DJI Phantom 2 Not Turning On

Joined
Nov 11, 2014
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Can somebody please help me?

The battery is fully charged, and turns on perfectly on its own, with all four green lights activating in order as per usual, however when I insert it into the Phantom and try to turn it on, it does not activate any of the propellors. It simply shows all four green lights as if it is about to turn on, except it seems like the power from the battery is not being transferred into the Phantom itself. The yellow lights under the propellors flash once and make a 'clicking' sound, and then nothing happens after that.

There could be a loose wire inside, because it seems that the battery is not the issue, rather it is the Phantom itself. Is there a full reset of the Phantom?

Somebody please help me!

Thanks,

Bade
 
I have EXACTLY the same issue. Battery is fine (lights stay on when not on the Phantom), brief flash of LEDs under the props and a slight "click" then battery powers down. I have even tried a spare battery. My Phantom only arrived today and flew perfectly for the first flight - however on landing it threw a prop a distance of about 20ft which I thought was weird. After which the symptoms described occurred. I have emailed DJI but had no reply.

No damage to prop, Phantom or propguard.

If anyone can help I would be extremely grateful.

Eddie
 
badehilton said:
Can somebody please help me?

The battery is fully charged, and turns on perfectly on its own, with all four green lights activating in order as per usual, however when I insert it into the Phantom and try to turn it on, it does not activate any of the propellors. It simply shows all four green lights as if it is about to turn on, except it seems like the power from the battery is not being transferred into the Phantom itself. The yellow lights under the propellors flash once and make a 'clicking' sound, and then nothing happens after that.

There could be a loose wire inside, because it seems that the battery is not the issue, rather it is the Phantom itself. Is there a full reset of the Phantom?

Somebody please help me!

Thanks,

Bade

It sounds to me that the battery data is not getting to the Phantom. Try another battery. Clean the two gold-plated contacts on the side of the battery with a pencil eraser like this: http://www.amazon.com/Faber-Castell-Faber-Castell-Perfection-Eraser/dp/B000OZF13W. Do not use solvents as they will weaken the plastic over time. The pencil eraser is softer than the gold plating so using it to clean the contacts is safe.
 
  • Like
Reactions: datincan
The OP doesn't mention the battery turning off, so for the moment these sound like different issues.

With no battery data connection present the P2 will still power up and have the start up 'tune' and LEDs, it just reports as not an intelligent DJI battery in the app and will not let the motors spool up. Rubbing alcohol is fine to use on the contacts for cleaning them.

No start up 'tune' and no LEDs means the FC (Flight Controller) isn't outputting any signal to the ESCs, or the battery power isn't getting to them because of a short or open. As long as the ESCs are getting power there will be a single repeating beep from the motors to let you know they detect no signal from the ESC, but completely dead motors and LEDs means something else.

@ Bade - Any kind of reset wouldn't correct a loose or shorted wire. Take the top off of the Phantom, careful of the GPS cable, and check the 2 main leads for the battery connector and make sure they are soldered good on both ends, as well as all 16 of the solder connections for the 4 ESC boards to the main board, and that everything looks plugged in, minus the GPS cable that you'll unplug to remove the top. Note: The P2 will not spool the motors up with the GPS unplugged unless you are on an older FW version, so make sure to plug it back in before powering up to do any further testing.

@ Eddie - The battery not staying on means there is a short or much larger current draw than the battery is expecting. Tossing a prop like that means the motor stopped dead in it's tracks versus just being powered off and spinning down, which could be a few things. Bad ESC, bad motor or some other issue. I'd start there by desoldering and unplug all 4 of your ESCs and then seeing if the battery will power up and stay on. If it does, then you have a bad ESC or motor. Start reconnecting the ESCs one at a time to see if one arm has an issue, then go from there. If the battery still will not power up inside the P2 after all 4 ESCs are disconnected, then there is an issue with the Central board that would need troubleshot.

@ both - Does the Receiver light on your Phantoms turn on after the battery powers up?
 
  • Like
Reactions: datincan
Hi RDCF550,

Thanks for the tips. Since the unit arrived only this morning and I have about as much technical skill as a seagull, I suspect I am DJI's mercy here. Forgive me, but I am not 100% certain what you mean by the "receiver light" The light activity I get is the normal battery lights during the startup attempt. Then, instead of the bright flashes from the LEDs underneath and the merry tune, I get one dim flash of the LEDs, a tiny "click" (which you can actually feel when holding the Phantom) and then everything goes dark. Thanks again. Eddie.
 
The Receiver light is on the bottom, right side of the Phantom 2. It's also the recessed button that's used to bind the controller to the P2.

Dronefly video of binding that shows the Receiver LED I'm referring to - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYic0Z6fZ8w

It's Red on power up, then switches to Green when it's detected your controller. I'm wondering if it is lighting up or not, as it's also an indicator of the 5.5v supply in the P2 working or not.

With it being that new, failing after one flight and not really knowing how to go poking around in there, it should go right back to where it came from for a replacement, if that's an option.
 
That looks like some kind of short as well. If the battery is turning itself off after a couple of seconds after powering it up, then it's detecting a problem.
 
That's pretty much what a short on the battery line can look like. Battery powers up and a brief flash from the LEDs, then after a second or two it just powers off. You would not see the Receiver light in such a case as the battery line has a short, and the 5.5v supply that powers it comes from the battery, so no battery power up, no 5.5v supply no Receiver LED.

