Bad batteries: Is anyone tracking serial numbers?

[beeline]

Maybe there was a bad manufacturing run that could be narrowed down by tracking serial numbers, or has this been done?

Do batteries with the round connection pads fare worse than ones with the square pads?

Has anyone actually gotten anywhere near 300 flights from one of these overpriced time bombs?

As a group, if we could find a pattern of failure, it stands to reason DJI would feel at least some pressure to do the right thing and replace the bad batch. They certainly have made a wad of cash on them.

I've yet to be bitten, but I'm quickly approaching end-of-life on mine (almost 20 cycles)

 

[stodsy]

I purchased a new DJI battery with 0% life. Given I'm in Australia DJI is reluctant to send out a new battery from Hong Kong. Instead they've offered to remotely connect to my pc and update the End of Life counter via the assistant software. They're obviously unwilling to brief me on how to perform this task as it'd allow me to reset the counter once it expires.

 

[Morgon]

Make sure to screen record the session with keystroke logging, then.

 

[locoworks]

I purchased a new DJI battery with 0% life. Given I'm in Australia DJI is reluctant to send out a new battery from Hong Kong. Instead they've offered to remotely connect to my pc and update the End of Life counter via the assistant software. They're obviously unwilling to brief me on how to perform this task as it'd allow me to reset the counter once it expires.

does that mean the battery is limited to X amount of charges electronically whether the battery is holding a charge or not??

 

[beeline]

By cycles I meant charge cycles (being facetious?).

Thanks, Geert, I'll check out that thread.

Edit: OK, scanned the above thread and I see nothing in regards to tracking serial numbers (although most other details have been documented). Also, there doesn't seem to be any conclusive finding as to what is causing the failures.

So, I'm wondering if we are barking up the wrong tree. A bad cell manufacturing run looks plausible to me and tracking serial numbers of failed units would be key to determining this.

 

[BWJ]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGWtlI15Dss

 

[beeline]

Oh no, dirkclod, I meant my original comment about the battery approaching end-of-life with almost 20 change cycles. I was being facetious, not you! Sometimes I get tangled up in my words. And was referring to drawing the battery down to 20-30%. Not sure if 8% is really a good idea or not..

 

[mikeboruta]

For what it is worth, I have two swollen and un-trustworthy batteries that came with my P2V purchased in December 2013. Both batteries have about 20 cycles and the Assisstant software states that they both have more than 90% life. One of them has caused very early auto-landing (more like auto-crashing) problems. DJI will not replace them because they say the battery warranty is only 3 months. They both have the older round connector pads. The serial numbers are:

DJ070013112221171
DJ070013112628184

 

[beeline]

With less than 20 charges each, my batteries are not swollen and have given me no problems (yet). Anecdotal evidence at best at this point.

DJ070014050531102
DJ070014051908432

Maybe others with serial numbers similar to mikeboruta have had issues?

 

[testtrack81]

I bought 2 batteries a year ago; 1 has swelled. The bad battery shows 94% life left. It's flight days are over.

Battery 1 (good battery) SN #3004
Battery 2 (bad battery) SN #34698