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Spark went for a swim!!

LunatikArts

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May 3, 2019
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40
Very good morning all!
I'm new to the forum and also a newbie Spark Pilot, so long story short, I purchased my Spark about a week ago and decided to take it for a spin..... while trying to do a very stupid shot above a pool it hit a cascade feature and went to the bottom (on my first flight). So after been sitting on rice for about 4 days I decided to try it out, put a new battery in, turned it on and I'm getting a Battery Signal Error.

I want to fully take it apart and see if there is any sulfate in the boards to clean it out but there are 2 screws with a white glue on them preventing me to do it. Can anyone help me on how to remove this glue out so that I can open it up?

Thanks!
 
Very good morning all!
I'm new to the forum and also a newbie Spark Pilot, so long story short, I purchased my Spark about a week ago and decided to take it for a spin..... while trying to do a very stupid shot above a pool it hit a cascade feature and went to the bottom (on my first flight). So after been sitting on rice for about 4 days I decided to try it out, put a new battery in, turned it on and I'm getting a Battery Signal Error.

I want to fully take it apart and see if there is any sulfate in the boards to clean it out but there are 2 screws with a white glue on them preventing me to do it. Can anyone help me on how to remove this glue out so that I can open it up?

Thanks!
That is some sort of silicone sealant that holds the screws in place. You can easily just pick it away with fine point tweezers. Really small fingers might do as well.

You will only get to see the top of the GPS, main flight controller and fan though. If you want to get to everything you would need to do some more disassembly. The gimbal and bottom sensors are not accessible until the flight controller is removed. Lots of small screws and thin ribbon cables.

With chlorine and other chemicals in a pool I would also be careful of any fogging/film that would build up on the downward sensors (only accessible with full disassembly). If they are not clear and clean, you will have issues flying it.
 
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That is some sort of silicone sealant that holds the screws in place. You can easily just pick it away with fine point tweezers. Really small fingers might do as well.

You will only get to see the top of the GPS, main flight controller and fan though. If you want to get to everything you would need to do some more disassembly. The gimbal and bottom sensors are not accessible until the flight controller is removed. Lots of small screws and thin ribbon cables.

With chlorine and other chemicals in a pool I would also be careful of any fogging/film that would build up on the downward sensors (only accessible with full disassembly). If they are not clear and clean, you will have issues flying it.


Thank you very much!
I will go ahead an try with a fine point tweezer, really appreciate your prompt response and definitely will took it further in disassembling to make sure it is free of fogging as well and nothing is built up between the boards due to the chlorine and other chemicals. Thank you very much for your help, hopefully it will fly again soon!
 
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Very good morning all!
I'm new to the forum and also a newbie Spark Pilot, so long story short, I purchased my Spark about a week ago and decided to take it for a spin..... while trying to do a very stupid shot above a pool it hit a cascade feature and went to the bottom (on my first flight). So after been sitting on rice for about 4 days I decided to try it out, put a new battery in, turned it on and I'm getting a Battery Signal Error.

I want to fully take it apart and see if there is any sulfate in the boards to clean it out but there are 2 screws with a white glue on them preventing me to do it. Can anyone help me on how to remove this glue out so that I can open it up?

Thanks!

FYI.
Removing the sealant on those screws may also serve as evidence that Spark has had an unauthorized repair (tamper-resistant). This may invalidate your warranty or eligibility for DJI Care. It is a widely held belief but not 100% verified.

Just something to consider before you crack it open and start poking around.

Your second flight should maybe be an open field with a DJI Care policy in your back pocket. I learned some flying lessons the hard way too -- don't get discouraged :)
 
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FYI.
Removing the sealant on those screws may also serve as evidence that Spark has had an unauthorized repair (tamper-resistant). This may invalidate your warranty or eligibility for DJI Care. It is a widely held belief but not 100% verified.

Just something to consider before you crack it open and start poking around.

Your second flight should maybe be an open field with a DJI Care policy in your back pocket. I learned some flying lessons the hard way too -- don't get discouraged :)
After taking a dip in a swimming pool, the factory warranty is void anyway so there's no issue there.

The OP did not mention anything about having additional DJI Care Refresh coverage. If he has such coverage then that would likely be the best approach. Even if the drone is opened by the OP, there is nothing in the DJI Care Refresh Terms that would negate the coverage.
 
After taking a dip in a swimming pool, the factory warranty is void anyway so there's no issue there.