Since you had a motor freeze up and send a prop for a solo flight, I'd start with saying you might have a bad ESC, but there are always more than one problem that can cause the same symptoms, so this is only a best guess for now without doing further testing.

Since that thing is so new, the best thing to do would be to return it for another new one wherever that one was purchased, and hope you're not a magnet for the duds that are out there with the new one, or look for a 3rd party repair source, or roll the dice with DJI.

If you're wanting to get into it though, you'll need a DMM (Digital Multi-Meter) for starters and then have to take the soldering iron to it and start isolating the ESCs. Which is still no guarantee that one of them is the cause, that's just a best guess based on how it acted then and now.

You can take the DMM to the battery contacts, the 2 large ones on the left in the battery compartment, and see if they measure anything different from the norm. Typically between them you'll measure around 2.2k (2200Ohms) of Resistance, that's with no camera or any other accessories plugged up, Red test lead on one, Black test lead on the other. But even if there's an issue with that measurement that's still only a another guess as to what the problem may be without getting more into it.
 
Really grateful for your advice RDCF550. Although I suspect I will have to go "under the hood" at some time in the future, I tend to agree with you that, since this happened on day of delivery, it is a DJI issue. I am hoping that amongst the horror stories about DJI Customer service there is some good news too - although so far I am not impressed. I had to send two emails before receiving an acknowledgment of my message and then 24hrs later I received an email with a link to an RMA (I am going to look this up) and the entire text of the email said:

Hello,
Please find attached RMA
Fill it in completely and attach a printed version to the parcel.
Thank you

Best Regards,
Technical Support
DJI GmbH

Frankly I am horrified. No attempt to troubleshoot, no apology for the 1,100 Pounds spent on a doorstop, not even any actual instructions about what to do! I assume the "parcel" referred to is the one they expect me to make up containing my Phantom. I read an article yesterday on how DJI CEO Frank Wang wishes to model DJI on Steve Jobs' visions. To be honest the "Apple-like" advertising did attract me and it was clear DJI were trying to live up to Apple's branding and product quality. However it seems the edge of the cliff that leads to disaster is just a short purchase away. I was a PC guy for many years until iPhone appeared and I have been an Apple convert since. However Apple Genius bars, Joint venture, Apple Care and other support mechanisms off a huge reassurance and comfort when things go wrong. They are contactable by phone, email and probably ouija board! Point being that you really get the sense Apple cares and does there best to resolve any issue. The above email as the SOLE contact from DJI leaves me very nervous and hugely disappointed that my investment is currently lying dead in a box a few feet from my desk. My intent is to set up a company here in Scotland using many Drones and DJI is my choice for provider - but they have GOT to overhaul the after sales/support capabilities - and extremely quickly.

Anyway, rant over and thanks again for all the help. You have done more than the combined might of DJI. Best, Eddie
 
Welcome. If I were closer (US here) I'd gladly take a look at it and see what went belly up on there.

RMA = Return Merchandise Authorization, companies do that to keep track of returns or they would just get a box of fail and not have a clue what to do with it. Fill it out, slap it on the box (typically there is some 'RMA number' on it they go by) and return that flying brick.

Also, plan for some other issue with the new one, be it out of he box, first flight or after 100 successful flights. Something not working right or breaking is just part of how all of this is done. Typically it's pilot error that causes most of the 'fun' you'll get to have, and if you stay with it you'll get to have plenty of that, trust me. The only way to not crash one of these things is to just stand back and watch others fly them, and odds there are on sooner rather than later you'll still see one happen.
 
sounds like the click is coming from left motor. Disconnect the ESC board from the main board and unsolder it (important).

Then turn up your phantom and it should power up. If it did, you figured out your problem.
 
what was the result? currently got exactly same issue

thanks

Jal

You are not giving much info as to your own problem as to what you have or haven't done.
 
as original poster - when trying gto switch on phantom the yellow lights under the propellers flash once and there is a click sound, there is no start up tune. Nothing happens after that, phantom has no power and battery switches off.

issue occurred after phantom tipped on landing and motor clipped soil and stalled.

this does not look like a battery issue , all batteries work independently when out of the phantom.
no signs of broken wires etc

i suspect ESC or engine blown -but have not yet replaced.

thanks

J
 
as original poster - when trying gto switch on phantom the yellow lights under the propellers flash once and there is a click sound, there is no start up tune. Nothing happens after that, phantom has no power and battery switches off.

issue occurred after phantom tipped on landing and motor clipped soil and stalled.

this does not look like a battery issue , all batteries work independently when out of the phantom.
no signs of broken wires etc

i suspect ESC or engine blown -but have not yet replaced.

thanks

J
I know this is an old post.. but for future reference...
If one or more of the motors or ESC is shorting out. Open her up and see if there are cables that have melted together and causing the short.

And if it isn't... try method of elimination -
Take photos before attempting so you can reverse what you have done.
Try removing the M1-M4 4 pin connector on the NAZA and then try to power up the P2. If this powers up the P2 then plug it back it in and make sure its in the correct way as this will cause the P2 to flip if the cable is installed upside down.
Then try removing the molex connectors on each of the ESCs. It should just unclip and they are labelled M1. This will then tell you which motor is failing. You can look closely at the mosfet chips on the ESC and see if any are burnt out.

If this all fails - look for the most damaged motor or esc board and cut the wire (I find it easier to solder cut wires) and try powering it up. Repeat until you can find the faulty motor.
 

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
143,066
Messages
1,467,358
Members
104,936
Latest member
hirehackers