How to check your Phantom 3 for stress cracks *VIDEO*

I live in San Francisco. Not exactly warm.
Yeah - but china can get hot and shrinkage can also crack when it arrives in a cooler climate.
 
Some people are reporting their P3's are cracked before even their first flight. Like cracked when pulling out of the box.
So what do you plan on doing?
 
So what do you plan on doing?

Well still no word from DJI or US Hobby. I have to head to the hardware store in a few to pick up some stuff so I'll probably pick up some LocTite Super Glue Professional while I'm there.

EDIT: Is there a difference between Loctite Super Glue and Gorilla Glue Super Glue?
 
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Please spread my video around so people can know what to look for on their P3's. The more people that look and become educated on this issue the better.
 
On this pace DJI will be the time warner, Comcast of quad companies one day. Still big but slowing shrinking into the abyss of forgotten companies burdened with terrible customer service and rushed technology with design flaws... Hopefully they clean up their act, but sometimes extreme fast growth without extreme diligence to customer trust and loyalty leads to a quit demise. Grow to fast, you don't last.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
I have a P3P and a P3A, 13.5 hrs of flight time and 96 flights combined for the two. I just checked both, no cracks.

I don't know what's causing it but something to think about is how people are taking the props off and putting them on. I have been very careful not to twist the arms at all or hold them while doing this. I hold the motor hub or top that has the aluminum teeth then put on and take off, using the tool to take them off.

I think maybe people might be grabbing the arms at the same time and some twist is transferred into the arm. I spin the props on and snug them up being careful not to twist the body at all. I use the tool to take the props off holding the tool in between the teeth and then just spin the props off slowly.

I dunno but something to think about.
 
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I have a P3P and a P3A, 13.5 hrs of flight time and 96 flights combined for the two. I just checked both, no cracks.

I don't know what's causing it but something to think about is how people are taking the props off and putting them on. I have been very careful not to twist the arms at all or hold them while doing this. I hold the motor hub or top that has the aluminum teeth then put on and take off, using the tool to take them off.

I think maybe people might be grabbing the arms at the same time and some twist is transferred into the arm. I spin the props on and snug them up being careful not to twist the body at all. I use the tool to take the props off holding the tool in between the teeth and then just spin the props off slowly.

I dunno but something to think about.


I do it the way you do it and I have cracks. Like I said I am EXTREMELY careful with this thing and baby it. I looked at the cracks tonight with a flash light. The plastic is super thin in that area.
 
I do it the way you do it and I have cracks. Like I said I am EXTREMELY careful with this thing and baby it. I looked at the cracks tonight with a flash light. The plastic is super thin in that area.

I would honestly be real nice and professional with DJi on this. Try to explain to them that this looks like a defect and that your'e willing to send the P3 in for inspection and body replacement but only if they are willing to offer warranty service if they conclude there weren't any obvious signs of a crash or any indications that the P3 hit something to cause the issue.

I can't see how something like this wouldn't be covered under warranty. Any reasonable person would conclude this is a defect.
 
Well still no word from DJI or US Hobby. I have to head to the hardware store in a few to pick up some stuff so I'll probably pick up some LocTite Super Glue Professional while I'm there.

EDIT: Is there a difference between Loctite Super Glue and Gorilla Glue Super Glue?
Use epoxy... do not use any of the glues you listed... best would be to make a past from expoy and micro balloons..... and apply to inside making a fillet around the post/crack
 
I would honestly be real nice and professional with DJi on this. Try to explain to them that this looks like a defect and that your'e willing to send the P3 in for inspection and body replacement but only if they are willing to offer warranty service if they conclude there weren't any obvious signs of a crash or any indications that the P3 hit something to cause the issue.


I can't see how something like this wouldn't be covered under warranty. Any reasonable person would conclude this is a defect.

It was clearly stated in the warranty. How can you make a statement like that... it show how well you reserch your products before you buy
 
I believe that those cracks are a result of a faulty batch of shells. Too bad that a company like DJI will not replace under warranty
 
I would honestly be real nice and professional with DJi on this. Try to explain to them that this looks like a defect and that your'e willing to send the P3 in for inspection and body replacement but only if they are willing to offer warranty service if they conclude there weren't any obvious signs of a crash or any indications that the P3 hit something to cause the issue.

I can't see how something like this wouldn't be covered under warranty. Any reasonable person would conclude this is a defect.

I have been very professional and courteous, I'm not one to immediately start yelling and being pissed off. I've sent multiple emails to DJI Support and opened a ticket with DJI's ZenDesk system. Zero responses.

I reached out to Ken @blade strike on the RC Group Forum and he was nice but basically said to let him know when DJI gets in contact with me and nothing more. I wish I could tell him they have but I have heard nothing.

