Have you ever seen a crack here before?

[AlexSP]

yep it comes down to dji .watching manufactures product which apparently they don't

Yep, and I'm glad we have choices other than DJI. Plenty!

 

[flpholt]

Yep, and I'm glad we have choices other than DJI. Plenty!

that's why I got a autel sick of dji stuff when my p3a and p3s break not going to replace

 

[sjp0eqt]

Your old shell is for old motor version 2312 as mine.
Your spare new shell look to be for new motors 2312A as my spare shell.
I had hard time thinking that my spare shell will not be compatible with my old motors.
View attachment 62499

I checked and the old motor fit in the new shell. It is the new motor than don't fit in the old shell (or you would need to cut something) but you would have to change all motors and also the ESC main board so not a real case.
Looks really more strong with more and wider reinforcements.

GREAT INFORMATION. Thank you.
That explains why the vertical tabs have the notches in them. So they can accommodate both versions of the motor.
I'll be swapping into the new shell this weekend, can't wait to get it done.

 

[The Springs]

Can you tell which type of shell you have without pulling it apart ?

 

[Dronason]

Can you tell which type of shell you have without pulling it apart ?

I have removed a motor and check motor fixation, see post 32 of this thread.

 

[KenBSA]

Hi. I bought mine in January and by March cracks appeared. No crashes or bumps or anything. I contacted DJI, they asked me to send photos which I did after which they gave me a Case number and said I should take it back to the dealer and have it repaired free of charge. This took about two weeks because the dealer had to wait for a new shell to arrive from DJI. (I am in South Africa). This was not too bad. Since then, every time I fly it I inspect it when I am finished flying. During last month it happened again. After flying, I found cracks again close to two of the motors. I contacted DJI again and once again after sending photos they sent a case number and said I should take it back again for a free repair, so I cannot find fault with their service. This time however, nearly a month has gone by and I am still waiting for my Phantom. DJI have admitted that they had had a problem with the casings, but what worries me is what will happen once it is out of warranty. I am going to order covers from Strong Arm Reinforcement Plates and hopefully never have the problem again

 

[Dirty Bird]

The crack is on the upper shell only. This isn't really structural & acts more as a cover. I'd mix some 5-minute epoxy, spread the crack with a toothpick or anything you can use as a spacer, apply a small amount of epoxy to the crack, then clamp or hold it until it sets. Be judicious with the epoxy trying to get it only on the mating surface as much as possible, & have a rag with alcohol handy to wipe away any excess epoxy that squeezes out when you bring the parts together. Do not get any on the seam between upper/lower shell..

I was just about to head out for a flight, checking things over and found this. **** it! It is three months old and I really do not want to send it away and risk getting it back in worse condition or trust that something else will not go wrong. It flies perfect as it is...well before the cracks. I guess it is still safe to fly like this? I put a zip tie on the arm for a little extra strength. I guess they do come in handy. It feels pretty solid and I did a short test flight, it seems okay.
I never hit anything and always hand catch it when landing and it is kept in a molded case when I do not use it. Geeze this is disappointing.
How do I get in touch with DJI to start a a warranty claim?

 

[Dirty Bird]

Shine a bright flashlight on the top & look for the X braces from below.

Can you tell which type of shell you have without pulling it apart ?

 

[Drone Master]

For birds that are approximately 8 to 10 months old, were ones that came out of the factory with defective plastics both on the bird and on the RC. I had some older stock on my shelves and when I went to sell them, they were already cracked right out of the box.
I had a couple of clients that tried the epoxy method, however they would continue to have cracks develop in other areas or continue from where the first repair was made. Most of them have since replaced the shells. As for the RC body? Well, getting just the body might be hard to get unless someone out there has a non working one that you could use for the replacement. Or save the time and labor to do that and just purchase a new or used RC.

 

[HWCM]

The crack is on the upper shell only. This isn't really structural & acts more as a cover. I'd mix some 5-minute epoxy, spread the crack with a toothpick or anything you can use as a spacer, apply a small amount of epoxy to the crack, then clamp or hold it until it sets. Be judicious with the epoxy trying to get it only on the mating surface as much as possible, & have a rag with alcohol handy to wipe away any excess epoxy that squeezes out when you bring the parts together. Do not get any on the seam between upper/lower shell..

Not true at all.
If you try to flex and twist the arm with both halves together and secure with no cracks, it is pretty stiff and firm. But if you take the top off or even just remove the screws, it is extremely flimsy. The two pieces together form a braced structure. Even on my cracked arm, the thing is flimsy.
I don't want to glue together a three months old $1000.00 Quadcopter, then have more cracks show up on another spot next month. Im sure taking it apart and putting glue everywhere will void the warranty too. Not to mention every time the body is disassembled you run the risk of breaking something else, maybe a standoff or a cable.
I am sending it in although I don't trust DJI will do a proper repair and I am sure the new body will develop cracks also. But if I fix it myself and then there is a mechanical failure or a software failure and it crashed by no fault of myself, this would give DJI a reason to deny a warranty claim.
Just my two cents.

