Is it just me or is there an issue with the front arm mechanism on the M3P?
Let me explain.
Ive had my M3P in for replacement under the DJI care scheme previously due to lens fogging issues and a minor impact. The last time the drone was repaced however, I noticed there was a little more play on the front left arm than the right. It wasnt much, say 3 or 4 mm when folded and around the same when unfolded. Its something Ive noticed on previous M3Ps as well, whether it be front left or right. Its still been quite firm however, and folded with no issues so Ive never followed it up.
A few weeks back, I booked a return/replacement under the Care scheme as the arm actually became locked when extended and wouldnt fold back. After making the booking however, it then became apparent that I needed to fold it in to the body to post it.......and it actually folded back fine, albeit with a lot more pressure needed to do so. I opened and closed the arm several times and it was fine. It just seemed the initial folding back was stiff, but the issue had been corrected. So, I cancelled the return.
Ive flown it several times since then with no arm issues.

Now, last night I had it out for a hyperlapse of a sunset. No issues with the arms and it flew fine.
Ive just now opened the front arms to enable gripping of the battery to remove it.....and the arm is way out of place, with about 1cm slack in both the horizontal and vertical axis. In truth, you can rotate it around the fixing point by about 1cm, not just the horizontal and vertical.

The quandry I now have, is do I return this under the Care Refresh and use up my last exchange and pay £62 which I really cant afford to do, or do I look at this as a manufacturing fault? Like I say, its not the first time Ive noticed this on my M3Ps, but its just never presented itself as a problem. Should I have queried this issue and sent it back the moment I noticed it? Like I say, Ive had about 3 of these drones and theyve all had uneven play on the front arms, but its never presented as this bad. It seems to me its been an issue which has always been there but never presented a problem, but continuous use has just been pushing it towards a point of failure
The drone has its little quirks, like the spacing between the arms when theyre all opened......its not equal on both sides measuring front to back. Again, not quite right, but never an issue.

So, where do I go with this? Have any of you M3P guys noticed uneven or excessive play, stiffness or locking up of the front arms? Is this a common issue or have I just got a bad one?
And if anyone from DJI is reading this, any input on how I approach this? Should I have pointed this out sooner, even though its never really presented itself as an issue till a few weeks ago?

I look forward to reading all replies and or suggestions.

Cheers

I need someone to get back to me from DJI please, because this is becoming ridiculous now.
Ive just examined the drones front left arm again.....and Ive found out a bit more about how the issue presents itself. I can unfold the arm and it locks in place, with a little more play than the right arm.....but when I fold it back in, the arm actually 'clicks' noticably and appears to jump backwards, becoming loose with a great deal of play as I start to fold it in. If I open it again at that point, it has a huge amount of play on all axis. When I fold it completely closed however, then open it, it locks almost perfectly....until the moment I begin to fold it back to the closed position, where it again seems to jump out of place and become loose.
I searched online earlier to see if this is a recurring issue, and it seems Im not the only person to have found this issue. It seems to me that the arm mechanism is either faulty from the outset, becoming loose over time and developing an issue with the actual rotating mount in the body.

Can somebody please get back to me on this?

Thank you.

Manich Posted at 9-6 04:55
I need someone to get back to me from DJI please, because this is becoming ridiculous now.
Ive just examined the drones front left arm again.....and Ive found out a bit more about how the issue presents itself. I can unfold the arm and it locks in place, with a little more play than the right arm.....but when I fold it back in, the arm actually 'clicks' noticably and appears to jump backwards, becoming loose with a great deal of play as I start to fold it in. If I open it again at that point, it has a huge amount of play on all axis. When I fold it completely closed however, then open it, it locks almost perfectly....until the moment I begin to fold it back to the closed position, where it again seems to jump out of place and become loose.
I searched online earlier to see if this is a recurring issue, and it seems Im not the only person to have found this issue. It seems to me that the arm mechanism is either faulty from the outset, becoming loose over time and developing an issue with the actual rotating mount in the body.

Hello, there. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. About the issue you mentioned, would it be convenient for you to record a video for us so that we can better understand your issue？

DJI Wanda Posted at 9-6 06:11
Hello, there. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. About the issue you mentioned, would it be convenient for you to record a video for us so that we can better understand your issue？

Hi Wanda
Thanks for getting back to me on this. I will try and do a short video later some time using my Go Pro, after Ive charged a battery up and lightings a bit better.

Manich Posted at 9-6 09:42
Hi Wanda
Thanks for getting back to me on this. I will try and do a short video later some time using my Go Pro, after Ive charged a battery up and lightings a bit better.

Thank you in advance. Please click Reply to let me know your updates.

DJI Wanda Posted at 9-7 01:32
Thank you in advance. Please click Reply to let me know your updates.

