I notice that many people are searching about different DJI Phantom 3 problems. So I thought that it would be helpful if I could write an article about those Phantom 3 issues. Then I went through many DJI forums and collected the most common and fixable issues.
So in this article let’s see what are the common problems with DJI Phantom 3 and how to fix it. Hopefully, this article would help you to fix your DJI Phantom 3 issue.
Common Problems With DJI Phantom 3 / Advanced / Professional.
- Problem 1: DJI Phantom 3 not connecting to the controller.
- Problem 2: DJI Phantom 3 not taking off.
- Problem 3: DJI Phantom 3 not turning on.
- Problem 4: DJI Phantom 3 not updating firmware.
- Problem 5: DJI Phantom 3 keeps beeping.
- Problem 6: DJI Phantom 3 will not calibrate.
- Problem 7: DJI Phantom 3 not connecting to phone/wifi.
- Problem 8: DJI Phantom 3 wifi not showing.
- Problem 9: DJI Phantom 3 not charging.
- Problem 10: DJI Phantom 3 not stable.
- Problem 11: DJI Phantom 3 not reading SD card.
- Problem 12: DJI Phantom 3 not recording.
- Problem 13: DJI Phantom 3 keeps disconnecting
- Problem 14: DJI Phantom 3 app (DJI GO) not working.
- Problem 15: DJI Phantom 3 app not working
Problem 1: DJI Phantom 3 not turning on.
Most of the time, DJI Phantom 3 refuses to turn on when it detects harmful temperatures and environments which could damage battery cells. Also, the Phantom 3 wouldn’t be able to turn on if the battery is faulty, outdated battery firmware and firmware glitches.
Solutions.
- If the Phantom 3 battery is warm, leave it in airflow or open area to cool.
- Update DJI Phantom 3 firmware while keeping the battery inside. Read how to update DJI drone firmware.
- Check whether the Phantom 3’s battery has gone into hibernation mode. If the Phantom 3 battery indicators are red, the battery might have gone into hibernation mode. Power on the battery and wait until the LEDs disappear. Then connect the battery to the charger and plug it. Leave the battery in the charge for a few hours to come out from hibernation mode and charge.
- Replace the battery. If you notice swelling, damage, or a leak in the battery, it might be the time to replace it. Also if the battery has reached 300 – 500 full charging cycles, it’s better to try this option.
Read Detailed Article: Why drone won’t turn on and how to fix it.
Problem 2: DJI Phantom 3 not taking off.
Usually, Phantom 3 won’t take off due to unpaired Phantom 3 aircraft, miscalibrated IMU or compass, and geofenced areas/no-fly zones. If the Phantom 3 won’t take off even if its propellers are spinning, check whether you have installed it in the proper pattern.
Solutions.
- If the Phantom 3 Aircraft indicators blink yellow, the aircraft has unlinked from the controller. Open the DJI GO app and link/pair the controller to the Phantom 3 aircraft.
- Update DJI Phantom 3 Firmware.
- Calibrate Phantom 3 IMU and Compass. When the Phantom 3 system detects IMU or compass it would refuse to take off. Read How to Calibrate IMU and compass.
- Install propellers in the proper pattern. As I said before if the aircraft is unable to take off even though its propellers are spinning, you have installed the propellers in a wrong pattern.
- Check whether you are in beginner mode and have no GPS. If the Phantom 3 is on Beginner mode it requires GPS signals to take off. So if there are no sufficient GPS signals or satellites, it refuses to take off. Go to the main controller settings and turn beginner mode off.
- Check whether you are in a Geofenced area. Open the DJI GO app and check whether the app notifies you that the Phantom 3 aircraft is in a geofenced area/no-fly zone. If it is, you would be able to take off after giving the required information to the DJI GO app and unlock it.
Read Detailed Article: Why drone not taking off and how to fix it.
Problem 3: DJI Phantom 3 not connecting to the controller.
