Fished out my P3 from the flood. Need some advice.

mcphipps · Mar 29, 2018

Then moved on to the shell. Removing the shell i found that the circuit board was completely covered in mud. Doesn't look too good.
I am concerned about the device to the right of the center of the board. It has several holes in it and most definitely got water and mud inside. It did clean up better that I thought. I don't know what this is and wondering if anyone could enlighten me on this part. Do you think it may be trashed? In the next post you will see that it cleaned up well.

mcphipps · Mar 29, 2018

I then started to clean up the board before I removed it. Did not add any liquid to it to start. I just used my horsehair brush and for the stuff that was caked on there good I used a toothbrush. It actually cleaned up much better that I thought it would.

mcphipps · Mar 29, 2018

Then on to the removal of the circuit board. I had to be very careful with this. I took alot of pictures to remind myself of where everything would go back.

mcphipps · Mar 29, 2018

Next I removed the battery compartment and the USB connector. I also removed the front of the battery compartment where the battery actually snaps into place.

mcphipps · Mar 29, 2018

As you can see we are now down to the bare bones. Nothing left to do but clean now. I will start with the shell first. Then I will move onto the circuit board. While the circuit board sets and dries, I will clean up all the connectors and cables. Work on the gimbal and pray that the camera still works. Everything has a place. I put all the parts in a box. All the screws and small pieces are in separate containers and marked so I know what screws go where.

Neon Euc · Mar 30, 2018

Very nicely documented. And explained really well. First thing I would check is rust, and also the capacitors to make sure it's not damaged. Also distilled water should be used to get rid of any excess mud. I think the battery would be dead/nearly dead if you still have that so I wouldn't risk it but would keep anyway just for doing updates. Really looking forward to seeing how this goes. Your on the right site for help and hopefully be having this little survivor up and flying by next week [emoji4]

mcphipps · Mar 30, 2018

Got up this morning at 5 am and started to clean up the shell, top and bottom, as well as the battery housing.
Seemed to clean up quite well. Worked some more on the circuit board. Still have not used any liquid of any sort as of yet. Just put the goggles on and painstakingly brushed every single component on the board with a soft toothbrush. It is starting to look better. Took apart the gimble and cleaned the mud from it as well this morning. Will start putting the housing back together tonight sometime. So far it is going fairly smooth. Have not ran into any trouble as of yet. Still have to clean up all the screws and cables but that should go fairly easy as I start putting it back together. Here are some pics of the body.

Neon Euc · Mar 30, 2018

Really enjoying seeing this. The shell looks brand new. This drone will be so sentimental knowing that, once flying again, it will worth all the work knowing you rescued it from death [emoji4]

bycla · Mar 30, 2018

That’s cool. I wanna follow your work until it flies again.

Squirrel! · Mar 31, 2018

Nice job but I'll wager that board is toast. Not to mention the camera.

DJI Phantom 3 Standard Part 76 ESC Center Board 5.8 GHz, 2312A Motor 94 CCW 95CW 768855097087 | eBay

mcphipps · Mar 31, 2018

Squirrel! said:
Nice job but I'll wager that board is toast. Not to mention the camera.

DJI Phantom 3 Standard Part 76 ESC Center Board 5.8 GHz, 2312A Motor 94 CCW 95CW 768855097087 | eBay

I checked that board very good. There is no obvious evidence of anything blown..but that doesn’t mean anything really. But it is a good sign. As for the camera, I tend to agree with you on that..I tried to take it apart the best I could and clean it..I got pretty deep into it and cleaned it up well, but I think that maybe the end of it. May replace it, or maybe not.. don’t know yet what I want to do with that part yet.

First I want to see if she will fire up or not. Had to go in to work last night, they had a big problem at the caster. Didn’t get out of there until about 9:00 this morning. So off to bed I am going. Work on it tonight and tomorrow again and see where I am at.

Thank Squirrel! For the lead on the board just in case I do need one. But you should have a bit more confidence in me my friend..lol

Mike

Uncle Stumpy · Mar 31, 2018

mcphipps said:
Well the great flood of the Kankakee River got my drone. Short story is that I took it up in some unfavorable weather to get some footage and paid the price.. Didn’t have enough battery to get back and she landed in a corn field that was flooded. About two feet of water..

Took down the last know GPS coordinates and waited for the water to recede enough to go looking for it. That took about two weeks.

Using the IPhone and the coordinates the sucker was sitting in the mud right where the GPS said it would be. Pulled it from the mud and took it home. Pulled the battery out.. Needless to say there is mud in the battery compartment..

Need some advice on how to approach cleaning this thing up and trying out..

My plan was to disassemble the housing and let it air dry. It’s not soaked anymore, but I want to make sure that it’s dry before going on with anything else. I want to blow it out with canned air after it dries and start cleaning any debris from it.

Don’t want to put any power to it until I got cleaned and dry..
Any suggestions would be helpful. I have have one apart before to change a ESC board before so I am familiar with disassembly of the craft.

Just checking for any help from people that have had this happen to them.

Thanks for and advice and help in advance..