Having shot a video of the issue, I then found that this forum doesnt accept videos, only images.
That said, I have a link here which will take you directly to the video which Ive uploaded to my site.

https://missingfingers.co.uk/vids/VID_20230908_143841.mp4

Thank you.

Have a look at

my suspicion is that the pivot is failing or coming away from the drone's shell, I think the former is more likely.
Given that this is a replacement drone and has a probably traceable history of the problem, I assume you kept the previous communications, both would, I think, be warranty issues and their repair FOC.
I was unaware that the pivot's base plate can break so that was an interesting find.

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 9-8 13:15
Have a look at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WOToPMGiso
my suspicion is that the pivot is failing or coming away from the drone's shell, I think the former is more likely.

Thanks for that Sean. Having watched it mow myself, Im likewise a bit surprised that the mounting/baseplate can break. I would have expected all parts of this hinge mechanism to be of metal construction, especially considering the obtuse angle at which the arms fold away. Instead, it appears to be plastic and due to the hinge being mounted centrally, and 3 screw holes, it presents 4 weak points which could fracture with wear, namely the folding and unfolding of the arms. Having watched this, Im rather suspecting this may well be the case here with mine. The little bit of extra play which it had from the outset, also noted on previous replacements, may well have been one part of the baseplate already having a fracture or break. It had a little more play than the right arm, and there wasnt as much tension on it, so this could be what the problem was.
Considering it still folded and locked as it should, I thought it was maybe within manufacturing tolerance, so I didnt pursue it at the time. Maybe I should have.
My other reluctance was the carry on Id had with previous M3Ps. My first had the dreaded lens fogging issue. The replacement had the same issue and was likewise returned. The 3rd was okay......
but then I had a slight prang with that one and had it replaced under the DJI Care scheme.
And had the lens fogging issue on the replacement. Again.
Ive had nothing but DJI drones since I started flying and wouldnt swap for another brand. I had F450s, 550s (Self builds), Mavic, Mavic 2, all the Phantoms, only selling my P4P earlier this year.
That said, I was happy with the communications with DJI, and the ease of returns and replacements, either under the guarantee or Care Refresh, but the service centres are a bit of a let down. They state that replacements are usually fully tested refurbs.....but I had a lens fogging issue M3P replaced with a lens fogging M3P, and a self damaged M3P replaced under Care Refresh, with a lens fogging one again. That tells me that the testing isnt as thorough, if at all.
And now I find that this one too is likely to have been faulty as well.
I just hope they do decide to replace this as if under warranty because Im suspecting that this was probably faulty from the outset.
Time will tell, and thanks for your input.

DJI Wanda Posted at 9-7 01:32
Thank you in advance. Please click Reply to let me know your updates.

Hi again Wanda.....have you had a chance to review the video yet?
Regards
Mike

Manich Posted at 9-8 06:47
Having shot a video of the issue, I then found that this forum doesnt accept videos, only images.
That said, I have a link here which will take you directly to the video which Ive uploaded to my site.

Hello, there. We escalated your issue to our engineers. After they reply to us, we will get back to you.

Manich Posted at 9-8 15:48
Hi again Wanda.....have you had a chance to review the video yet?
Regards
Mike

Hello, there. We received the response from our engineers.
After checking the video, we consider it normal, and the gap between the front arms is within tolerance.

Manich, I would suggest you set the drone on an eye-level or camera-level flat surface and use the CSC to start its motors. Let the motors idle and then throttle up and watch whether the arm lifts as the thrust increases. I actually did something similar with a crashed Mavic 2 Zoom and saw the outer end of a front arm lift and drop as the throttle was opened and closed. The front arm pivot of the M2Z is of a different design so my test detected other damage but such a test might be useful.
Personally I do not think the "play"/movement at the motor-end of the arm is acceptable but I don't have a mini 3 so you really need the opinions of some mini 3 owners. If none chip-in then I'd be inclined to post this and the video * over on the MavicPilots forum and see if anyone there responds.
However I do have several Mavic Mini and mini 2 and the pivots of their rear arms are of a similar design to the front arm pivots of the Mini 3  and none of my Mini have anywhere near the play at the motor-end of their rear arms that your Mini 3 shows.

If your drone was mine I am pretty sure I would either be sending it in for assessment/repair or removing the arm from the pivot and checking the pivot and its base plate, unfortunately I doubt it would be permissible for you to do the latter and retain warranty.


* You have a PM regarding your actual existing video.

DJI Wanda Posted at 9-11 03:29
Hello, there. We received the response from our engineers.
After checking the video, we consider it normal, and the gap between the front arms is within tolerance.

DJI Wanda, can those engineers confirm whether or not the consider the play evident at the outer end of the arm acceptable?

