Motor hot after flight

[volace]

I noticed after flight one of the motors is constantly hot compared to the other 3
It is the rear clockwise one .. ( right rear motor)
Is it something I should be concerned about ?
The bird flys normal.
Any one noticed big difference in temperature among the 4 motors after flight ?


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[eaglegoaltender]

I noticed after flight one of the motors is constantly hot compared to the other 3

Does it turn (by hand) as easy as the other 3 motors - meaning if you rotate it slowly? Best to have a prop on and use one finger to rotate at the very tip of the prop.

If you notice any sort of "tight or rough spot" turning by hand could be a bad bearing which would run hot.

Also have a look at the copper coils through one of the motor slots - if you see any discoloration of the copper wire - might be a shorted turn in the winding or poor insulation on the wire its self (there is a clear varnish type insulation on the wire). You might want to use a magnifying glass to have a close look - could even be something stuck in between the coils cause localized heating.

EDIT: Forgot to mention - worth perhaps using a can of compressed air like you use for cleaning a computer - blow through the windings - other possibility is an escape issue.

 

[volace]

Thank you for the very logic thoughts regarding this heating problem , I did all of what you suggest except blowing compressed air I will buy one can tomorrow , every thing looks the same like the other motors , I will try blowing compressed air tomorrow , however if this would continue what should I do ?


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[eaglegoaltender]

however if this would continue what should I do ?

I would think that depends on your definition of "hot" as to motor temp. Depending on the type of flying you are doing - a couple of motors may get slightly "warmer" than others (but not "hot").

If you are able to...........check the temps on all 4 motors after a flight (near the bottom of the motor frame or where you notice higher temp by touch) just to see if the difference is appreciable.

Note: A motor that has increased temps (due to working harder via increased load) is due to drawing more current (when that happens it will convert the extra current/power/load into heat). So if the temp is appreciably high it is worth getting to the bottom of it and finding the cause and effect........(well actually you know the effect now - which is heat).

An overheated motor will eventually burn the insulation off the windings and you will have shorted turns and/or motor seizure (which you clearly would not want while flying). Excessively high temps can also cause issues with motor magnet failure - but that's very hot (130'c - 140'c).

This can be a result of .. as mentioned bearing issues, shorted turns in the windings or an issue with the ESC for that motor (electronic speed control).

It is also possible the issue is the ESC for that motor - did you happen to have a "tip over" that caused a prop to dig into the ground and stop the motor? That can cause ESC issues/failure.

If temps are very high at that motor and the motor looks and feels ok turning by hand, windings look ok etc. - a simple way to check if you have an ESC issue is to switch that motor to another arm on the Phantom (make sure it is switched correctly with the same rotation of motor).

If the motor you switched is ok temp wise after a flight or perhaps just a very low altitude hover - and the motor you switched to the arm where the "hot motor" was is now the one with the higher temp - then it is likely an ESC issue.

If you are worried about anything happening (motor failure) while testing in a hover - just give the Phantom something "cushy" to land on - not saying this will happen at all.

 

[volace]

I talked to DJI and they opened a ticket , under the warranty , In fact I can say that the affected motor is like 20 F higher than the others , I remembered that the few first flights I was able to smell "Ozone" after the flight I even posted this complained here and people thought that It is just the smell of the drone being new .here is the link for this issue

My phantom 4 has the smell of Ozone after short flight

So by now I think some sort of arcing damaged the isolation or the ESC is about to fail.
since I do not want to void the Warranty I will not mess with the motor, I just hope that they would be able to diagnose and fix the problem and send me the drone back in two weeks as they told me.

 

[eaglegoaltender]

I talked to DJI and they opened a ticket , under the warranty , In fact I can say that the affected motor is like 20 F higher than the others , I remembered that the few first flights I was able to smell "Ozone" after the flight I even posted this complained here and people thought that It is just the smell of the drone being new .here is the link for this issue

My phantom 4 has the smell of Ozone after short flight

So by now I think some sort of arcing damaged the isolation or the ESC is about to fail.
since I do not want to void the Warranty I will not mess with the motor, I just hope that they would be able to diagnose and fix the problem and send me the drone back in two weeks as they told me.

Oh, did not know that.....for certain don't mess with your Phantom and void warranty. That pungent sweet /sour smell of ozone - a smell you can taste!

That is enough warning when it doesn't go away to look for warranty. Good call and good luck.

 

[ausPHANTOM]

I could be caused by overuse of that motor caused by constantly flying in one particular direction.

If it is significantly hotter, I would take it back.

 

[Sim597]

Good luck in the fix, I think it's good sense to always check all 4 motors after a flight, I have a decent IR thermometer somewhere I should get out instead of checking with my hand, I also have a flir camera maybe I could use, regardless, I'm glad you caught it!


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