In most cases, DJI Phantom 3 won’t connect to the controller because of insufficient battery power, outdated firmware, and unpaired Phantom 3 aircraft. Also if you have installed different firmware on the Phantom 3 aircraft and controller, they won’t connect together you might face this kind of issue.
Solutions.
- If the Phantom 3 aircraft indicators blink yellow quickly, the Aircraft has unpaired from the controller. So the controller needs to be paired to the aircraft before connecting. Open the DJI GO app and go to the menu and remote controller settings. Then scroll to the bottom and click the “Linking RC” button. choose “Primary remote controller” if asked. Then the controller will start beeping. Then you have to get a pin or screwdriver and press the button near the LED of the drone. Wait until the pairing process is done successfully. Then Phantom 3 will be connected to the controller automatically.
- If you replaced the Phantom 3 controller or the aircraft, pair them first.
- Charge DJI Phantom 3 aircraft and remote controller to a sufficient level. Sufficient battery power is so important to connect not only drones but also every wireless device that works with radio signals.
- Keep both Phantom 3 aircraft and controller in an equal firmware update. If you don’t keep an equal version of firmware in your Phantom 3 aircraft and controller, they won’t connect.
- Update DJI Phantom 3 Aircraft and controller Firmware. Read how to update DJI Phantom 3 firmware.
Read Detailed Article: Why Drone not connecting to the controller and how to fix it.
Problem 4: DJI Phantom 3 not updating firmware.
In most cases, DJI Phantom 3 not update the firmware because of the user rebooting the aircraft before the updating process is done. Also this cause to keep beeping the Aircraft. Follow the below steps to update DJI Phantom 3 firmware properly.
- GO to DJI’s official website and download phantom 3 firmware.
- Then copy the downloaded bin file to phantom’s SD card.
- Insert the SD card into the phantom.
- Then turn on the drone.
- Wait a little bit while beeping, and the drone will change the rhythm and start updating firmware.
- Don’t turn off the process until the LED indicator flashes solid green.
- Once the LED indicator flashes green, the updating firmware is completed.
- Turn off the drone.
- Insert the SD card back to the PC and open the txt file in the SD card.
- If the firmware status field shows successful, you are ok.
- Turn on the drone again, and check whether it’s beeping.
Problem 5: DJI Phantom 3 keeps beeping.
In most cases, the DJI Phantom 3 keeps beeping after the firmware update because of firmware update failure. Most of the time Firmware update failures are caused by the user rebooting the Phantom 3 before the firmware update process is done.
Solution.
- Wait until the update process is done. Download the latest firmware from the DJI and wait until the drone LED indicator turns solid green to reboot the drone.
Problem 6: DJI Phantom 3 won’t calibrate.
Usually, DJI Phantom 3 is unable or refuses to calibrate because of electromagnetic interference, insufficient battery power, outdated firmware, and improper environment.
Solutions.
- Charge the battery to a sufficient level (above 50%) before calibration. When the Phantom 3 system detects low battery power, it would refuse to calibrate.
- Update DJI Phantom 3 firmware. Read this how to update DJI drone firmware article to figure out how to update DJI drone firmware properly.
- Calibrate the drone on a flat surface. The calibration process needs to perform on a flat surface.
- Bring the calibration process outdoors. Vist an open wide area away from powerlines, communication towers, huge buildings, or any electromagnetic interferences to calibrate the Phantom 3.
- Check whether you are calibrating the drone properly. Read DJI Drone IMU & Compass Calibration article to figure out how to calibrate DJI drone in-depth.
Read the Detailed Article: Why Drone won’t calibrate and how to fix it.
Problem 7: DJI Phantom 3 not connecting to wifi /phone.
Most of the time, DJI Phantom 3 won’t connect to DJI GO app because of wifi connection issues, DJI GO mobile application issues, incompatible mobile devices and outdated Phantom 3 firmware.
Solutions.
- Check whether the mobile device is compatible with the DJI GO app.
