charger?

I seriously doubt that.

 

[Deleted member 3792]

I would say it’s the new technology with highvolt power and perhaps draining to low that causes this. And maybe high outside temperature.

 

[WithTheBirds]

I would say it’s the new technology with highvolt power and perhaps draining to low that causes this. And maybe high outside temperature.

You mean LiHV cells is the issue? Not in the phantom line and seemingly not in other applications. LiHV isn’t new so far as technology goes.

Draining to low SOC (especially if leaving in this state) and high temps absolutely.

 

[Deleted member 3792]

What I have read about this high volt batteries is they are very sensitive if and when they are used in a wrong way. Then you can always discuss what’s wrong way, but those batteries are in fact more sensitive when cycling/using. I probably never will buy an M2P just because of this.

 

[WithTheBirds]

What I have read about this high volt batteries is they are very sensitive if and when they are used in a wrong way. Then you can always discuss what’s wrong way, but those batteries are in fact more sensitive when cycling/using. I probably never will buy an M2P just because of this.

You might never buy any drone until a new battery type is available- DJI was using HV Lipo in models several generations before M2- all but the most cheap and basic offerings from all manufacturers are if that type one. There is nothing to suggest quality HV LiPO are any less or more reliable than standard LiPO.

 

[Thomas B]

What I have read about this high volt batteries is they are very sensitive if and when they are used in a wrong way. Then you can always discuss what’s wrong way, but those batteries are in fact more sensitive when cycling/using. I probably never will buy an M2P just because of this.

My M2P batteries (5) wet all purchased in 12/2018. They have well over 600 flights total. Still flew fine today. M2P is a great bird. There have been suspect/“defective batteries. Don’t missout on the M2P.!

 

[Deleted member 3792]

So what is your own thoughts about what caused these swollen batteries? A bad day at the production line at the factory. I don’t think the quality differs from time to time and batches that this would happen. Sorry.

 

[Thomas B]

So what is your own thoughts about what caused these swollen batteries? A bad day at the production line at the factory. I don’t think the quality differs from time to time and batches that this would happen. Sorry.

Fact is that the batteries are made by multiple manufacturers in multiple factories.... most of the other threads on this issue have been able to narrow early failed batteries to a particular time. So they were defective and there is quality variation.

 

[WithTheBirds]

So what is your own thoughts about what caused these swollen batteries? A bad day at the production line at the factory. I don’t think the quality differs from time to time and batches that this would happen. Sorry.

Think for a second about the galaxy note 7 nightmare and more recently Apple and the MacBook 15” batteries catching fire. It’s is no stretch for the imagination to consider some sub spec cells could have been supplied to DJi’s Battery makers.

 

[Mordor]

This is very interesting...

There is a tread on FB on DJI owners USA, about many users complaint about defective M2 batteries, some of them even before 6 months. In fact they seem to be worse them M1 generation batteries....and some users seem to be very carefully with them and how to handle.

I have 2, the original, and one i buy in Poland in DJI store, with fabrication of 6/19.

Following.

 

[gnirtS]

It'd be nice if people could somehow join the threads or create a master-thread. Im aware of at least 14 posters on here with the swelling issue with m2 batteries and 7 different people have posted threads on it on the DJI forum (i havent checked FB).

Some sort of list of people and numbers might be nice. Its clearly happening a lot more than any other drone and you cant blame all of these issues on battery abuse by owners.
To me its either manufacturing related or the environmental conditions claimed as OK actually aren't.

 

[WithTheBirds]

It'd be nice if people could somehow join the threads or create a master-thread. Im aware of at least 14 posters on here with the swelling issue with m2 batteries and 7 different people have posted threads on it on the DJI forum (i havent checked FB).

Some sort of list of people and numbers might be nice. Its clearly happening a lot more than any other drone and you cant blame all of these issues on battery abuse by owners.
To me its either manufacturing related or the environmental conditions claimed as OK actually aren't.

It might also be that in efforts to win the flight time for available space game insufficient space was left for cell expansion in the battery case. LiPO expansion in use is common and normal- that is one of the advantages of the pouch format along with saving weight and increasing packaging options.

 

[gnirtS]

It might also be that in efforts to win the flight time for available space game insufficient space was left for cell expansion in the battery case. LiPO expansion in use is common and normal- that is one of the advantages of the pouch format along with saving weight and increasing packaging options.

Expansion is fine except when it expands so much is releases the latches and clips. Which has happened on mine and others (and maybe responsible for some of the "my drone just dropped into the sea" posts too).
The batteries themselves showed consistent voltages, no cell differences, no odd discharge spikes etc. It was purely the physical swelling that rendered all of my batteries unusable in a matter of weeks.

 

[WithTheBirds]

Expansion is fine except when it expands so much is releases the latches and clips. Which has happened on mine and others (and maybe responsible for some of the "my drone just dropped into the sea" posts too).
The batteries themselves showed consistent voltages, no cell differences, no odd discharge spikes etc. It was purely the physical swelling that rendered all of my batteries unusable in a matter of weeks.

Precisely what I am suggesting- if the cells had more space available in the enclosure we might not have this issue.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I find the thread title misleading at best! These are swollen batteries, that may be defectively manufactured, but are certainly not true battery "failures", where the battery fails in flight, causing a crash. Swollen batteries won't fit, but they haven't failed electrically!

 

[gnirtS]

I find the thread title misleading at best! These are swollen batteries, that may be defectively manufactured, but are certainly not true battery "failures", where the battery fails in flight, causing a crash. Swollen batteries won't fit, but they haven't failed electrically!

Depends what you class as failed electrically. If you count cutting off all electrical supply to the drone with no warning then yes, they can. They swell, they unlock, they cause connection between the battery and drone to fail.