When should I replace the motors on my mini 2?

[TommyMini2]

I can't find this bit of info anywhere, but what's the life span of the mini 2's motors? I've got over 300 miles traveled on the original motors and I don't want them to fail while I'm a mile away. And the other day my battery dropped from 50 to 30 all of a sudden and it's never done that before. Could it be a battery firmware update that caused this glitch? Thanks for any and all help with this question about the lifespan of DJI mini 2 motors.

 

[Meta4]

I can't find this bit of info anywhere, but what's the life span of the mini 2's motors?

Brushless electric motors last a very long time, typically in the tens of thousands of hours.
Yours will probably last longer than your drone.

I've got over 300 miles traveled on the original motors and I don't want them to fail while I'm a mile away

300 miles is nothing.

And the other day my battery dropped from 50 to 30 all of a sudden and it's never done that before. Could it be a battery firmware update that caused this glitch?

No ... it won't be a battery firmware glitch (I don't think there is such a thing).
Post your flight data if you want someone to look at it and see if they can find an explanation.

 

[TommyMini2]

How do you retrieve flight data? Is that from within the app itself or would that be uploaded to my DJI account somehow?

Another question I have is, what is proper maintenance for the mini 2's brushless motors? I fly mine in the rain occasionally but when finished I make sure to dry it off really well and I keep it clean.

 

[tlswift58]

I can't find this bit of info anywhere, but what's the life span of the mini 2's motors? I've got over 300 miles traveled on the original motors and I don't want them to fail while I'm a mile away. And the other day my battery dropped from 50 to 30 all of a sudden and it's never done that before. Could it be a battery firmware update that caused this glitch? Thanks for any and all help with this question about the lifespan of DJI mini 2 motors.

If your drone is a mile away - you are flying outside of regulations / rules concerning VLOS. Hope you know what that is and if not - definitely need to read up on drone regs / rules even for rec flyers.

As for the batteries. They can/ will drop charge depending on mode you are flying in, esp Sport Mode or you're flying against winds - like you're flying into a headwind - which will reduce battery charge very quickly. I've seen my battery charge time vary with a lot of factors that you should be aware of when flying.

 

[SpitFire]

Welcome to the forum from Chicago the Windy City.
Just to be safe, check your motors with a laser Temp gun , to make sure the motors are not getting over heated. I check my motors after the flight to make sure that the heat range is close with all four motors.

 

[New England Droning]

One other thing, these are electric motors and they are not made to be weather proof. As a comparison the wipers on your car ARE made to be weather sealed. If you fly in rain or even fog which is against the rules (visibility must be 3 statute miles).
The condensation could bring it down in a second.

 

[Meta4]

The condensation could bring it down in a second.

Brushless motors can run under water.
Condensation isn't going to "bring it down in a second".

 

[eaglesurfing]

One other thing, these are electric motors and they are not made to be weather proof. As a comparison the wipers on your car ARE made to be weather sealed. If you fly in rain or even fog which is against the rules (visibility must be 3 statute miles).
The condensation could bring it down in a second.

Only frozen condensation.

 

[New England Droning]

Only frozen condensation.

@eaglesurfing you don't think a rain shower would not short out the electronics in the motors? I don't plan to run this through a car wash to find out... but I think (I'm not an electrician) that rain will at some point get inside and short it out. These drones are not weather sealed... Mine did get a few drops of rain on it as I was bringing it down as fast as I could but I've never tested having it fly in a rain shower... Has this been tested? (I'm new at this so I'll bow to your greater wisdom)

 

[eaglesurfing]

@eaglesurfing you don't think a rain shower would not short out the electronics in the motors? I don't plan to run this through a car wash to find out... but I think (I'm not an electrician) that rain will at some point get inside and short it out. These drones are not weather sealed... Mine did get a few drops of rain on it as I was bringing it down as fast as I could but I've never tested having it fly in a rain shower... Has this been tested? (I'm new at this so I'll bow to your greater wisdom)

Nope. They have been tested.

 

[spudster]

@eaglesurfing you don't think a rain shower would not short out the electronics in the motors?

There are no electronics in brushless motors. They are just made out of insulated wire and magnets. I'm not sure what kind of bearings are in the motors and if they are sealed or not. I suspect that they are sealed bearings as if they weren't then even flying in high humidity could cause condensation and they could rust.

 

[Meta4]

@eaglesurfing you don't think a rain shower would not short out the electronics in the motors? I don't plan to run this through a car wash to find out... but I think (I'm not an electrician) that rain will at some point get inside and short it out. These drones are not weather sealed... Mine did get a few drops of rain on it as I was bringing it down as fast as I could but I've never tested having it fly in a rain shower... Has this been tested? (I'm new at this so I'll bow to your greater wisdom)

As I mentioned above, brushless electric motors can run under water, so a little rain isn't going to cause your drone to fall from the sky.
That said, rain could cause other issues and flying in the rain is unpleasant and ruins photographs, so I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[New England Droning]

As I mentioned above, brushless electric motors can run under water, so a little rain isn't going to cause your drone to fall from the sky.
That said, rain could cause other issues and flying in the rain is unpleasant and ruins photographs, so I wouldn't recommend it.

I've never seen any info on this from anybody. It's good to know. I did see the ad for the drone (quad) underwater (albeit a special one) that submerged traveled and then went airborne again. So my mini is my water resistant than I thought... good to know.

 

[Meta4]

So my mini is my water resistant than I thought... good to know.

Correction ... the motors are more water resistant than you thought.
The camera and internal electronics could still be damaged by rain.

 

[New England Droning]

Correction ... the motors are more water resistant than you thought.
The camera and internal electronics could still be damaged by rain.

Noted, I don't intend to run out and play in the rain. The battery compartment is NOT sealed to prevent the rain from getting in but if, in the case of an unexpected drizzle I should be able to expediently land without shorting out... (maybe)

 

[Crouching Leopard]

Brushless motors can run under water.
Condensation isn't going to "bring it down in a second".

The Brushless motors on DJI drones are also used in underwater drones.

 

[Crouching Leopard]

There are no electronics in brushless motors. They are just made out of insulated wire and magnets. I'm not sure what kind of bearings are in the motors and if they are sealed or not. I suspect that they are sealed bearings as if they weren't then even flying in high humidity could cause condensation and they could rust.

If caught in damp / wet conditions (phantom org wetsuits fitted) I give my drone a wipe down and blow with a small air blower. I then place it on a cloth in a sealed box of silica gel granules (damprid) overnight. Spent years working on sensitive electronic gear that was out in all weathers so have a good idea of failure points to look for. So far all is good.