The OP did not mention anything about having additional DJI Care Refresh coverage. If he has such coverage then that would likely be the best approach. Even if the drone is opened by the OP, there is nothing in the DJI Care Refresh Terms that would negate the coverage.

Yes. I'm hoping he had the forethought to get DJI Care -- then he'd have no reason to take it apart. Just send it in

I was gently encouraging him to get the coverage once it's up and running again.

The tamper-resistant coating over the screws is more applicable to warranty work. Many have cautioned against removing it but yet to hear of a denied claim. Just general information to consider FWIW
 
FYI.
Removing the sealant on those screws may also serve as evidence that Spark has had an unauthorized repair (tamper-resistant). This may invalidate your warranty or eligibility for DJI Care. It is a widely held belief but not 100% verified.

Just something to consider before you crack it open and start poking around.

Your second flight should maybe be an open field with a DJI Care policy in your back pocket. I learned some flying lessons the hard way too -- don't get discouraged :)

Lol Thank you very much for the reply!, the moment I saw it going for the pool I said....there goes my warranty. I will definitely stay away from pools and beaches for a while now until I get better at flying, hopefully I'm getting my Spark back alive....I'm literally trying to pick the little rubber thing out of the screws now.
 
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After taking a dip in a swimming pool, the factory warranty is void anyway so there's no issue there.

The OP did not mention anything about having additional DJI Care Refresh coverage. If he has such coverage then that would likely be the best approach. Even if the drone is opened by the OP, there is nothing in the DJI Care Refresh Terms that would negate the coverage.

Nope, no Refresh / DJI Care and I am also waaaay too far in the fields, mi closest city is about 350klm away where I believe DJI has an authorized center and to be honest, I'm not driving or sending it back, I'm taking this one as the one for the autopsy, it will teach me how to repair my next one or at least give me spares for it. Where I am located is probably the best to do as I have the feeling it won't be the last time. lol
 
Yes. I'm hoping he had the forethought to get DJI Care -- then he'd have no reason to take it apart. Just send it in

I was gently encouraging him to get the coverage once it's up and running again.

The tamper-resistant coating over the screws is more applicable to warranty work. Many have cautioned against removing it but yet to hear of a denied claim. Just general information to consider FWIW

Thank you very much for your advises, for sure it's something I will be considering the next time. I just thought they would give me a hard time knowing it went down in a pool with chlorine and other chemicals.... and prob tell me to get a new one.
 
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Thank you very much!
I will go ahead an try with a fine point tweezer, really appreciate your prompt response and definitely will took it further in disassembling to make sure it is free of fogging as well and nothing is built up between the boards due to the chlorine and other chemicals. Thank you very much for your help, hopefully it will fly again soon!
I had similar problem, stripped it down and removed boards, cleaned all connections with ear bud and benzine, allowed to dry out completely. Reassembled and problem was solved. A day later I got a GPS fault (navigation error check redundancy) grounded again.
 
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I had similar problem, stripped it down and removed boards, cleaned all connections with ear bud and benzine, allowed to dry out completely. Reassembled and problem was solved. A day later I got a GPS fault (navigation error check redundancy) grounded again.
Ps. I used a good quality electronic oil free cleaner to flush boards.
 
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HI guys, I'm finding it very difficult to put back the connection ribbons from the body shell to motherboard again, I thought they would snap into place the same way the she'll up while disassembling.
 
These are the ribbons I am talking about. Do you hold them in place with the glue alone or are they supposed to snap into place first, they glue them as a security measure and prevent a disconnection upon crashing or while flying and keep system working? Thanks
 

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These are the ribbons I am talking about. Do you hold them in place with the glue alone or are they supposed to snap into place first, they glue them as a security measure and prevent a disconnection upon crashing or while flying and keep system working? Thanks
I found they clip in but you have to line them up carefully and press firmly into place. Don't think glue is necessary.
 
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These are the ribbons I am talking about. Do you hold them in place with the glue alone or are they supposed to snap into place first, they glue them as a security measure and prevent a disconnection upon crashing or while flying and keep system working? Thanks


Here's a short video of a Spark tear down.



At 3:57 he is removing the power and WiFi connections, nothing special there.

At 4:57 he is removing the motherboard wires and does mention taking care and regluing the wires.

Longer and more detailed videos can be found of the RC and Spark teardowns, but this one is short and sweet.

Good luck. :)
 

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