Changing out motors

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When do you know it's time to change the motors on the P3P and what happens if one of those motors burnt out midflight does the bird crash thanks in advance
 
The motors should outlast more or less every other part of the quad, I wouldn't worry about them.
 
BLDC motor last hundreds of hours.
The only moving parts are bearings.

But to address your underlying concern, there is no redundancy with the Phantoms so the loss of one motor (ESC, prop, etc) will result in a crash.
 
If motors are running smoothly, don't think of replacing them. Probably their fife will be more than the life of aircraft :)
 
Drones are flying and it's a risk to wait until the motors fails. Below are my Questions"
1. To DJI QA/Reliability group do we have specific number of flight hours before a recommended Motor replacement?
2. Is it possible for DJI to build replacement Motors that are ready for a snap on propeller placement?

Motors are vital parts of the Drone. If they Fail during flight they are likely more damaged on the drone rather than changing parts before they FAIL.
 
It's a fair point.. The motor is a vital part of my car.. Thinking I should swap it out before it develops a problem.. Then there's the washing machine... [emoji38] on a more serious note, in the absence of some form of in-app monitoring, your best best would be to check your logs regularly on healthydrones and note the rate/level of deterioration as they age.. Might give you an insight into a preventive schedule?

But in taking a punt, only had mine 2 weeks, haven't used healthydrones yet.. Perhaps a more enlightened member would say if this kind of monitoring is possible? [emoji3]


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Real aircraft motors have an hour limit where they must have a complete overhaul.
So this is not a stupid question.

Rotate them with your hand. Get use to the way they feel. Listen for odd noises when you start them.
Don't take off or land in dirt or sand that can blow aound. Keep water out.
 
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The only wearing part in a BLDC motor is the bearings. The easiest way is to feel their temps after each flight to look for one(s) that are warmer than the others.
You can expect hundreds of hours and its likely they'll outlast all other parts of the aircraft sans damage or trauma.
 
Motors are the work horse of the Drones, DJI should have the research on the life expectancy of the Motor Bearings. This can be measure based on the numbers of flying hours. I believe they should be changed before they Fail. Just like our car we have PMS and replacing parts based on the mileage makes our vehicle safe and reliable.
Other than obvious friction on the Motor we should have the tested number of hours to replace motors.
 
Considering how much we spend on these things, especially when you consider the tablet, extra batteries, case, I think the question is valid.

When I read of what happens during failure, it is obvious that there is nothing in the bird's brain to allow for a controlled descent if there is a failure.

Mine currently has 10.5 hours of flight (bought in December) with over 600,000 feet flown. I would not mind a guide, maintenance schedule, etc., from DJI.


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I have 3-4 yr brushless (BLDC) still running smoothly on my other RC models and quads. I don't ever lube them as lube attract dirt to the shafts, even in small quantities. These are high-rpm, shielded bearings (not sealed, shielded means less friction but small particles can get inside and it may need maintenance).

Problem is, oil won't stay there with all the spinning and heat. It may break down and get contaminated too. I don't lube my flying models ever, but I do use Finish Line Electronic Cleaner/lube (for MTB and road electronic shifting groups) here and there on occasion, even the gimbals. If you're going for it then clean everything first, and beware: these are sensitive things with very small parts and if misaligned or under any load upon reinstallation, THEN you may get into trouble at some point with your motors.

RC Cars suffer a lot for being close to the ground and stuff but we have ways to deal with it, different motors and protection, etc. ACs are OK because they fly, just avoid crashes, sand and dirt as best you can, if dust comes in then blow with compressed air and check for spin. That's all I do. These bearings usually last yrs without maintenance, DJI is not top stuff but their parts are good quality overall.

I have 4 backup motors for my P3Ps but there still packed. After hundreds of hours and flights (my 1st P3P has ˜ 400 flights) the originals are fine. I've seen more ESC failing than motors in fact, but it's good practice to keep an eye on motors. If it ain't broken don't mess with it. But if you feel any of your motors is weird in some way ("play" at the shaft, not spinning smoothly, something inside, etc), take it to DJI or RC shop for a pro check.
 
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