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 9-11 04:14
Manich, I would suggest you set the drone on an eye-level or camera-level flat surface and use the CSC to start its motors. Let the motors idle and then throttle up and watch whether the arm lifts as the thrust increases. I actually did something similar with a crashed Mavic 2 Zoom and saw the outer end of a front arm lift and drop as the throttle was opened and closed. The front arm pivot of the M2Z is of a different design so my test detected other damage but such a test might be useful.
Personally I do not think the "play"/movement at the motor-end of the arm is acceptable but I don't have a mini 3 so you really need the opinions of some mini 3 owners. If none chip in then I'd be inclined to post this and the video * over on the MavicPilots forum and see if anyone there responds.
However I do have several Mavic Mini and mini 2 and the pivots of their rear arms are of a similar design to the front arm pivots of the Mini 3  and none of my Mini have anywhere near the play at the motor-end of their rear arms that your Mini 3 shows.

Hey Bumble
Thanks for the suggestion, but I think the fact that when sat on a flat surface I can push the actual tip of the arm down to the surface as well....well, I think that is way beyond tolerance. Im not happy with the 'engineers' appraisal that its within tolerance. Sorry if I seem a bit short, but Im so annoyed by this right now.
You can read my response in post 14 on the thread.
Me n DJI are through. Finished. I was considering the Mini 4 Pro, but that aint gunna happen now. When this reaches a condition where its no longer flying, Im swapping brands, or Im giving up on drones.
Regards
Mike

I don't blame you, for being annoyed, at all.
I don't have a mini 3 of any sort but I do have mini-1s and mini-2s and their rear arms are pivoted on a mechanism that appears to me to be similar to the one used for the mini 3 pro front arm pivot. With my minis their rear arms are, in terms of horizontal and vertical play at the outer end of the arm, 'rock solid'.
In fact, in one sense, the mini 3 pro's pivot appears to be an improvement on the rear arm pivot of its predecessors, in that their motor wiring is not routed through the centre of the pivot, thereby allowing the pivot to be replaced without unsoldering the motor wires inside the drone etc..
Frankly, at the moment I would have concerns that your drone is not airworthy but as I said I don't have a mini 3 for comparison.
I repeat the suggestion about posting this on the mavicpilots forum and asking what their mini 3 users think of the play etc..

DJI Wanda Posted at 9-11 03:29
Hello, there. We received the response from our engineers.
After checking the video, we consider it normal, and the gap between the front arms is within tolerance.

Within tolerence? I really dont believe you just said that. I dont mean to be rude, but have these engineers mislaid their spectacles? Did they even watch the video? I havent measured the play of the arm in each position, but in the folded position, the motor end of the arm has about 2x the outwards movement of the right.
When unfolded, the horizontal forward/backwards movement is about 15mm, with the vertical up and down movement around 20mm, at least. In fact, when sat on a level surface, the arm droops and, with the slightest bit of pressure, I can make the LED at the arms tip, below the motor, touch the surface.
In addition to this, where the arm is mounted on the axis within the body, the right side is a nice, snug fit with literally zero play around the aperture the arm extrudes from. On the left side, the axis visibly and audibly clicks out of place leaving a gap around the arm of around 3 to 4mm, with the arm 'stop' about 4 to 5mm from the actually moulded stopping point.
But dont worry. I get it. Its out of warranty now so it will be made as difficult for me to get a proper service, pushing me towards having to use up and waste my last Care Refresh exchange, for a fault Im not alone in encountering, and one which is down to bad design or a manufacturing issue.

Well you know what? DJI will get no more of my money. Ive only ever bought DJI, having built up several
F450s, and several F550s totalling over a grand each. Ive had every version of the Phantom and Mavic ranges. On this occasion, seeing as it was a new direction for DJI, I decided to both register and also buy the Care Refresh package, just in case.
The first one had the dreaded Lens Fogging issue. That was replaced......with another with the same issue.
The third one was fine.
I then had a minor crash with that one, which buckled the gimbal cradle. This was replaced under the Care Refresh scheme......
with another one that had the lens fogging issue.
That was replaced with this one which, like Ive stated, had more play on the left arm than the right from the outset, but which didnt seem to present as a problem so I didnt query it or ask for an exchange.
But now, after a slow gradual degradation to the point where the arm looks ready to fall off, and Im told its within tolerances? Sorry, but thats a joke......and a bit more of a coincidence that my original warranty expired a short while ago.
So, this is where we part ways. Ive still got about 8 months or so on the Care Refresh scheme....I dont care. Keep it. I'll fix the damn thing myself and Im sure I can find enough online to enable me to do a teardown for any future repairs.

I don't think the double post does you any favours, we can't delete posts but you could edit it to something like "deleted content, ignore ".