Mike

Keep the propellers and dump the rest

TrevorTron · Mar 31, 2018

Loving this thread @mcphipps , you are a man after my own heart. I love rescuing things from the brink of becoming landfill fodder. Happily my own P3A hasn't suffered anything like this but I have helped a couple of friends get theirs back in the air.
Have you found the cooling fan yet? I hate to think what state that'll be in!
Nonetheless, I wish you the best of luck, your determination alone stands you in good stead.

cneedelman · Mar 31, 2018

mcphipps said:
I checked that board very good. There is no obvious evidence of anything blown..but that doesn’t mean anything really. But it is a good sign. As for the camera, I tend to agree with you on that..I tried to take it apart the best I could and clean it..I got pretty deep into it and cleaned it up well, but I think that maybe the end of it. May replace it, or maybe not.. don’t know yet what I want to do with that part yet.

First I want to see if she will fire up or not. Had to go in to work last night, they had a big problem at the caster. Didn’t get out of there until about 9:00 this morning. So off to bed I am going. Work on it tonight and tomorrow again and see where I am at.

Thank Squirrel! For the lead on the board just in case I do need one. But you should have a bit more confidence in me my friend..lol

Mike

I don’t know how the P3 batteries work, but once a P4 battery gets submerged there is some kind of water sensor that blows and renders that battery useless, even if it’s not swollen. My P4 batt looks perfect, but useless. If you do need some repairs that you can’t fix, I used Mike Holt in CA, great guy and very reasonable.

Sprtxtrm · Mar 31, 2018

5

cneedelman said:
I don’t know how the P3 batteries work, but once a P4 battery gets submerged there is some kind of water sensor that blows and renders that battery useless, even if it’s not swollen. My P4 batt looks perfect, but useless. If you do need some repairs that you can’t fix, I used Mike Holt in CA, great guy and very reasonable.

if that is the case than the odds are way better reducing the chance that the component were shorten out. As far as gimbal goes, wash it with distilled water and let dry truly, no reason it shouldn’t work. Keep posting picks, interesting thread!!!

Hawaii Mike · Mar 31, 2018

mcphipps said:
Well the great flood of the Kankakee River got my drone. Short story is that I took it up in some unfavorable weather to get some footage and paid the price.. Didn’t have enough battery to get back and she landed in a corn field that was flooded. About two feet of water..

Took down the last know GPS coordinates and waited for the water to recede enough to go looking for it. That took about two weeks.

Using the IPhone and the coordinates the sucker was sitting in the mud right where the GPS said it would be. Pulled it from the mud and took it home. Pulled the battery out.. Needless to say there is mud in the battery compartment..

Need some advice on how to approach cleaning this thing up and trying out..

My plan was to disassemble the housing and let it air dry. It’s not soaked anymore, but I want to make sure that it’s dry before going on with anything else. I want to blow it out with canned air after it dries and start cleaning any debris from it.

Don’t want to put any power to it until I got cleaned and dry..
Any suggestions would be helpful. I have have one apart before to change a ESC board before so I am familiar with disassembly of the craft.

Just checking for any help from people that have had this happen to them.

Thanks for and advice and help in advance..

Mike

Junk it save it for parts. Just like your car water is bad fresh or worst salt

Hawaii Mike · Mar 31, 2018

Don't be silly
Claim it on your home owners or rental ins, Junk it and save it for parts. Its been my personal experience that defective parts will never recover

TheAussi · Apr 1, 2018

mcphipps said:
Well the great flood of the Kankakee River got my drone. Short story is that I took it up in some unfavorable weather to get some footage and paid the price.. Didn’t have enough battery to get back and she landed in a corn field that was flooded. About two feet of water..

Took down the last know GPS coordinates and waited for the water to recede enough to go looking for it. That took about two weeks.

Using the IPhone and the coordinates the sucker was sitting in the mud right where the GPS said it would be. Pulled it from the mud and took it home. Pulled the battery out.. Needless to say there is mud in the battery compartment..

Need some advice on how to approach cleaning this thing up and trying out..

My plan was to disassemble the housing and let it air dry. It’s not soaked anymore, but I want to make sure that it’s dry before going on with anything else. I want to blow it out with canned air after it dries and start cleaning any debris from it.

Don’t want to put any power to it until I got cleaned and dry..
Any suggestions would be helpful. I have have one apart before to change a ESC board before so I am familiar with disassembly of the craft.

Just checking for any help from people that have had this happen to them.

Thanks for and advice and help in advance..

Mike

while we are on the subject could you take it in the shower and wash it out first and then after that wash everything with distilled water and alchole

Ozz · Apr 2, 2018

mcphipps said:
..
I am concerned about the device to the right of the center of the board.... I don't know what this is and wondering if anyone could enlighten me on this part.

Its an rf shield - a metal can to keep interference out - you would need remove it to clean the components inside - its likely soldered in place so would be difficult to remove.... To clean the board fully you need an ultrasonic bath - a phone repair shop might do it for you.

Fun project to try bring it back to life- but really though - I think it might be time for an upgrade... I went from P3S to a Mavic Pro - difference in size, performance, photo quality and range was just amazing... Worth it for sports mode alone for those windy days we get a lot of here.

RunningWithScissors · Apr 2, 2018

cneedelman said:
I don’t know how the P3 batteries work, but once a P4 battery gets submerged there is some kind of water sensor that blows and renders that battery useless, even if it’s not swollen.

After my P3S took a brief swim in a freshwater lake last summer, I dried everything out and managed to get the Phantom flying again like it was new. Unfortunately, the battery wasn't so lucky. The battery never swelled up, and it would power up, but it wouldn't accept a fresh charge. The remaining charge eventually drained off and it passed away quietly.