Raspberry PI 3 - Overheating


 
K

KevinE

New member
A little backdrop. I built a 4.3 about a month ago and paired with a PI 3. Worked great on my first try (I have a failed 4.2 build in my past). Used it for a 3 or 4 cooks and worked fine with the exception that every now and again it would drop wifi. This weekend an build another 4.3 but with a thermocouple. Got it working just fine except the blower wouldn't work (servo would though). Did some research, re-flowed some solder and got it working. Then I plugged in the thermocouple and and pit probe just to try it out. Thermocouple was reading about 10 degrees higher then the probes (probes were calibrated at boiling point). Thought I would just let it sit all night and see if things evened out. Next day, I noticed it was behaving very erratically. Long story short, I checked the temp of the cpu on the pi and it was 94c. So, it was rebooting itself due to temperature. Took the pi off that build and put it on the other 4.3 but same story (pi running very hot). I would watch it and after being plugged in about 10 minutes temperatures would just start to rise and wouldn't stop. I took the pi (model b) off the failed 4.2 and put in on the 4.3 with the thermocouple...working great. Got it up to 575 last night for some steaks and running a chuck roast right now since 6am (holding 250 just fine).

So, I'm thinking I toasted the pi somehow but not sure how (got another coming today). Any ideas? I don't want the fry the new one if there are things I should check first.

Love the Heatermeter and especially with the thermocouple. I routed it like Bryan did and it's completely out of the way. After the chuck roast is done, going to fire it up to 550 and do a couple pizzas. :D
 
After some further thought on this, I do remember at one point when putting the new one in the case (while it was running), I did accidentally push down on the PI too much to where the USB housing touched the lcd and caused the lcd backlight to turn off (and then back on when I lifted it back off). I thinking this might have caused something wacky to happen with the PI. I have the new one but have not put it in yet. I'll be careful to make sure it's off when putting in the case and that nothing is touching.
 
Yeah while the device is in the case there shouldn't be a problem because the LCD is held in place, but outside of the case there is a chance the LCD backlight power could contact the USB housing which can cause a variety of problems depending on which part "gives" first. Because most of my devices are never in a case, I put a piece of blue painters tape over the USB jacks to prevent this while I am doing testing.

Back to your issue, I do not know what would cause the Pi to overheat like that, especially if it is working until it overheats. I would think if the Pi were fried it would get hot but just not work ever. There's no telling what could happen if it stayed shorted to the LCD all night though.
 
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