Troubleshooting your RC car can be tough, so I am going to explain common issues you need to look out for, and how to fix them. The idea is to sae you money and time. Read on for more info.<\/p>\n
What are the main things that can go wrong with your RC Car? Simple things are usually the problems in an RC car. Stuff like on\/off switches, batteries, fuel, transmitter, and frequencies, antennas, servos, wiring, gears or a broken steering arms can go wrong, but they can also be fixed.<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s also a great idea to join an RC car club so you can take advantage of their expertise in repairing and troubleshooting RC vehicles. Keep the box and instructions to the car.<\/p>\n These instructions can show you how to troubleshoot your RC car. Have the address of where you can return the car. Returning your RC car might be a last-ditch solution, but if you need to return your car for repairs, you do need the proper address.<\/p>\n In this article you I will explain how you can troubleshoot the most common issues to help saving you some time, money and headache.<\/p>\n Things can go wrong with an RC vehicle, even if you choose the best RC car<\/a> from batteries to radio interference. If you know the batteries<\/a> in the vehicle are good, and you have turned on the on switches and nothing happens, there are a few things you can check and repair yourself.<\/p>\n Check out the basics even if you did so a few days ago. Look at the antennas and make sure your vehicle is on the right frequency. If everything checks out, then you might need to go a little deeper into the problem.<\/p>\n If you hear a noise when your RC is running, and the sound is a crunching or grinding noise<\/a> when using the throttle, you might have a slipped pinon gear. You can replace gears if they are stripped or re-mesh them. Order replacement parts from the company or visit your local hobby store.<\/p>\n If there is no noise when trying to steer your car, you may have a loose wire. Trace the wires that come out of the motor and look for broken wires or loose connections. If nothing works, it is possible you have a bad motor that needs replacing.<\/p>\n Look at the on and off switches. It could be embarrassing to find that the problem your RC car is not running, is because the RC car and the transmitter is turned off. You might notice on some RC cars you must use a flashlight to check if the switch is on or off.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be embarrassed; this is a common problem. Check the switches first and turn the switch on. If this doesn\u2019t work, you may need to check out the switch itself.\u00a0 Make sure your RC car switch is turned off before you work inside your car.<\/p>\n Batteries are a common problem. Battery problems can be the reason your RC car is running sluggish or doesn\u2019t run. For batteries not charging, in electric, nitro or other RC cars, your batteries are most likely defective and will need to be replaced. There are also several things you can do to troubleshoot this problem before you go out and purchase new batteries.<\/p>\n Make sure fuel is not old and dirty. If you have an RC car that uses nitro, it can be very finicky. Don\u2019t work on the engine before you first examine your fuel reservoir. Is the fuel fresh or do you even have fuel? Check for kinks that could happen in the tube that transfers the fuel. Check the entire fuel system. It does take time, but it is easy to check for kinks and loose connections.<\/p>\n You can also check the glow plug to make sure it is working. Take out the plug and put igniter on it. It should turn a bright orange. You can also check for low and high-speed idle screw settings and reset them. You can also take it to a dealer to discover what you are doing wrong.<\/p>\n Look at your antennas. Your RC car may have an antenna that telescopes on the RC car or the transmitter. Make sure it is fully extended. Sometimes, an antenna that is no fully extended keeps your car from running correctly. A lowered antenna could limit your range or cause the vehicle to run erratically.<\/p>\n Check the receiver antenna on your car to make sure it is properly installed. Check for twists or broken parts. You also need to make sure it is touching metal parts inside the vehicle and not dragging on the ground.<\/p>\n Are your transmitter and frequencies aligned?\u00a0 Do you own several RC cars in your collection?\u00a0 You might mix up the transmitters or have unaligned frequencies. Make sure you are using the right transmitter.<\/p>\n Purchasing your RC vehicle from someone else may give you transmitter problems. For example, you may have a transmitter that doesn\u2019t go to your RC car.\u00a0 Check the frequency sticker on the RC car it\u2019s usually on the car\u2019s bottom \u2013 maybe near the batter compartment or around the on and off adjustment.)<\/p>\n Your RC car and transmitter should have the same frequencies. If a transmitter doesn\u2019t match the car, you may need to purchase the correct transmitter.<\/p>\n Are you driving around a hobby-grade RC car? Make sure the crystals in the transmitter and receiver match. If they don\u2019t match you might need to switch them out.<\/p>\n Manage your servos<\/a>. Servos are electronic devices used to operate RC cars, electronic toys, and electrical appliances. They determine the motion directions.<\/p>\n To put it simply, a servo contains a DC motor, circuit, gear train, output shaft, and potentiometer. They function based on the waves of pulses send by a command from a transmitter. These pulses create mechanical motion.<\/p>\n An example of a servo in an RC car is the mechanism used to adjust the levers back and forth and control the speed of a radio control car by connecting it to the engine throttle.<\/p>\n Signs that the problem is in the servos is if the RC vehicle doesn\u2019t respond to all the orders coming out of the transmitter. Your wheels might turn, but your car won\u2019t go forward.