Drone Motors Hot? 5 Most-Common Problems (And What to Do)

The functionality of a drone depends on the condition of its parts. If the parts are in good shape, then the drone will have a smooth flight. One of the most important parts of a drone is its motors. Drone motors can be prone to overheating even with conservative flying. However, drone motor heating is normal, because they are usually put under a lot of stress when flying. But there might be some repercussions if the heat is in excess.

Several problems arise when the motors of a drone overheat. The major issues include de-syncing of motors, loss of magnetic strength, hot frames, damaged windings, as well as drone motor failure in extreme cases. However, there is a way out of each problem.

So, what can you do about each of these issues? 

If the motors of your drone are overheating, you’re right where you need to be. We have put together the most common problems associated with drone motor heating and the best solution for each**.**

1. Damaged motor windings #

Drone motors are made with copper wires wrapped around a soft iron magnetic core. Windings form a magnetic field that is controlled by an electronic speed controller. The magnetic field interacts with the permanent magnets thus allowing the rotation of the motors powering the propellers and giving lift to the drone.

If the motor windings are not made of high-quality copper, they will overheat easily and potentially deform through melting or over-extension. In this new state, the motor will not be able to rotate as needed therefore interfering with the drone takeoff. This is because the windings will not help in the generation of the force needed for liftoff or flight.

What to do

To solve this problem, you should detach the windings from the screws that connect the drone frame and motor. Check the conductivity in between until there is no more beeping. Alternatively, installing shorter bolts and ensuring that they don’t come into contact with the windings will also resolve the problem.

2. Desyncing motors #

Overheating of a drone motor can cause desyncing. This takes place when a motor stalls or fails to spin at the same speed as the other motors. This might happen even when the motor signal ascends to the maximum. Desyncing can cause your drone to fall out of the sky or operate uncontrollably.

If this happens, pay close attention to the side of the drone that fails first. This way, you will be able to identify the faulty motor and take corrective actions, depending on the state of the drone after the failure. 

What to do

To fix this problem or reduce the chances of it occurring again, you should change the settings of BLHeli or Betaflight if you are using any of them. The best way to make the changes is to install an updated version of each program. These settings might not be the most suitable in terms of performance but they are the strongest.

The other solution is to replace the drone motor with a new one. This is more suitable if your drone crashed causing some damage to the internal parts of the motor. If a damaged motor is not removed, it might compromise other motors and you may end up counting more losses.

3. Loss of magnetic strength #

Drone motors consist of magnets that lose their magnetic field strength when overheated. The magnets play a significant role in creating a force that helps the motors to spin. 

This means, therefore, that if the magnetic strength is lost, the drone’s performance will be affected. The other effect of a loss in magnetic strength is increased heat dissipation from the motor. If something is not done quickly about this problem, the drone motor will not last for long. Your drone also stands the risk of crashing.

What to do

Problems associated with the loss of magnetic field in the drone motor are difficult to solve. It would therefore be wise to ask for help from the manufacturer of your drone or motor. 

Alternatively, you can make inquiries about how to resolve the issue from drone groups or forums. You will always find someone willing to help. If the above doesn’t work, the only remaining option would be to replace the drone motor.

4. Hot frame #

An overheated drone will cause the drone frame to become hot during or after a flight. The heat doesn’t have to be high to burn you, but if you touch a part of the drone’s frame after landing and it feels hot, all is not well with the drone motor. This is because the frame of a drone is conductive and therefore if there is some heat coming from the drone motor, it will heat up.

What to do

The best action to take in such an event is to check on the wiring. This is because the motor phase wires could be touching the drone frames and conducting the heat from the overheated drone motor. However, this process can be very meticulous and takes a lot of time, so make sure you have plenty of time before you begin. 

5. Drone motor failure #

This is the last problem that any drone owner would wish to encounter. Unfortunately, overheating can cause the drone motor to fail completely. If this occurs when your drone is flying, it will inevitably lose its stability and crash unless there is an emergency control plan.

What to do

If you are faced with a drone motor failure, the best thing to do is contact your drone or motor manufacturer. The other way out is getting a new motor for your drone. Depending on its altitude, an in-flight drone motor failure is certain to cause terminal damage.

Conclusion

We have discussed the common problems caused by drone motor overheating. Solving the problems associated with motor overheating is not an easy task. There are many viewpoints surrounding the problems and their solutions. However, if you take your time and dig into each of them well, you will get a solution for the particular issue at hand. Or a remedial action.

If the problem is beyond your capacity, consider reaching out to a drone motor expert or your manufacturer. Alternatively, you might have to replace the drone motor by getting a new one if the problem is not solvable.