Manich Posted at 9-11 14:05
Within tolerence? I really dont believe you just said that. I dont mean to be rude, but have these engineers mislaid their spectacles? Did they even watch the video? I havent measured the play of the arm in each position, but in the folded position, the motor end of the arm has about 2x the outwards movement of the right.
When unfolded, the horizontal forward/backwards movement is about 15mm, with the vertical up and down movement around 20mm, at least. In fact, when sat on a level surface, the arm droops and, with the slightest bit of pressure, I can make the LED at the arms tip, below the motor, touch the surface.
In addition to this, where the arm is mounted on the axis within the body, the right side is a nice, snug fit with literally zero play around the aperture the arm extrudes from. On the left side, the axis visibly and audibly clicks out of place leaving a gap around the arm of around 3 to 4mm, with the arm 'stop' about 4 to 5mm from the actually moulded stopping point.

We of course watched your video so can we know whether it is within the tolerance.
If you disagree with this result, please help confirm two things below:
1. Whether the aircraft can function normally.
2. Hold the aircraft at a certain altitude horizontally with the arms unfolded, and take a picture for us.

DJI Wanda Posted at 9-12 04:21
We of course watched your video so can we know whether it is within the tolerance.
If you disagree with this result, please help confirm two things below:
1. Whether the aircraft can function normally.

Sorry for my previous post.....just a bit annoyed with this at the moment.
Ive uploaded a series of images and 2 further videos to my site.
They can be viewed at the following URL.
Thanks
Mike

https://missingfingers.co.uk/dji.html

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 9-12 04:19
I don't think the double post does you any favours, we can't delete posts but you could edit it to something like "deleted content, ignore ".

Ive removed that....just marked it as a double post.
Ive also uploaded some more pics and video clips to my site.
Thanks for the advice. Ive never quite got the hang of forums. I more often than not make posts and never find them again, lol.

The new uploads are at the following URL.
Cheers.
https://missingfingers.co.uk/dji.html

umm wow

It might be informative to photograph the same shot but with the motors idling, I don't know if the thrust will be sufficient to move the arm.
You might need put a book or something under the drone to lift the left prop clear of the table's surface. Remember to take the gimbal cover off.

Having just typed the above a better experiment/demonstration has just come to mind.
...... if DJI raise no objection .... lash the drone to a heavy book etc. with some strong thread or string ---- so that it can not take off.
Set your camera up to record video, if necessary use a tripod of some sort.
Start recording video, switch the drone on and start the drone's motors with the CSC, DO NOT use the lauch button.
Let the motors idle for a second or so then give the drone full throttle for 3 or 4 second.
Close the throttle and hold it closed until the motors stop or use a second CSC.  
Switch the drone off asap.
Stop the recording and, if you can, upload the video to youtube or vimeo etc. i.e. somewhere that the video appear in the forum and post the link here.

From photos 2 & 3 of post #21, this doesn't 'seem' right to me. I wondered what those 'bumps' on the arm were for lol, I guess they are rotation stops.
   

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 9-12 10:53
From photos 2 & 3 of post #21, this doesn't 'seem' right to me. I wondered what those 'bumps' on the arm were for lol, I guess they are rotation stops.
[view_image]   [view_image]

lol, yeah.
Theyre mouldings on the arm and the body which limit the rotation of the arm. As youve noted in the images, the gaps are very different, as is the rotation of the arm.
When I shot the first (previous) video, it used to open and lock fine, only coming out of place as you began to fold it.......but then, while I was shooting the clip, it actually became so loose that it didnt even open properly which, in a sense, was perfect timing as it actually failed to a greater degree in the video.
The actual mounting plate that the axis is a part of is sorta triangular in shape, with three screw holes for fixing. Now Im not sure if that plate is metal or plastic. That video you guided me to initially makes me think its plastic as it had broke into several pieces from an impact. With my arm however, if it was broke when I took ownership of the drone, would the two remaining screws keep it in place with only a little more play? Could the screws slowly come undone over time, meaning that the amount of free play increases, as has been the case? I really dont know. I just cant figure it out. Its gone from a little more play than the right arm, gradually increasing in free play over the months Ive had it. Then it locked in the unfolded position. I had to force it closed for packing, and it rectified itself, albeit for the excessive play remaining.....and now its just become loose completely. In fact, I dont understand how its even staying fixed to the drone.
Ive been looking at tear downs and repairs and, in all honesty, this repair is well within my capabilities. Ive had all my Phantoms and Mavics in bit, Macbooks, Apple Macs and even Iphones. This is kids play. 5 screws, 10 minutes at most to replace.
Just as DJI never admitted there was an issue with lens fogging, which there was, I doubt theyll admit that there are issues with the arms on the M3P which, again, I know there is as Ive found loads of them online stiff movement, excessive play etc.
This is why Im reluctant to send it in. Although replaced only a few months ago, the original warranty expired in June or July so, to deny theres an issue, they will likely say its down to my doing and either want me to use my remaining Care Refresh, or pay for the repair. I can do it myself, with the axis costing less than £20.

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 9-12 08:26
umm wow

It might be informative to photograph the same shot but with the motors idling, I don't know if the thrust will be sufficient to move the arm.

