Mavic air won’t turn on- 3 ways to fix it
Three months after I bought my Mavic air, it wouldn’t turn on and after reading some forums and doing some research on the internet I have noticed it is a common issue so I decided to write this article to show how I fixed it.
The procedures I demonstrate in this article have been effective for some and not for some, if none of them work for you I will show you how you can get it fixed by DJI or another 3rd party professional.
But first If you are a beginner or if you have no prior experience with DJI drones the problem your Mavic air is having might be as simple as not turning it on properly so follow this-
- Quickly press and release the button on the battery.
- Press and hold it again for three seconds or until the LED light truns green.
Why is your Mavic air not turning on
There might be several reasons why your Mavic air is not turning on, from charging problems to the motherboard, but first let me tell you why Mavic air was not turning on-
I already have several other drones from DJI which I have been using for a long time and I added Mavic air to the collection however it stopped working after about 4 months of use I contacted DJI, I had DJI CARE and so they asked me to ship it to them and this is how it went-
2 days after I shipped the drone they told me the motherboard is blown and it would have cost me $250 if I didn’t have DJI care which is insane for a $600 drone.
They told me it will take about 10 days to get it fixed and it to 12 days to get mine fixed from the day I contacted them to the day they shipped it back.
Note: It can take months if you live outside united states
If you bought your Mavic air from a physical store you might have the process can be completely different and they may or may not charge you.
I also have seen some Mavic air that doesn’t work the moment it is bought. In that case, you don’t need to have a DJI care DJI will fix it for you free of charge.
If you have been using the drone for a long time and you have no DJI care I recommend you contact local drone shops they will do it cheaper and faster.
Identifying the problem
There are several reasons why your Mavic air is not turning on, I have tried to list what is it more likely to be however I am not a professional by any means but i hope it can assist you a bit.
If you had water damage or a crash this will not be useful you should get it fixed by a professional.
Faulty Battery or charger
A faulty battery, charger, or charging port is a common issue and it is also an easy fix so if this is the problem good for you.
Press the button on the battery once and quickly release it, if the led lights start flashing it means the battery is functional. however, If the lights are not flashing, the battery may need to be replaced with a new one.
If the battery is faulty you can buy a new battery from amazon or eBay and replace it with a new one don’t forget to discard the old battery properly.
However, before deciding to change the battery, Ensure the battery is charged for at least one hour before because it can also be the charger that is not working so before replacing the battery make sure the charger works.
If the charger is the problem it is even easier and cheaper.
In some rare cases, it can be the port on the drone is covered with dust so clean it with alcohol carefully.
Faulty wires or motherbaord
A motherboard is basically what controls the entire drone, so if the motherboard is the problem it is going to be expensive and hard to fix, and depending on the condition I recommend getting a new drone instead.
if your Mavic air has a faulty wire or a faulty motherboard it needs professional engineers to fix it, they can ask you from $200 up to $500 for it, that is why I said getting a new drone is better.
Faulty power distrbution board
A power distribution board is a printed circuit board that is used to distribute the power from your battery to all different components of the drone
If the battery is ok and the drone still doesn’t power up there is a possibility it has a faulty power distribution board, if you are good with electronics you can buy another power distribution board for a very cheap price and swap, if not any local electronic shop can do that for you.
Connection problems
Sometimes connection problems will lead you to think the drone is not working, so follow this
- Pressing the LED light on the front for three seconds, or until you hear a beeping sound
- If you hear a beeping sound it means your drone works it is just the LED light that is not working.
By pressing the button you will reset the wifi and the drone will boot it again, so you will have to connect it with your phone again.
