• Registered: 02-16-2012
  • Posts: 2

Topic: Motor coming apart

I just got my drone this past Saturday and after a few flights and proper landings the front left motor is coming apart, and what I mean by coming apart is that the top cap is allowing the housing to shift around the stator and also allowing the pinion gear to drop and lock the rotor. Would this be covered under warranty as a defective part or do I just need to bite the bullet and order a new motor?

  • Registered: 12-01-2010
  • Posts: 165

Re: Motor coming apart

Hi Samo7,

If you have only just purchased your AR Drone and this is not related to crash damage you should be able to return your AR Drone to the retailer for this to be checked under warranty.

Parrot Advisor UK 2.
technical.uk@parrot.com

08444 722360
  • Registered: 02-16-2012
  • Posts: 2

Re: Motor coming apart

Well now I'm rather frustrated. I just not five minutes ago got home from the retailer where I bought my drone, to make a long story short they couldn't  do anything for me. the woman behind the counter just went on about it having to be hooked up to diagnostic equipment and that they couldn't do that so I am now a rather dissatisfied customer.

  • Registered: 07-28-2012
  • Posts: 5

Re: Motor coming apart

Hi all, new user here, first post. Can't figure out how to poost a pic but I believe I have the same problem as OP.

After an uneventful flight (no crashes, etc.) tried to take off again and one motor was not turning. Checked to see if rotor was turning and it was well stuck so I started a visual inspection. The cylindrical motor housing was well off the vertical compared to the others, so after some soul-searching decided to dismantle it. Took the assembly off without much fuss (the complete assembly, motor + small circuit board).

The motor itself seems to have come apart. The small 'cap' on the gear end of the motor has separated from the cylindrical body of the motor housing (at least I think so, have  not dismounted any  of  the other motors to compare). Since there is a definite profile to this piece, it  looks like it SHOULD fit inside the motor housing (and probably be held  in place by a wee bit of glue or Loctite or something). But it doesn't seem to want to go back inside, although I am not trying to force it. I assume there is some kind of little bearing on the  inside end of the rotor shaft that will need to be perfectly aligned before it's possible to get this end cap back in the motor housing, but am unsure. Maybe I just have to push it harder?

Any  suggestions?

(Somewhat annoyed, since this seems to have happened 'by itself', i.e. I did not crash the stupid thing (at least not on the preceding uneventful flight).

Thanks in advance

  • Registered: 07-28-2012
  • Posts: 5

Re: Motor coming apart

An update:

I got the end cap back on by pushing quite firmly - surprisingly firmly in fact. Slightly complicated matters slightly by not having the 3 holes on the gear side perfectly aligned with the holes on the mounting doodah, so had to push the cap out again, realign and reassemble. A 5 second test flight showed rotors running smoothly so looks like the 'repair' went OK.

However on next flight I very soon smelled something burning so immmediately shut  down and started sniffing my new toy, extremely  paranoid about screwing up this thing beyone repair. But as you know, when you  start sniffing around for  a burnt odour, you sooon become de-sensitized and ca't smell a damn thing anymore. Hmmpppph - still don't know if I'm burning my toy. (I don't think so though - probably a neighbour burning something)

If anyone has the same problem with the motor end cap, a couple of comments:

    The 3 short screws are on the rotor side, longer on the opposite
    When you push back the 'cap' of the motor into the motor housing check the position of the screw holes on the cap - they should be aligned with the  housing where you're going to mount the complete assembly. Very difficult to turn the motor once its inside the mounting frame.
    I should have put some loctite on the cap before pushing it back  in,  but  was unsure if it would really go back in. Once in, I was reluctant to get it back out and start from scratch. But it is quite snug - can't figure out why it popped out in the first place.
    I would imagine that if I place ANY  orders for spares I'm going to ask for a bunch of those  tiny screws as well as the tiny circlip that holds the  rotor on - I  was more lucky  than skillful in that I didn't lose anything. Will also order a few of the big gears attaching the rotor, one of them is already with a slightly 'rough'  spot.

    • Registered: 08-06-2012
    • Posts: 1

    Re: Motor coming apart

    THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE END CAP COMING OFF THE MOTORS.  I SNAPPED THE MOTOR BACK TOGETHER, ALIGNED THE THREE HOLES, ETC.  BUT ON TEST FLIGHT, THE MOTOR WAS NOT PRODUCING THE REVS NEED.  SO I ORDERED A NEW MOTOR AND CONTROLLER.  I WONDER WHETHER IT WOULDN'T BE A GOOD IDEA TO PUT A SUPER SMALL DAB OF SUPER GLUE ON EACH MOTOR AS A PREVENTATIVE.  OBVIOUSLY, ARDRONE NEEDS TO LOOK TO THEIR SUPPLIER TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE.

    • Registered: 07-28-2012
    • Posts: 5

    Re: Motor coming apart

    It's hard for me to understand why, once the motor has been put back together, the cap pops out again. After all,  the prop is trying to pull the shaft of the motor UPWARDS, so why does the main housing of the motor somehow get pushed DOWNWARDS?

    Also curious is that upon re-assembly it is very difficult to detect the magnet positions when rotating the prop by hand - on the other motors, its very easy to sense the magnets, but not after reassembling a poppped out end cap.