Second ESC in two weeks. Two different RC's same burn pattern.
 

Was there anything inhibiting the free movement of the drive train during your test? What gearing were you running earlier that day? Did you add the capacitor to both ESCs?

did you leave the batteries hooked up when you walked away? i alway unhook them when i'm not running.

The drive train was moving free. No binding. I didn't run this earlier in the day but I have it geared at 72/14. No didn't add the extra capacitor to this one. On the first one I added the capacitor to the wires and not to the tabs and had run it for several days with no problems.

Both setups were running great prior to this. The front diff on the maxx was working, wasn't binding prior to me replaceing the pinion. It seems I had the wrong pinion for the ring gear. It was the clicking when you brake and sometime taking off so the mesh wasn't correct. On a side note if you have to run a RR pinion with the RR ring gear. They should mark the darn gear so you know it's RR and not a Fast Lane or maximizer gear. (If anyone gets one etch RR on your ring gear. Trust me.) If you didn't know that and mixed the three up it's difficult to figure out one from the other. It meshes fine until all that torque gets to it and the clicking starts again along witht the order for another RR pinion gear.

The batteries were connected at the time of the melt downs. It is just unfortunate that I wasn't standing there staring at it or working on another rc when it happened. Not that that would help me understand what was happening. But I could say I saw it happen.

Well, I am stumped. What batteries are you using? Initially I thought this happened when you were running it...but then I re-read your post more carefully. Its odd. I used to have that same controller and I never had such problems...but then I always unhooked my esc if I wasn't running. I say send them back into Novak.

Ok, shot in the dark, but here I go. Might the fact that the batteries being connected caused the internal bec to be on and possibly the steering servo to also be on and drawing power? I have had servos catch fire cause I left them on accidentally. Then the servo pulled too much from the internal bec and it cooked?

Using 2 2s2p lipos. I use True Rc 6400 or Maxamps 6000. The maxamps were connected at the time.

Yeah they are going back. Just found the two work orders from Novak from when the sent them to me. These were both remanufactured replacements for two previous esc I sent in. They have 120 day warrenty and today is 116 for the oldest one.

On the first two I sent in they were out of warrenty and I bought the replacements. But one of them I thermalled and it was my fault. The second one though had the same thing as this. But I driving it at the time it happened. I got about three blocks it stopped and smoke came out. That was stock emaxx with 7 cell nihms. DIfferent then what I got today. When I asked about it and what would make it happen I never got and answer from the tech about it. He was trying to help me with the thermal lock on the other one when I asked about it. Oh my..... The batteries were connected then too.:gasp: :lol:

The BEC drawing to much could be a possible reason with 4s. If you would have stated that was the reason I would believe it to be the reason. I know that even though the switch is off there can still be current drawn from the batteries. Enough to burn up an esc? There could be a problem with the internal BEC of them. The e-revo does have a high torgue servo the HS 5955tg. I just put a new Cirrus High torque servo in the maxx while I was waiting for new gears for the 5645 to show up. I think the first was was a hitec 645 but then agian that one was be driven and had 14 gp3300s connected up. I am sure I am not the only one that doesn't disconnect the batteries when they got to the bathroom or stop running the RC and BS with someone for 10 minutes. I'd have to were some depends on if I had to take the time to disconnect the batteries before I went. :lol:

I'd have to agree that it sounds like something to do with the BEC. Maybe BrianG can give you some insight on how to avoid this problem in the future...

What radio are you using??

I think Gee is becoming the new AAngel....

Radio is the Spektrum DX3R.

Hi Neil, what do you mean the new AAngel. Am i gonna have to do a search on that?

You think it's okay to leave the batteries plugged in if the car is on, but not moving? :lol: Man I am funny today.

The problem is with your radio. I had 2 customers that there Novak setup did the exact same thing. When I called Novak, the tech himself told me the same thing happened to him on a Synthesized radio. There is a glitch that the speedo does not recognize neutral and the speedo will get stuck sucking power, but not pushing it to the motor.

Now, the screwed up part of it was that both of the customers had there systems for over 120 days and they were out of warranty. Since they were running cheap radios at first, it was not a problem. But when they upgraded to a better radio system, that is when all of the problems started!! Novak acknowledged that the defect existed, but the tech had no hesitation to tell me that they would have to pay out of pocket to get it repaired as they would honor the repair!! This is why we do not deal with them anymore!!!