I've emailed US Hobby who I bought the drone from. No response. I plan on calling them in the morning.

This is clearly a defect and I have done nothing wrong. I was planning on glueing the shells together tomorrow but the stubborn side of me has taken over. I will not remain silent or fade into darkness especially after all the responses I have received from people saying they have the same issues after seeing my video on YouTube. I know Ken keeps saying DJI has sold 100,000 units and only 6 have these cracks. I don't believe it. More than 6 people reached out to me today alone saying they have the same issues.

I have been a huge ambassador for DJI in my area. Every time I fly people ask me about my P3 and I'm always telling them how great it is and what a great product DJI has made. I have spent hundreds of dollars on DJI accessories for my Phantom 3 setup. I want to continue my praise for DJI but after how the last 24 hours have gone I've lost a lot of that flame.

I'm a simple guy with a simple request. I want my Phantom 3 fixed and I want it fixed in a timely manner. Not 6 to 8 weeks. That is not reasonable. I will be happy with a new shell replacement or a whole new P3.

Am I really being unreasonable?

I appreciate you guys a ton. It's a great community here. Keep sharing my video and getting the word out. We can't keep silent.
 
If there is a design flaw, it won't do much good to send it back for a new shell until they begin producing a newly designed shell. I suspect that there will be a design change, but not any time soon. If gluing prolongs the use of the copter that might be the only solution for now. I suspect once a newly designed shell is available DJI will offer it at a reduced price to be replaced by the buyer. Is this a hard job. Has anybody taken a P3 apart yet?
 
There's likely dozens of cavities producing the shells and possibly several vendors as well.
This could explain why some [shells] have issues and some don't.
 
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It was clearly stated in the warranty. How can you make a statement like that... it show how well you reserch your products before you buy

It doesn't matter what is stated in the warranty I'm talking about common sense here. All things being equal the shells should not fail like the poster has shown outside of crashes or impacts with other objects.

Just because DJi states "the shell isn't covered" doesn't mean it's a reasonable exclusion.

They might as well state "we assume no responsibility for defects of the shell that are a result of its design or a manufacturing issue."

You see how that is unreasonable, I mean from a common sense standpoint? It's like saying we don't warranty any other part of the P3 regardless if we designed it wrong or made it wrong.
 
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It doesn't matter what is stated in the warranty I'm talking about common sense here. All things being equal the shells should not fail like the poster has shown outside of crashes or impacts with other objects.

Just because DJi states "the shell isn't covered" doesn't mean it's a reasonable exclusion.

They might as well state "we assume no responsibility for defects of the shell that are a result of its design or a manufacturing issue."

You see how that is unreasonable, I mean from a common sense standpoint? It's like saying we don't warranty any other part of the P3 regardless if we designed it wrong or made it wrong.

Common sense would say... If you have the ability to type the above response you should also have the ability to understand NO WARRANTY on shell... is exactly "we assume no responsibility for defects of the shell that are a result of its design or a manufacturing issue." If you have an issue with the FACT there is no warranty on the shell you should have NOT bought a DJI P3... Just like people saying the P3 crashed and it's DJI's fault... READ THE WARRANTY BEFORE YOU BUY... Just like READ THE MANUAL BEFORE YOU FLY...
 
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Common sense would say... If you have the ability to type the above response you should also have the ability to understand NO WARRANTY on shell... is exactly "we assume no responsibility for defects of the shell that are a result of its design or a manufacturing issue." If you have an issue with the FACT there is no warranty on the shell you should have NOT bought a DJI P3... Just like people saying the P3 crashed and it's DJI's fault... READ THE WARRANTY BEFORE YOU BUY... Just like READ THE MANUAL BEFORE YOU FLY...

Let me ask you then. We are posting in circles here.

Do you think it's unreasonable for a company not to cover a proven design or manufacturing defect under warranty? Irregardless of the product? Let's assume it's clear cut that both parties agree it's a design and/or manufacturing defect.

I know what DJI's warranty states that's not my point. My point is that it's unreasonable.

Do you agree or not.
 
I popped the top shell, unfastened the motors and cleaned the internal mounting areas with alcohol. Then applied 30 min epoxy thinned with a small amount of alcohol by syringe to fill all the cavities in the motor mount area (3/16" to 1/4" thick). Worked awesome even without filler. The spider crack that began on one arm seems properly fused and the other arms seem much more sturdy now.

If you guys buy new shells at some point do yourself a favor and reinforce the internal mounts with epoxy before swapping the parts. It may be the last shell you'll ever need.

Here's the parts list -
Epoxy
Syringe
91% Isopropyl
 

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