So, recently I just got back from China and my drone's gimbal began fidgeting and I am unable to control the gimbal. On the application, certain errors kept popping up stating that the aircraft motor was overloaded and the gimbal is restarting. Sometimes another message pops up saying the gimbal is obstructed. I have done all the recommended steps given by DJI Support, but all have failed to make the Mavic Pro to work. The drone has been sent to DJI repair, however, I wanted to know the possible reasons this may have occurred and whether this has been an issue among many different people. Also, I would like to know what the estimate cost could be for the repair. I have only had the drone since  May 3, 2017 and started to mess up towards the end of my China trip which was around May 18. I did have a small crash a few days after receiving the drone in my house (around May 6, 2017 I believe) but the crash was very minor and I simply replaced the propellers and I continued to fly the drone with ease with no problems occurring whatsoever until the end of my China trip.

Same thing happened to my drone after a crash. Only way to fix it is to send it in.

Lok Mavic Posted at 2017-6-13 09:40
Same thing happened to my drone after a crash. Only way to fix it is to send it in.

Did you already send it in and receive it? If so, how much was the cost?

Same thing happened to me.     repair needed.   a new flat ribbon cable needed to be installed (those things are VERY delicate).   i JUST got the assessment done and invoice says it costs 151.  that is, 120 for labor (2 hours @ 65 per hour) and a 3 dollar cable.  Plus a couple of smaller parts ( upper cover for 1 dollar, middle frame for 4 dollars,  shipping, and tax

13MStang Posted at 2017-6-13 12:00
Same thing happened to me.     repair needed.   a new flat ribbon cable needed to be installed (those things are VERY delicate).   i JUST got the assessment done and invoice says it costs 151.  that is, 120 for labor (2 hours @ 65 per hour) and a 3 dollar cable.  Plus a couple of smaller parts ( upper cover for 1 dollar, middle frame for 4 dollars,  shipping, and tax

I had a feeling it was a ribbon cable problem. How can I prevent another ribbon cable problem?

fansddff1caa Posted at 2017-6-13 12:05
I had a feeling it was a ribbon cable problem. How can I prevent another ribbon cable problem?

Honestly, thats a tough question.   The easy answer would be "don't crash your bird".   But even with minor skirmishes, these cables seem to not hold up.

Best advise is:  obviously, don't crash.  beyond that:
1.  always use the clamp and gimbal cover when transporting the copter
2. use the DJI approved ND filters
3. be mindful of the terrain you are taking off/landing from.  Sand and dirt can cause damage.  I recommend getting a dedicated landing pad.
4. keep the drone away from animals (especially curious dogs).

If I may use this thread to post a related question; I've been wondering how much 'overloading' the gimbal can take before becoming damaged.  If users could state how their gimbals broke, or how many times they've flown with the clamp installed, we might get a general understanding of how robust the things are.  Having my Mavic for about 5 weeks now, I've flown with the clamp in place for 1 flight of about 2 minutes, and several other times just starting it up and was reminded that the clamp was still on... so far, no damage that I can tell, but after that 2 minute flight I thought it would be done....

Just an update. Apparently, my drone repair was free of charge.

fansddff1caa Posted at 2017-6-14 14:56
Just an update. Apparently, my drone repair was free of charge.

how long did it take?