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Drone Master]

Not true at all.
If you try to flex and twist the arm with both halves together and secure with no cracks, it is pretty stiff and firm. But if you take the top off or even just remove the screws, it is extremely flimsy. The two pieces together form a braced structure. Even on my cracked arm, the thing is flimsy.
I don't want to glue together a three months old $1000.00 Quadcopter, then have more cracks show up on another spot next month. Im sure taking it apart and putting glue everywhere will void the warranty too. Not to mention every time the body is disassembled you run the risk of breaking something else, maybe a standoff or a cable.
I am sending it in although I don't trust DJI will do a proper repair and I am sure the new body will develop cracks also. But if I fix it myself and then there is a mechanical failure or a software failure and it crashed by no fault of myself, this would give DJI a reason to deny a warranty claim.
Just my two cents.

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using PhantomPilots mobile app

Agreed! I had forgot to mention in my last post that if you are within your warranty period, Don't take any chances voiding it. Yes you will have to be patient during the repair process time but DJI is aware of the issue via the new revised shell. BTW I have not seen any cracking with the new one so far.

 

[Silverwingflinx]

I was just about to head out for a flight, checking things over and found this. **** it! It is three months old and I really do not want to send it away and risk getting it back in worse condition or trust that something else will not go wrong. It flies perfect as it is...well before the cracks. I guess it is still safe to fly like this? I put a zip tie on the arm for a little extra strength. I guess they do come in handy. It feels pretty solid and I did a short test flight, it seems okay.
I never hit anything and always hand catch it when landing and it is kept in a molded case when I do not use it. Geeze this is disappointing.
How do I get in touch with DJI to start a a warranty claim?

Yes mine did that!!!

 

[Dirty Bird]

True if you COMPLETELY REMOVE the top shell. But we're only talking about a crack on the upper shell of one arm which you can easily repair without even needing to disassemble the aircraft. Not to mention the weeks you'll lose the bird. Obviously you should do what you feel most comfortable doing but, were it mine, I would spend 5 minutes repairing it myself & fly on.

Not true at all.
If you try to flex and twist the arm with both halves together and secure with no cracks, it is pretty stiff and firm. But if you take the top off or even just remove the screws, it is extremely flimsy. The two pieces together form a braced structure. Even on my cracked arm, the thing is flimsy.
I don't want to glue together a three months old $1000.00 Quadcopter, then have more cracks show up on another spot next month. Im sure taking it apart and putting glue everywhere will void the warranty too. Not to mention every time the body is disassembled you run the risk of breaking something else, maybe a standoff or a cable.
I am sending it in although I don't trust DJI will do a proper repair and I am sure the new body will develop cracks also. But if I fix it myself and then there is a mechanical failure or a software failure and it crashed by no fault of myself, this would give DJI a reason to deny a warranty claim.
Just my two cents.

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[The Springs]

I just bought an Advanced so I'm not sure if it the old stock or new design So you can just remove one motor to see the shape of the mould underneath ?

 

[fastsmiles]

Both the old stock and the new design are prone to cracks. I've seen many new design shells with cracks.

 

[The Springs]

Great something to look forward to ! Reminds me of a Case tractor that I had to spend $10,000 on the gearbox just out of warranty ( a problem right across the range at the time I found out later) When I complained to the dealer he told me to buy the new model problem solved ! You know how Homer Simpsom used to get Bart by the throat .We that image sprang to mind.

 

[Mental]

I am on the phone with Amazom Prime, The lady I am speaking to said that they can not get in contact with the third party seller I purchased it from and they will issue me a full refund as a (something) claim? It was broken English, some kind of claim. She did not say anything about sending this one back to the seller. I guess since they can not contact them.
The only thing is that I got this one on sale for $620. and to replace it will be $100 more. But I guess I would have some spare parts.

Seems obvious: if the seller makes contact, they will do the repair. If they don't, Amazon will give you a refund - use it to buy a new shell and fix it yourself. On that deal, you make a profit!

 

[HWCM]

More cracks are sure to come...

True if you COMPLETELY REMOVE the top shell. But we're only talking about a crack on the upper shell of one arm which you can easily repair without even needing to disassemble the aircraft. Not to mention the weeks you'll lose the bird. Obviously you should do what you feel most comfortable doing but, were it mine, I would spend 5 minutes repairing it myself & fly on.

 

[Dirty Bird]

That isn't necessarily true &, even if they do, the epoxy is a permanent repair & there's lots of glue in the tubes.

More cracks are sure to come...

 

[HWCM]

That isn't necessarily true &, even if they do, the epoxy is a permanent repair & there's lots of glue in the tubes.

Yeah, then I will have glue and cracks all over a three month old $1000.00 item. No thanks.