I understand the idea here, but I dont think its a good idea. As you know, a drones motion and behaviour is down to the speed of each motor, with the speed of individual motors either slowing or increasing to increase or decrease lift. With the arm now being loose and sitting lower, and angled slightly forward, Im a little sceptical of even powering it up. Granted, it may idle fine with a CSC start, but if for any reason it causes vibration in the arm, it could possibly start to oscillate the arm and cause the props to hit the deck...or just break the arm free. I dont think theres much chance of this being the case, but Id rather err on the side of caution at this time. I think the images and two video clips on my site should be enough to give them an idea of just how 'NOT' within tolerance the arm is.
Cheers.

My mechanics is too rusty to explain this properly but if one or more of the lobes of the base plate has broken then it changes the nature and size of the loads that the remaining screw or screws has/have to resist.  The summary is that in such an event I think it is quite feasible that the remaining screw or screws could be gradually pulled out of the drone's shell or worked loose.
Equally the remaining lobe or lobes may be subjected to loads (bending?) that they may not be designed to resist and they may fail.

With regards to a DIY repair, as I think I said, I would be inclined to try it but I wouldn't have care refresh etc.
But note, if screws have literally been pulled out of the shell then their screw holes are effectively knackered as their threads will have have been stripped and if that is the case you really need a new shell.
In your shoes I would be inclined to wait and see what DJI say about the new pictures. DJI Wanda asked for
"2) Hold the aircraft at a certain altitude horizontally with the arms unfolded, and take a picture for us.".
Your picture 5, my "uum wow", matches that request and clearly shows a significant difference between the posItions of the left and right front arms.
I don't see how DJI can deny that.

If you have the paper trail of post #1's ''A few weeks back, I booked a return/replacement under the Care scheme as  the arm actually became locked when extended and wouldnt fold back.  After making the booking however, it then became apparent that I needed  to fold it in to the body to post it.......and it actually folded back  fine, albeit with a lot more pressure needed to do so. I opened and  closed the arm several times and it was fine.'' and that complaint covers a lesser version of the current fault then I think it could be considered as reasonable proof that the drone was delivered 'defective' and should therefore be replaced FOC.

Manich Posted at 9-12 08:05
Sorry for my previous post.....just a bit annoyed with this at the moment.
Ive uploaded a series of images and 2 further videos to my site.
They can be viewed at the following URL.

Hello, there. Sorry for the late response. We escalated your issue again. We will wait for our engineer's second response.

Manich Posted at 9-12 15:13
I understand the idea here, but I dont think its a good idea. As you know, a drones motion and behaviour is down to the speed of each motor, with the speed of individual motors either slowing or increasing to increase or decrease lift. With the arm now being loose and sitting lower, and angled slightly forward, Im a little sceptical of even powering it up. Granted, it may idle fine with a CSC start, but if for any reason it causes vibration in the arm, it could possibly start to oscillate the arm and cause the props to hit the deck...or just break the arm free. I dont think theres much chance of this being the case, but Id rather err on the side of caution at this time. I think the images and two video clips on my site should be enough to give them an idea of just how 'NOT' within tolerance the arm is.
Cheers.

Hello, there. Our engineers reviewed the video. We advise you to send it back for diagnosis.
You can submit an online repair request here:  
https://repair.dji.com/us/repair/index

Then, please tell us your case number.

DJI Wanda Posted at 9-15 03:02
Hello, there. Our engineers reviewed the video. We advise you to send it back for diagnosis.
You can submit an online repair request here:  
https://repair.dji.com/us/repair/index

I seem to have a problem with this. When I try to book a return so it can be diagnosed, I small dropdown tells me that a Care Refresh return for my drone has already been booked and I cant proceed.
Im also a little wary of this diagnosis procedure as well. Once in the hands of a service centre, if they decide the problem has occurred due to misuse rather than a production fault, then I become liable for the cost of this.
Now I know that this isnt down to misuse, and Ive watched the arms movement deteriorate over the period that Ive owned it.....but I dont know what the problem is. I dont know what condition the axis is in, or if the mounting is faulty or incorrect. All I know is how it presents itself, this being a gradual degradation of the arms movement. As Ive mentioned previously, this is a problem Ive found to affect other owners, with one reporting the arm coming loose after only 15 flights.
Theres also the issue of warranty. My original purchase was June 22, I think, which means Im now out of warranty. This concerns me because that warranty was applicable to the original purchase. However, that original drone was replaced due to it having a lens fogging issue....then was again replaced due to the very same issue.
I then had a minor impact which damaged the gimbal. This was again replaced under the Care Refresh scheme.....with another M3P that had the lens fogging issue. This was replaced with the drone I currently have.
What my issue is here, is that with the original warranty expired in June, or whenever, it means that if the drone develops an issue such as mine, then theres no onus on DJI to replace it, despite the fact that its had far less than 12 months use as would be the case with the originally purchased drone.
What I dont want to do, is find myself in a position where the assessing engineer claims that the problem with the arm is down to improper use, such as folding the arm incorrectly. Ive had about 5 of these now and I know exactly how to fold them, just as Ive never had issue with any of the Mavics Ive owned.
Now I know the replacements are refurbished models. This is common knowledge......but the quality checking process before these drones are sent out is clearly flawed, noted by the fact Ive had 3 replacements that have had lens fogging despite the fact theyre all checked and tested. In that respect, my concern is that I could well have been sent out a faulty replacement in this case and, just as DJI have never openly admitted there was an issue with lens fogging, theyd be unlikely to admit that there are some issues with the arms, the mechanism or the mounting.
Ive had nothing but problems with this drone, whereas Ive never had any issue at all with any of the  previous models Ive had over the last 10 years or so. The only crash Ive had was with the previous Care Refresh M3P where Id had it hovering nearby, bent to get a pen from my bag and caught the forward stick on the controller, sending it into a tree trunk about 3 feet off the ground.

