Do I have a motor going bad?

[RedRyderMedia]

One of the things this newbie learned from this site is to check to make sure the motors spin/ turn freely before each flight.

Mine have always turned freely, but now one is different than the other three.

When I spin the propellers during my preflight check, three spin all the way around about 2 times before stopping, but one now will only spin 1/2 a turn. Wasn't sure how significant that is. At what point does it become a problem? I don't feel any binding or grinding or anything else abnormal.

I completed my preflight check and took off. Everything seemed normal, but after doing some flight training exercises, when I shut off the motors, the one propeller stopped long before the other three stopped.

Any recommendations? Thanks!

 

[J Dot]

Check up and down play ( you may have lost an E-Clip from the bottom )
If so get it out, as it can cause a short bouncing around in the phantom, it might be attached to the side of the motor?

You will have to open to check!

Or could be a seized bearing ( replacement set on eBay ( bearings, spacers, and E-Clips ) under $10

I would start there, either way you have to open and remove motor ( do not unsolder, just unscrew, and perform a check )
If motor is bad, you'll have to solder to replace!

Sounds like bad bearing to me! Does it make a weird noise when running?, where others are quiet?

Hope this helps!

Jerry D
USA
( J Dot )

 

[RedRyderMedia]

I didn't hear anything unusual.....just didn't spin as freely as the other three, which all seemed to spin about the same. It can't be normal for motors to go bad in two weeks!

 

[RedRyderMedia]

Go fly.

Feel the bell housing of each motor right after you land. If your "bad" motor is warmer/hot then the windings are bad and it's time for a new one.

Thanks, I will check that tomorrow.

 

[J Dot]

I would not say NORMAL, lol,
But something may have been faulty from factory, or a foreign object could have entered motor, they are magnetic?
I still would remove motor, remove bearings, while apart, check windings inside for damage, spin the bearings by hand,
See if one is tight or seized?

I would at least exhaust all other options before buying a new motor!

If you know a good electronics tech, he can check the motor, ( with a meter ) to see how many amps it's pulling, compared to the rest, That will let you know if motor is bad!

I would:
1) check e-clip & bearings
2) inspect windings for visual damage
3) get someone to check motor amps
4) if all else fails ( replace motor )

I would not fly until resolved though ( a $40 ) motor is cheaper than a $1200 phantom!
If it fails you WILL CRASH!

Jerry D
USA
( J Dot )

 

[RedRyderMedia]

This P2V+ is now two weeks old. Am I really expected to replace a motor myself after two weeks owning the product?

 

[EMCSQUAR]

This P2V+ is now two weeks old. Am I really expected to replace a motor myself after two weeks owning the product?

If it is actually a motor/bearing going bad then NO, return it for warranty. Personally, I suspect a little dirt or debrie got in there and you could blow it out with compressed air. The best test mentioned above - fly it for 5 mins or so land it and feel the motors if one is not warmer than the rest then you have a problem, if not just keep an eye on it but don't let it ruin your flying experience.

 

[Mori55]

I would just fly it , you don't hear anything ?

 

[dannytroy]

I had one motor with a clicking sound while turning by hand. This was after a minor mishap on a hard landing. I took the screws out and lifted out the motor enough to get the clip and spacer off the shaft. I pulled the bell portion off and inspected the magnets, thinking one came loose. Everything was tight. I did notice a spot of blue hardened glue between two magnets. Anyone know what that is for? Balancing? Only one spot, so it's not like it is used to hold all the magnets in.

Anyway, I gave the bearings a drop of bearing oil and put it back together and all is well. I really never found out what the noise while spinning was, but it was good to know these motors can be worked on without taking the entire assembly apart.

A word of caution, those circlips can be hard to remove and reinstall. Use a tiny flap blade screwdriver to remove it, and a very pointy needle nose pliers to install it. Also, they tend to get lost, so do it over a nice clean table.

 

[Mori55]

I use tri-flo Teflon oil and a tiny drop works great.

 

[dannytroy]

I use tri-flo Teflon oil and a tiny drop works great.

Yes, that tri-flo is good stuff. I use that on my boat's sliding cabin door. On the bearings I use Hob-e-lube Premium lightweight oil though.

 

[RedRyderMedia]

Thanks for the helpful suggestions. I didn't have time to play with it today, but expect to before the weekend is over. I'm hopeful there isn't anything wrong with the motor.