- Clear the DJI GO app cache data and app data.
- Update DJI GO app. Uninstall the current DJI GO app installed o your phone and go to the DJI Download center and download the latest DJI GO app and install it.
- Update DJI Phantom 3 firmware.
- Reset DJI Phantom 3 Settings. Press and hold the power button for 9 seconds until you hear a beep three times. and wait until the process is done. The Phantom 3 aircraft indicators would flash green.
Read the Detailed Article: Why drone not connecting to Wifi.
Problem 8: DJI Phantom 3 wifi not showing.
Usually, the DJI Phantom 3 wifi not showing up because of glitches with aircraft wifi settings, outdated firmware, and mobile device’s wifi settings. In many cases, mobile wifi settings are the reason for the issue. So it’s advisable to give more attention to the mobile device side rather than the Phantom 3 aircraft to solve this issue.
Solutions.
- Turn on airplane mode and turn it off.
- Enable Networking and Wireless option. Go to Settings, Privacy, Location Services, and system services on your device. Then enable the networking and wireless option. If it’s already enabled, disable it and enable it again.
- Reset network settings. Go to Settings, General and Transfer or reset iPhone. Then click on reset and choose “Reset Network Settings”. It would clear all the custom or modified network settings and back to default settings. If it doesn’t help with your issue, choose “Reset All Settings” and reset all settings instead of just resetting network settings. Because there might be other settings that affect network settings.
- Reset DJI Phantom 3 Aircraft. To reset the Phantom 3, press and hold the power button for 9 seconds until you hear a beep three times, and wait until the process is done.
- Update DJI Phantom 3 firmware.
- Try with another device.
Read the Detailed Article: Why Drone Wifi not showing up and how to fix it.
Problem 9: DJI Phantom 3 not charging.
Most of the time, DJI Phantom 3 battery won’t charge because of higher or lower input amperage or voltage to the battery. Besides that, faulty chargers, faulty batteries, outdated firmware, hibernation mode, and improper temperature could cause the same issue.
Solutions.
- Plug the charger into a power outlet with the required voltage and amperage. Usually, the DJI battery charger voltage is around 100 – 240 V and the amperage is 1.4 A.
- Check whether the charger is Faulty or broken. Check whether the output amperage and voltage of the charger satisfy the requirements.
- Update DJI Phantom 3 Battery Firmware. Insert the glitched battery inside the aircraft and upgrade the firmware.
- Check whether the battery has gone into hibernation mode. If you stored the battery for a long time and the indication LEDs of the battery flashes solid red, the battery might have gone into hibernation mode. To kick the battery out from the hibernation mode, turn on the battery and wait until (about five minutes) the solid red light goes off. Then connect the battery to the charger and leave it for a few hours to come out from the hibernation mode.
- If the Phantom 3 battery is warm, leave it an airflow to cool.
- Replace the battery if you notice damage, swelling, or leak.
Read Detailed Article: Why drone not charging and how to fix it.
Problem 10: DJI Phantom 3 not stable.
In most cases, the DJI Phantom 3 won’t fly stable because of miscalibrated Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), or the compass. Other than that, Electromagnetic interference, malfunctioning motors, and distorted propellers can unstable the drone.
Solutions.
- Avoid Electromagnetic disturbance. Fly the Phantom 3 away from powerlines, communication towers, huge buildings, or any other electromagnetic interferences.
- Check Phantom 3 propellers. Check whether propellers are installed in the right order. Also, inspect whether some propellers are distorted. If propellers are distorted, replace the propeller set with the new Phantom 3 propeller set.
- Calibrate Phantom 3 IMU & Compass. well calibrated IMU and compass are the key elements for a stable flight. Read How to Calibrate DJI IMU & Compass.
- Update DJI Phantom 3 Firmware.
Read Detailed Article: Why drone won’t stay still and how to fix it.
Problem 11: DJI Phantom 3 not reading the SD card.