However, all that aside, how do I deal with the issue of there apparently being a Care Refresh order open, especially considering that I havent actually opened a case?
Regards
Mike

Manich Posted at 9-16 02:54
I seem to have a problem with this. When I try to book a return so it can be diagnosed, I small dropdown tells me that a Care Refresh return for my drone has already been booked and I cant proceed.
Im also a little wary of this diagnosis procedure as well. Once in the hands of a service centre, if they decide the problem has occurred due to misuse rather than a production fault, then I become liable for the cost of this.
Now I know that this isnt down to misuse, and Ive watched the arms movement deteriorate over the period that Ive owned it.....but I dont know what the problem is. I dont know what condition the axis is in, or if the mounting is faulty or incorrect. All I know is how it presents itself, this being a gradual degradation of the arms movement. As Ive mentioned previously, this is a problem Ive found to affect other owners, with one reporting the arm coming loose after only 15 flights.

The replacement drone will inherit the warranty period of the original drone. If your original drone was purchased on 22th, June, 2022. The warranty should have expired on the day of 2023. According to our after-sales policy, we are unable to offer you warranty services. We will charge you certain fees based on the damage assessment result. For your issue, we still recommend you send it back for further diagnosis.

Considering your case, if you have any questions about the case, we will try our best to help you.

As for the issue that you are unable to submit the request, please tell us the SN.

DJI Wanda Posted at 9-16 07:15
The replacement drone will inherit the warranty period of the original drone. If your original drone was purchased on 22th, June, 2022. The warranty should have expired on the day of 2023. According to our after-sales policy, we are unable to offer you warranty services. We will charge you certain fees based on the damage assessment result. For your issue, we still recommend you send it back for further diagnosis.

Considering your case, if you have any questions about the case, we will try our best to help you.

Its the one currently bound to my account, as follows:

1581F4XF8233N006C0DR

Manich Posted at 9-16 02:54
I seem to have a problem with this. When I try to book a return so it can be diagnosed, I small dropdown tells me that a Care Refresh return for my drone has already been booked and I cant proceed.
Im also a little wary of this diagnosis procedure as well. Once in the hands of a service centre, if they decide the problem has occurred due to misuse rather than a production fault, then I become liable for the cost of this.
Now I know that this isnt down to misuse, and Ive watched the arms movement deteriorate over the period that Ive owned it.....but I dont know what the problem is. I dont know what condition the axis is in, or if the mounting is faulty or incorrect. All I know is how it presents itself, this being a gradual degradation of the arms movement. As Ive mentioned previously, this is a problem Ive found to affect other owners, with one reporting the arm coming loose after only 15 flights.

You presumably are aware that I support your position with regards to there being something significantly wrong with your drone, bear that in mind when you read the following, but I have some problems with bits of post #30. I presume "June 22" refers to June 2022 and not 22nd June 2023.

I part I disagree with "What my issue is here, is that with the original warranty expired in June, or whenever, it means that if the drone develops an issue such as mine, then theres no onus on DJI to replace it, despite the fact that its had far less than 12 months use as would be the case with the originally purchased drone."  
If that argument were applied to every problem with a drone it amounts to a perpetual warranty and that's unrealistic. BUT if this drone was delivered defective and there is a paper trail to support that assertion and  the replacement was the result of a claim STARTED WITHIN the warranty period then I think it is fair to request a FOC replacement.
However, to my mind, that would need that paper trail showing that, on receipt of the drone, you had at least expressed concerns about the current problem or an early form of the current problem.
I can however see that since the drone can be considered an aircraft there maybe grounds for arguing that a problem that affects the safety of the drone should be 'considered' by the manufacturer but you'd need to look into how, in relation to safety concerns, the manned aircraft industry and the car industry etc. behave.