<\/p>\n Unplug the servos and replug them to another receiver that is running. Match the frequencies. If your car still doesn\u2019t respond, then you may need to replace or repair your servos.<\/p>\n Shaking servos may mean low battery power. If your servos drop below 4.8 volts, you will need to change the batteries. Use rechargeable batteries if you have problems with shaking servos.<\/p>\n Changing the servos could be a tricky job. If you don\u2019t feel comfortable working on insides of your RC vehicle, take your Remote Control car to the place you purchased your RC car. Your local RC club could also help you out.<\/p>\n Steering servos are important. If your steering is not working, you can unplug the steering servo and the throttle servo from the receiver. Try switching their plug positions and check if they have exchanged functions \u2013 this can happen.<\/p>\n You will need to identify if the problem is the steering servo or the steering assembly. Make sure the steering is not too stiff. You can disconnect the steering from the steering servo by removing one screw that holds the horn and check if you can move the steering by hand.<\/p>\n There can be steering problems on your RC car. Most of the time it is your steering servo for servomechanism. You steering servo tells your RC car just about everything. If your steering quality is off, you may need to ensure you have the right servo and servo horn.<\/p>\n Wiring is essential; check it out. Broken or loose wires can cause many problems in your RC car. If the steering is working and the vehicle doesn\u2019t move, there might be a wire that has come wobbly at the steering servo.<\/p>\n You may find that your car isn\u2019t getting any power and you just changed the batteries, you might have a loose connection from the battery compartment or pack that\u2019s causing the problems.<\/p>\n Reattaching unsteady connections, and soldering wires might repair the wiring problems. If you are unsure about soldering wires, your hobby shop or RC car repair technician can help.<\/p>\n Gears in an RC car act like the gears in your \u201cbig\u201d car. It is possible to have slipped gear on your RC vehicle. Slipped gears keep your vehicle from going forward or backward.\u00a0 If the gears are not stripped, they need not be replaced.<\/p>\n The pinion gear might need tightening or lined up to the spur gear. If your RC vehicle is making grinding noises and won\u2019t move, it is probably a gear problem. If you are expert in the repairs of your RC car, check out the gears. However, if you are unsure about the issues take it to a professional for repair work on gears.<\/p>\n Make sure your controls are in the correct position. Sometimes controls get reversed. You need to check the settings of your transmitter first. Switch the controls back to normal, and that should fix the problem.<\/p>\n The steering arm. Your RC car may run okay, but it vibrates when you drive it. It might have a broken steering arm. Check inside the car for a narrow piece of plastic similar to tie rods positioned on a full-size car.<\/p>\n The rod will be close to the front tires. If one is broken, you might swap it out with a stiff wire piece. You can also get replacement wires from your local RC car hobby shop.<\/p>\n The wheels on your RC car are what drives the car over terrains.\u00a0 If your wheels seem to spin in opposite directions, don\u2019t worry. Rotating in opposite directions isn\u2019t a problem since wheels turn in a different direction when you spin them. Mot RC cars have a differential that makes wheels turn and go around corners.<\/p>\n Some RC cars have tires that fall off the rims. Put a bead of glue on them to keep the inserts inside the rims. Gluing the tire to the rim will prevent it from falling off.<\/p>\n RC cars have shocks and if they leak this could is a problem. Shocks often leak due to extreme pressure caused by expansion of the air due to heat. If shocks leak a small amount, that\u2019s okay. If it\u2019s leaking excessively, you might need to replace and rebuild the shocks.<\/p>\n Radio control does not work. If you run a nitro or an electric car, there is little difference in the troubleshooting processes. Make sure the aerials are not damaged, extended and screwed in correctly.<\/p>\n Check the batteries and makes sure they are charged. Keep the proper number of batteries in the transmitter and in the car. Make sure the transmitter aerial fits tightly but not too tight.<\/p>\n If you have an overtightened aerial, that could lead to a loose mounting screw in the transmitter. Undo the plugs in the receiver plus in the transmitter put them back in making sure they are secured correctly.<\/p>\n Scary! Your engine is smoking.\u00a0 If your motor is running hot, you may see smoke coming out of your motor. The fix is to keep your temperature under control. Avoid resistance on the RC car.<\/p>\n Check for dirt in the engine. If there is dirt in the engine, remove the bell housing and clean it out. Use an air compressor or other methylated substance. Be careful.<\/p>\n Listen to the transmission. One of the costliest things on your RC car to repair is the transmission. Diagnosing the problem may man taking out the entire transmission and disassembling it. If you can go into reverse, you may have internal damage to your transmission.<\/p>\n It would be best to take it to a hobby shop for a professional to repair the transmission. Or, you may need to purchase a new RC car.<\/p>\nTroubleshooting your RC Vehicle<\/h2>\n
Switches<\/h3>\n
Batteries<\/h2>\n
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Fuel<\/h3>\n
Antennas<\/h3>\n
Transmitter and Frequencies<\/h3>\n
Servos<\/h3>\n
Steering Servos<\/h3>\n
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Wiring<\/h3>\n
Gears<\/h3>\n
Controls<\/h3>\n
Steering Arm<\/h3>\n
Tires<\/h3>\n
Shocks<\/h3>\n
Radio Control<\/h3>\n
Smoking Engine<\/h3>\n
Transmission<\/h3>\n
Related Questions:<\/h2>\n