AND.....before someone asks, one unit was the older version running on a synthsized radio, the other was the "newer" spektrum version, on a Spektrum. GO FIGURE????:neutral:

Very interesting info. Personally, Spektrum and Novak are two companies that I would hesitate to deal with. I never really see the inovation at Novak, for my uses of rc anyway. And I have seen nothing but problems with Spektrum products.

I have had the most success with futaba radio gear, never had an issue with their products. I also use jr (same case as spektrum) and airtronics radio systems, and have not had any issues with them either. I have always used 75mhz fm, crystal and synthesized.

robinson ring gears are smooth on the back, easy to tell if its traxxas or not, traxxas has little indents on the back, smooth=like butter indents=traxxas crap

Wow, thats certainly useful info. Gee, AAngel is/was a guy on here who had the worst luck with just about any electrical RC related item- if he bought a motor, it blew, if he bought an esc, it toasted....

Im so glad I refuse to buy a good radio, my laser 6 is lowtech and awesome!

That is interesting about the radios. I was running a Futaba 3pm fs pro and the JR xs3 with novak xxtra's before and had only switched over to the new spektrum a few weeks ago. Hope these are approved through the warrenty. It's got me paranoid to even plug the batteries in now.

Whats the speedo? That an internal part of the esc?


Paralyzed - I'll take a look at the ring gear thanks. I know the older traxxas ring gears are easy due to the 2mm screw hole. Are the new traxxas ring gears a 3mm like the RR? Over time I have ended up with three different ring gears 1 was the RR, 1 from maximizer and the third was with the Fast Lane diff cupp. Those are the three I am not sure about al of my traxxas one are 2mm holes except for one I mod to 3mm. I can tell that one. Is the RR the only one that required a differnt pinion?

he complained about identifying ring gears earlier in the thread, it really was relative information, but thanks for the sarcasm suicideneil, i would have done the same:lol:

Thanks. I hope that AAngle doesn't stick to me. Not looking good now with a radio problem. I'm thinking about offing the Spektrum now that I got it and spending my xtra $ on receivers for all the RCs. That and my futaba just sold on e-bay. Still got the jr's and some xxtras though. That's a bummer I like the new radio. It would be to expensive to test it to see if it does it again. Unless anyone wants to volunteer an esc.

all stock traxxas ring gears are 2mm, maximizer made both a traxxas and robinson 3mm ring, "stock" robinson's are 2mm, the 3mm are for use with aluminum cups, like i said, robinsons are smooth on the back, easy to tell, and yes, only robinson ring gears need a different pinion, the teeth look sharper on a RR pinion and they are usually lighter in color, anything i didn't answer?

Thanks that good info to have Paralyzed. I know this might come as a shock, but I think Suicideneil wasn't being sacastic about the pinion. I actually think he was refering to the info about the new spektrum radio information. Shocker I know but it could happen.

As far as the problem with the esc burning up. Is this something that Spektrum is aware of? Trying to correct? Is this a problem that Novak needs to do something about? Whats a speedo?

Been using spektrum stuff since in first came out with no problems.
Using a DX3R with a novak HV and no problems so far but I've only run a few packs through it.
Can tell you one thing, the Novak HV is the slowest BL system I've ever seen.


Promod

Gee, you are quite right about what I was refering to.
A speedo is another term for a tight fitting bathing suit.
And how can a BL motor that revs at 50,000rpms+ be slow? :lol:

A HA! Speedo is not an internal part to the servo. It's another name for a the speed controller so the glitch would be in the speedo (aka esc). Right? Just trying give myself a little peace of mind. I don't want to keep think everytime I plug my batteries into the mm it's going to go up in smoke. It takes some of the fun out of this wondering if my mm esc is going to fry when I use the dx3r and plug my batts in.

Wish I didn't know about the AAngle thing now. The BEC that I got at the LHS quit working. Servo just twitch back and forth. Tried all three frame rates on the controller but still having some kinda siezure. They work with a battery pack. Maybe I should try and find the mechanical speed control I have around here.

Yes, speedo and speedy are just different names for speed controllers.
I like my DX3, no problems with it. No way would I go back to crystals. I've never tried using it with any novak stuff though.
What are you going to do with a mechanical speed controller?

Was just JK about the MCS cuz all the problems I 'm having with electrical stuffthe bec and speedos. That would be worst then going back to crystals.