With regards to "Now I know the replacements are refurbished models. This is common knowledge.." is it?
I would say it is fair to say that some drones are refurbished but I have not seen anything to suggest that all replacement drones are refurbished, in fact I have seen posts that state replacement drones were brand new.
I do not dispute that their quality control appears to have slipped up with the drones that you have received.

I have the impression that once a drone is in DJI's hands they give honest assessments and they have been known to occasionally favour the customer when the problem was obviously the customers fault. If you have the "paper trail" mentioned above this supports your position that the origin of the problem is not your handling of the drone.

BTW I have read that the front lens of new Mini 3 Pro's is now heated, if that is correct then that was done for a reason and I would consider it to be an indirect admission that there was an initial problem that heating cures.  

That I am aware of I have not read any other threads with problems that match your pivot problem but I was disconcerted that two of the videos that I looked at in relation to replacing the front arm pivots appear to show pivots with broken base plates. Though to be fair to DJI I don't know how those base plates were broken.

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 9-16 08:09
You presumably are aware that I support your position with regards to there being something significantly wrong with your drone, bear that in mind when you read the following, but I have some problems with bits of post #30. I presume "June 22" refers to June 2022 and not 22nd June 2023.

I part I disagree with "What my issue is here, is that with the original warranty expired in June, or whenever, it means that if the drone develops an issue such as mine, then theres no onus on DJI to replace it, despite the fact that its had far less than 12 months use as would be the case with the originally purchased drone."  

Hi again Bumble
My original purchase was June 2022, meaning the 12 months warranty would have expired that month of this year. I checked my account and the current drone was bound to the account in April which would be when it was last replaced.
I dint mention the play in the arm because it was only around 4mm compared to the right arm when folded so I assumed that there was an accepted tolerance and that the play was within said tolerance. Over the months though, as Ive mentioned previously, the play became more noticable when folded, with only a fractional amount of play when opened to its fullest extent. Again, its the unfolded part of the arms operation that is the most important.
I really only became a bit concerned about the problem when the arm locked itself in the unfolded position. It refused to fold back in, even with a little more pressure applied, so I left it unfolded and raised it with DJI who advised me to send it in. I wasnt happy with having to use what would be my last Care Refresh return, but Im trying to get a small business off the ground, and I chose to send it in under the scheme just to get a quick turnaround as I have a client ongoing, with a short notice of when he needs footage....usually 1 days notice.
When it came to boxing it up though, it became apparent Id have to fold the arm back in regardless just to get it back in its box. Applying even more pressure, it did fold back in but it was ridiculously stiff. Out of curiosity, I then unfolded and folded it several times and it did so fine, but to a degree. The arm extended okay but, when I went to fold it back again, the entire arm where it goes into the body, which I now know as the axis, moved back several millimetres, leaving a gap, which you saw in the photos. However, once folded back (the play was still evident) it unfolded and locked fine, with the mount/axis only shifting out of place as I started to fold it back in. It was just wierd. Again, with it locking in the extended position I decided to cancel the Care Refresh case. It extended and locked okay, shifted a bit on folding, but folded back as it had done with the usual amount of play, albeit what I considered excessive. But it operated and flew fine so I left it at that and decided to keep the last Care Refresh till I really needed it.
With that said, when I shot that video clip, the arm actually got worse, as it didnt lock into the extended position fully and settled in the position, with the gaps, where it had previously done only while folding. It went from locking open to failing to lock open in the video which I guess adds some weight to the problem gradually worsening over time to the point where it actually failed to a greater degree in the video.
Going back to the original point of the warranty, youre right. It is confusing. This was a replacement in April, within my original warranty period which means if it was faulty then it was faulty from a time within the warranty. Maybe I should have mentioned it way back then, but I didnt want to nit pick about something which was probably quite normal. Its like the other point Ive noticed with this drone, when you extend all the arms, then pull a rear prop towards the front, and the front towards the rear, the gap between the tips of the front an rear props is different to what it is on the other side. Ive always had that, just as Ive found uneven play when folded, but again, never saw it as an issue either.
Another thing I noticed the other night as well. I was checking the props as I often do, even though I wont be flying it currently, and I discovered that the orange tips are actually not just painted on, but are actually a form of rubbery compound adhered to the tip of the prop. I only discovered this because I was bending each prop up and down looking to see if I had any hairline fatigue cracks, and it partly came away from the tip. It was bizarre. I just sat there looking at it, thinking how strange that the tip would decide to break right along the line of the paint.....then I realised its not paint. Its a rubber compound which, thinking about it, is quite clever as I should imagine it limits the damage to human flesh if you happen to catch yourself with the tip. Its only taken me a year to discover this......maybe Im getting too old for this.....

still hate forums

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 9-16 08:09
You presumably are aware that I support your position with regards to there being something significantly wrong with your drone, bear that in mind when you read the following, but I have some problems with bits of post #30. I presume "June 22" refers to June 2022 and not 22nd June 2023.

