Remote Control Car 1/10 controller and motor questions

[Julian]

So back before we adopted and we were DINKs (double income no kids) my neighbor and I would invest in all kinds of crazy things because money was (nearly) no object.

I built a Tamiya Corvette and per my neighbors advice (he was into them) put some nice contents into it. Now, years later, I pulled the car off the shelf as the neighbors kid was trash talking about how fast his RC car was...and I couldn't let that trash talk go unanswered! LOL

So to my surprise the car charged up and drove right off the garage shelf after a little cleaning. The racing tires were all dried up and falling apart, but I had 2 other backup sets, so I swapped one of the older crappier sets onto it.

PROBLEM--after racing for about 10 minutes the car just stopped. I thought the battery was dead, swapped in a new one and no go. I am suspecting the controller. After letting it sit for a day, I went back to it and it ran again for 5 minutes of hard running then stopped again.

Knowing very little about it, and having since moved 700 miles away from my expert neighbor I figured I'd give a shout out here to see who has an opinion on what might be wrong. I looked up the controller and it is $79 on Amazon --still expensive-I was expecting this things tech to be WAY out dated???---perhaps it is now so high because its an antique???

Here are some photos:

 

[Speedling]

Is there anyway you can find someone with some sort of a controller and test that it is the culprit?
Sounds like you need to find a hobby shop nearby.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Thermal cut off?

 

[Julian]

Talked to my old neighbor and he said it is likely the controller and he has 2 so he can swap them out if they over heat. Its an 8T Racing controller and we put in racing motors that really heat the controllers up. He added a bigger heat sink and fan to his.....

So I either need to get another controller or work on improving its heatsink. Or just run less time.....

He also said that these controllers haven't had much improvement....so their price is holding at 70-80.....I should get a radar gun to see how fast this car goes!

 

[Ronnie]

@Julian , I've got more electric rc cars laying around here than I care to admit and have to agree that it's your electronic speed controller that is causing you issues as your old neighbor has already told you. Here is a link to a page which explains esc's better.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/article_display.cfm?article_id=505

From a cost perspective it may be better to get a new esc / motor and possible battery combo from a place like tower hobbies.com or a new / used car altogether. Brushless system with a lipo battery if you have the need for speed.

Here is a link to a used hpi 1/10 scale that my son and I have a few of.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/tag/5906290327.html
$200ish used $400ish new.

Depends on what/if you are willing to spend to beat the neighbor's kid.

 

[djetok]

@Julian , I've got more electric rc cars laying around here than I care to admit and have to agree that it's your electronic speed controller that is causing you issues as your old neighbor has already told you. Here is a link to a page which explains esc's better.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/article_display.cfm?article_id=505

From a cost perspective it may be better to get a new esc / motor and possible battery combo from a place like tower hobbies.com or a new / used car altogether. Brushless system with a lipo battery if you have the need for speed.

Here is a link to a used hpi 1/10 scale that my son and I have a few of.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/tag/5906290327.html
$200ish used $400ish new.

Depends on what/if you are willing to spend to beat the neighbor's kid.

Oh gosh dont do it. I was in the same situation and had a lot. I messed up and got my son a traxxas brushless car and put it on novice settings. I turned it up when he wasn't around and it does every bit of the 65 to 70 as stated on the box. So I got back into the hobby and we both race our rc 10 b5ms at the indoor track. I will be building 2 b6m dirts after x mas..

 

[Julian]

Not quite as expensive a hobby as boating....but all those little parts do start to add up!

 

[djetok]

Not quite as expensive a hobby as boating....but all those little parts do start to add up!

true so very true

 

[DawgDaze]

Hi Julian! I know I'm kind of late in the game with your topic.
I have both gas and electric from cars, trucks, helicopters, planes, and even boats.
If it were me, the trouble can be in the controller OR the speed control, I would replace them BOTH.
The reason for this is, if you replace one without the other and the radio quits while in operation, your car will maintain it's speed and take off on you with no way to control it. I would replace both at the same time.

 

[Julian]

Hi Julian! I know I'm kind of late in the game with your topic.
I have both gas and electric from cars, trucks, helicopters, planes, and even boats.
If it were me, the trouble can be in the controller OR the speed control, I would replace them BOTH.
The reason for this is, if you replace one without the other and the radio quits while in operation, your car will maintain it's speed and take off on you with no way to control it. I would replace both at the same time.

I'm pretty sure it is the speed controller over heating as it works fine for a while then stops. If it were the RC it would be intermittent and sometimes happen when I start etc (at least that is my theory....