After all the hard work you do unpacking, setting up the batteries, connecting the controller, it can be frustrating to see one of your drone propellers are not working. It can also be dangerous sometimes as one or more propellers failing in mid-air can result in a crash. If you face this situation or in one right now, you have come to the right place.
In this article, we shall look at some of the generic fixes that can help your drone take the skies. Also, we shall see some of the popular hobby drones and fixes for each one of them.
There could be several reasons why your drones’ propeller is not spinning- insufficient battery voltage, drone-transmitter connection lost, improper wiring, debris stuck in the propeller, or a broken wing. Replacing a broken propeller is cheap and sometimes the best solution rather than fly with a faulty part.
Major Reasons for Drone Propeller Failure
BATTERY NOT CHARGED
This is the most simple yet overlooked reason why your propeller is not working. Maybe you charged the batteries with a bad charger, the wall socket on which you charged the batteries were bad, or you completely forgot to charge the batteries. Check the voltage of batteries before flying and plug them in if you find no reading.
TRANSMITTER CONNECTION
Sometimes, the controller is not paired with the drone or unpaired with the drone after the last flight. Once refer to the manual and make sure the Transmitter and the drone are paired. This connection is also a simple problem that is often overlooked.
BROKEN PROPELLER
Check all the propellers thoroughly before the flight. Chances are one or more of them are broken because of the last crash. This is highly dangerous as you might lose control in mid-air, or the drone might start vibrating in mid-air, resulting in a collision. Replace the broken propellers with new ones. You can get them for affordable prices and can easily be replaced. It would be best if you fixed the propellers with proper alignment, or it will come crashing down again.
BROKEN WIRES
This is also the most common problem that results in propellers not spinning. Due to the frequent crashes that happen while flying the drone, the wires might have become loose, or the wiring got completely ripped. Either way, you might have to check the complete wiring and find out where it lost the connection. After that, you might have to replace the wiring and make sure they are properly tied and connected.
TANGLED MOTOR
If you fly inside or outside, the motor and the propeller suck up the debris and get tangled. This is also one of the significant problems that stop the propellers from spinning. You have to carefully check between propellers and motors for the tangled hair or grass. Carefully remove the debris with the help of tweezers. Do not take the waste out forcefully as you may get into the problem of damaging the motor/propeller. If more hair or grass got stuck, you might want to cut them first and then remove them with the tweezers.
BAD/DISCONNECTED MOTOR
This problem may result due to long hours of flying or heavy crashes. You might have to take the drone completely apart to know where the problem is. Be careful because you also have the chance of losing the warranty provided by the manufacturer by doing so. Check if all the motors are correctly connected and even if there are any burnt parts on the engine like Mosfet, broken motor mounts, bad bearing, etc. In the case of the damaged motor, you might have to replace it entirely with a new one or correct the replaceable parts.
BAD ONBOARD COMPUTER
The computers that are attached to the drones are incredibly tough and are designed to perform complex tasks. Due to the heavy crashes that occur during the flight, the computer might get damaged or destroyed. It is a near-impossible task to repair the onboard computer, and the only way around is to replace it with a new one.
MISCELLANEOUS REASONS
There might also be some other reasons like water damage, bad battery, or wrong battery size. You can make your drone water-resistant, but don’t take it for a swim. Avoid flying the drone in rainy conditions. Check for the battery issues before doing anything else. It might have been the bad battery that is not getting charged and causing the problems, or it might have been that you have taken the wrong battery size for the drone, which is causing the pain. Wrong battery size may drive the motors and propellers to overheat and crash, which is not good.
Propeller Issues in Popular Drones and their Fixes
Common Reasons for Propeller failure in the DJI MAVIC AIR2
This is one of the most commonly used drones. The cost of this drone is about $799, and it is an excellent deal for the features it offers us. Once you unbox the drone, be sure you read the manufacturer’s manual thoroughly.
The most common problem in these drones is that if you don’t fix the correct propeller on the right motor wing, it will result in a malfunctioning propeller. This could be dangerous as the propellers’ lift is wrong, and the drone may completely flip out in the middle of the air and result in a crash. To avoid this mistake, make sure to fix the correct propeller onto the right motor.
The pro version in this model offers us the locking system. If the correct propeller is not attached to the right rotor, the lock won’t fit in.
Common Reasons for Propeller failure in the DJI MAVIC MINI
This is also one of the most commonly used and affordable drones. The cost of this drone is $339.
The most common problem occurring in these types of drones is the broken propeller. This is a small drone compared to other hobby drones and is extremely sensitive. The broken propeller leads to the reduction of the overall lift and the uncommanded descent. This will directly lead to crashes leading to more damage to the drone.
To avoid this crash, make sure that every time you take the drone out for flying, check whether the wings are proper or not. If one or more of them is broken, you can easily replace them as available for affordable prices.
Common Reasons for Propeller failure in the SYMA X5C
The Syma X5C is one of the low-end drones available in the market. This drone costs around 63$.
The most common problem occurring in these drones is motor failure due to extreme crashes. One or more motors may have been damaged due to the collisions as this drone is extremely sensitive. Check for all the motors and replace the faulty engines before retaking the skies.
Common Reasons for Propeller failure in the EMAX TINYHAWK2
This is a mid-range drone available for 163$ in the market. The most common problem occurring in these drones is disconnected motor. Open the drone entirely and check for the loose wires and reconnect them properly and check again. This disconnection occurs because of the heavy crashes and years of flying the drone.
Drone Propeller faults troubleshooting
More often than not, the problems faced with drones can easily be found and corrected. The issues depend upon various reasons.
- It is very important to check the propellers before the flight. If they are Broken, Replace the propellers with new ones. You can get them for affordable prices and can easily be replaced.
- The battery not being charged is one of the most overlooked reasons why the propellor is not working. Check the voltage of batteries before flying and plug them in if you find no reading.
- Make sure that the Transmitter and drone are connected in the first place. Go through the manual and recheck for the Transmitter-Drone connections.
- Another significant issue is broken wiring; you might have to check the complete wiring and find out where it is broken. After that, you might have to replace the wiring and make sure they are properly tied and connected.
- The motor and the propeller suck up the debris and get tangled sometimes; carefully check between propellers and motors for the tangled hair or grass. Carefully remove the debris with the help of tweezers.
- One of the major problems is the Damaged motor, and in the case of the damaged motor, you might have to replace it entirely with a new one. Sometimes the onboard computer might get damaged, it is a near-impossible task to repair the onboard computer, and the only way around is to replace it with a new one.
These are the most generic fixes available. If the drone still isn’t working after trying all the fixes, It is time to reach out to a Drone Professional.