I part I disagree with "What my issue is here, is that with the original warranty expired in June, or whenever, it means that if the drone develops an issue such as mine, then theres no onus on DJI to replace it, despite the fact that its had far less than 12 months use as would be the case with the originally purchased drone."  

Heres one of the threads I found on Reddit which gives mention on 3 posts to the problem with the M3P arms.
Cheers

Reading all of this is very frustrating. And DJI's response is very sobering and not very accommodating. If I understand correctly, the current arm damaged drone is not the original at the date of purchase, but already a replaced or repaired ? Anyway a replacement or a repair should not be an issue at all and be done without if and but free of charge. But after my previous experience with DJI, I am not particularly fond of their behavior.

Space Dream Posted at 9-16 12:08
Reading all of this is very frustrating. And DJI's response is very sobering and not very accommodating. If I understand correctly, the current arm damaged drone is not the original at the date of purchase, but already a replaced or repaired ? Anyway a replacement or a repair should not be an issue at all and be done without if and but free of charge. But after my previous experience with DJI, I am not particularly fond of their behavior.

My original purchase was last June and had the lens fogging issue from the outset. This was replaced with another lens fogging drone. That was replaced and all was fine till I had a minor prang which caused gimbal damage earlier this year. Under the Refresh scheme, this was replaced with another.....which had the lens fogging issue. The one that was replaced with is the drone I now have. This was replaced in April this year, but had a little more play on the left arm than the right. I thought it was pretty minor as the arm unfolded and was stable, with the drone flying okay. It gradually got worse until a month or so ago it locked ot. Then it sorta reset itself for a while, but now it just hangs limp and flops around as you can see in the videos Ive uploaded to my website.
When they replace a drone under the Refresh scheme, they say its replaced with a drone thats 'As new' which leads me to beleive its a refurbished drone rather than a new production one. They also claim that all replacements are checked before dispatch......so why have I had at least 2 lens fogging replacements.
Im seriously thinking where I go with DJI. Never had a problem in over 10 years with any previous drone, and Ive always had DJI gear, even self build F450s and F550s. Never had a failure, never had a crash except for clipping a prop on landing due to slight overbalancing.....
I accept that its a lot of drone packed into not much body and its an amazing piece of kit. But Im growing tired of the issues. Lens fogging is an easily identifiable issue as it was a common issue. Ive aso found cases of M3P arms becoming loose within, like, 15 flights, with others saying the Axis mounts are a weak point....but even in light of this, it would be difficult for me to argue that this has been an ongoing issue since I got it, and down to a fault with the drone rather than my misuse of it.
Its just frustrating. I just want something thats reliable......I guess its too much to ask. I dont know. Im considering a switch of brand right now. Ive given consideration to the upcoming M4P, but the M3P has made me very wary.

Space Dream Posted at 9-16 12:08
Reading all of this is very frustrating. And DJI's response is very sobering and not very accommodating. If I understand correctly, the current arm damaged drone is not the original at the date of purchase, but already a replaced or repaired ? Anyway a replacement or a repair should not be an issue at all and be done without if and but free of charge. But after my previous experience with DJI, I am not particularly fond of their behavior.

Out of curiosity, what was your previous experience? I dont really have an issue with them and theyve been accomodating as can be up till now......Im just becoming tired of the constant issues Im having with this drone, which concerns me even moreso now that Im out of the original warranty. 10 years or so of trouble free flying, then this. Its the only purchase Ive registered because of the new direction the drone was going in, and likewise why I purchased the Care Refresh package.

Manich Posted at 9-16 07:26
Its the one currently bound to my account, as follows:

1581F4XF8233N006C0DR

Hi, you can try to submit a repair case now.
Also, there is another thing I noticed.
I checked your SN and found you purchased DJI Care Refresh and DJI Care Refresh Plus for the device.
For the DJI Care Refresh + has already been purchased before, the official warranty is provided during the validity period of the service plan.
Your DJI Care Refresh Plus is valid before 2024/05/17. The warranty period of your device has not expired yet.

DJI Wanda Posted at 9-18 01:19
Hi, you can try to submit a repair case now.
Also, there is another thing I noticed.
I checked your SN and found your purchased DJI Care Refresh and DJI Care Refresh Plus for the device.

Ohh, lol. I totally forgot about that.......Im getting too old for this I think. the old grey matter is disintegrating
Thank you for that. Much appreciated....I will try and submit the request again now.
Thank you Wanda.

DJI Wanda Posted at 9-18 01:19
Hi, you can try to submit a repair case now.
Also, there is another thing I noticed.
I checked your SN and found your purchased DJI Care Refresh and DJI Care Refresh Plus for the device.

Thank you Wanda
A case has been submitted, with the following case number:

CAS-14264785-G7F4L2

Thank you for your time.......and your patience