In most cases, DJI Phantom 3 won’t recognize the SD card because of invalid file format on the SD card, incompatible SD card, firmware issues, malware, and corrupted SD cards.
Solutions.
- Check whether the SD card is compatible with the DJI Phantom 3. Visit the DJI Phantom 3 Product Info page and check if the SD card is listed as a supported SD card.
- Repair the SD card using Windows Command Prompt. Connect the SD card to the PC using an adaptor and open the command prompt. Then type “chkdsk” and leave a space and specify the SD card driver letter (Ex: chkdsk D). and hit enter. After that, you’ll have to wait patiently until the process is done. Once the process is finished, your SD card should be fixed and ready to go.
- Format the SD card.
- Scan the SD card using antivirus software.
- Update DJI Phantom 3 firmware.
Read Detailed Article: Why drone not recognizing SD card and how to fix it.
Problem 12: DJI Phantom 3 not recording.
Most of the time, DJI Phantom 3 is unable to record video because of invalid file SD card format, DJI Phantom 3 firmware issues, and Viruses & Malware.
Solutions.
- Update DJI Phantom 3 Firmware.
- Perform disk partition and file system change using MiniTool Partition Wizard. Read the Detailed article to find out how to perform disk partition and file system change using MiniTool Partition Wizard.
- Repair the SD card using Windows Command Prompt. Connect the SD card to the PC using an adaptor and open the command prompt. Then type “chkdsk” and leave a space and specify the SD card driver letter (Ex: chkdsk D). and hit enter. After that, you’ll have to wait patiently until the process is done. Once the process is finished, your SD card should be fixed and ready to go.
- Format the SD card.
- Scan the SD card using an antivirus program.
Read Detailed Article: Why drone not recording to the SD card and how to fix it
Problem 13: DJI Phantom 3 keeps disconnecting.
Usually, DJI Phantom 3 keeps disconnecting from the controller because of high levels of electromagnetic interference, crowded or poor signals, low battery power, and outdated/glitched Phantom 3 firmware.
Solutions.
- Avoid Electromagnetic interference. Electromagnetic environments can cause losing the connection between the drone and the controller. Especially near the power lines and power towers.
- Face sides of antennas toward the drone. This fact would ease the aircraft to receive radio signals.
- Update Phantom 3 firmware.
- Change the channel from 2.4 Gz to a less crowded channel. Open the DJI GO app and go to the “Wifi Settings” section of the app. Then Change the channel mode to 2.4 GHz to desired channel frequency.
Read the Detailed Article: Why Drone keeps disconnecting from the controller.
Problem 14: DJI Phantom 3 app (DJI GO) not working.
In most cases, the DJI GO app not working and responding because of application problems or installing an Apk file with glitches. Also if your smart device is incompatible with the App, it could also cause this issue.
Solutions.
- Check your smartphone is compatible with the DJI app. Your smartphone or tablet needs to satisfy the requirements to run the DJI application without any issue. The version of your device is so important for running apps. If you are an Android user, go to “Settings” > “System” and System update and check the android version of your device. Your device’s android version needs to be Android 5.0 or above to run the DJI app successfully.
- Download the original APK file from the DJI Download Center. If you are an iOS user, download the DJI app only from the Appstore. Because officially release their applications to Appstore. For android users, uninstall the current app and head DJI Downloads Center. Then download and install the latest DJI GO app to android.
Read the Detailed Article: Why DJI GO app not working or responding.
Problem 15: DJI Phantom 3 GPS not working.
In most cases, DJI Phantom 3 GPS not working because of the outdated DJI GO app, poor internet connection, and environmental interferences.
Solutions.
- Connect to a strong internet connection.
- Visit open area away from powerlines, huge buildings, dense wood, and other environmental interference to GPS signals.
- Update DJI GO app if it’s outdated.
- Try with another device.
Read the Detailed Article: Why Drone not connecting to GPS and how to fix it.
