new set up with battery smoke
 

I have a new set up, and I am new at this. E-Maxx - 12020, 8xl, UBEC, stock receiver and servos. I must preface that I have cheap batteries - 3000 NIHI that were $15 a 6C stick. And they are cheap - I tried to dismantle one and practice by using deans connectors - but it was basically 2 tubes with paper thin connectors and I couldn't do it.

I am pretty sure the set up is right. All the neg and pos are in line as all the helpful instructions state.

2 sec after connecting the connectors in the batteries began to smoke and shorted out - the was NO heat or smoke in the controller, UBEC or motor.

My guess and hope is that more energy was drawn than the cheap batteries can tolerate. What is the opnion of the group?

BTW - I am about to order a set of IB 3800 from Mike today!

If you are saying - that right after you connected the batteries they smoked - you didnt even drive the truck - i can say that i have never heard of that - Did you make sure the connectors are right on batteries, speed controller as well. (Never hurts to double check) Do you have any other batteries to try out - did both batteries smoke -maybe one cell - I guess anything is possible. I would pray that the only thing that smoked are the batteries. Get them new ones, solder them up good with deans connectors and let us know what happens... Good Luck

Hot N Cold - I am pretty sure only the battery smoked. I immediately disconnected, felt the entire motor, controller, UBEC - no warmth but the battery was still warm.

well - if you think it was only the battery - then you have the perfect opportunity to disassemble the pack and see if you lost a cell. Do you have any other batteries to try out ?

I have two other pack, but they are the same sheap ones. I found the connector that burned out on the battery pack. I disessemled everything...I really think all the wires are in place. I have attached pics. Please let me know if anything is wrong. The only thing I can think of is poor conections. If I put the plug into the receiver for the the UBEC or speed controller the wrong way (they went into the right port), would that cause it? If so, how can you tell which is the right way?

I just orderd a set of IB 3800 and 5mm plugs. I will assemble the batteries and shorten the wires on the controller and revamp the connections.

Is that a Micro controller or Warrior?

BK Warrior 12020

how hot? if they smoked as you stated then you’ve certainly drawn massive amount of current so there’s probably a direct short there somewhere
Especially after 2 seconds I can nearly bet a direct short.

1: Check for continuity across + and - on the battery terminals and the esc there should not be linked.
2: check to see if the polarity is correct.
3: are you running the batteries in series or parallel?
4: it doesn’t matter what connection or batteries your using it basically uses no energy just connecting the batteries and sitting there without running it.

I’ll have to see a diagram of the setup the connectors look ok.
I see a bank of caps what are they for? suppression?

Hayden,

How hot? - I just dissembled the batterry, several connectors were burnt - mind you they look like thin aluminum.

1) I have tripple checked for pos and neg - It looks good to me. I put deans connectors on the batteries, and they were working fine with the titans. I think the UBEC is set up okay too.
2) see above
3) I am unsure what the two mean - the pack was made with three cells in a straight line then a straight line up parallel (I am assuming it's this). Each cell did have small peice of aluminim concecting each other.

The caps are what the ESC came with - I am unsure of their purpose...I am pretty new at this.

Here is a very basic diagram of the set up

Here is the diagram

use a cheap voltage meter to check the polarity on the batteries..

can you post a picture of both the connectors on the batteries? the rest of your deans are soldered correctly.

don't drive those cheap batteries, that's my word of advice.

One thing I've noticed about pretty much any sub-C battery is that the label is a pretty thin plastic material, which also acts as an insulator. The whole "can" of the battery is the negative lead, so if batteries are side-by-side and the label is somehow worn or torn (the metal of the two cans are touching), you are effectively shorting out a cell.

I know you say you are using stick packs, but this could still be an issue. Not very likely though...

On the same thought, is there some type of plastic insulator made to seperate cells to prevent this? Some stick packs have this, but I've never seen anything for side-by-side packs.

Looking at the one pic of the esc wires with the connectors on them. It has me worried that you have the wires crossed. Could you get a better pic of the esc and wires for me please. I hope this is not the case.

Here is the battery pack and it's dissection

Can you tell how thin the connectors are? There is no rubber insulation between the cells, it is all thick paper

CHC, here are some more pics of the ESC. I have removed the little black jumper for the BEC as well.

I guess it was the battery, short, but im still wondering how it happened in 2 seconds. Hope the ib3800's work out for you.

If I plugged the ESC and UBEC into the stock receiver the wrong way, would it cause problems? Which way are the plugs suppose to go in?

I think the red and black wires are on the esc wrong. Why does the red and black got together on the same side as esc. That is what I wanted to see. I don't think that is right. If they hooked together and you plug it up you have a dead short on the batteries. I have a 36120 and the red and black wires are together going in the esc not seperated. I think you need to contact bk about this one. Atleast the place you got the esc from.

If it was a battery short in the pack. It would happen whether connected or not to the esc. With the esc the heat sink down like in the pic. Disconnect the red wire to the right side and the black wire to the left side and see that happens. You should have the red wire hooked up where the jumper is and the black wire where the receiver wire is.

I have no idea about the esc but if it had a protection diode it would of blown and that was it but it hasn’t, to blow a battery like that I’m fairly sure it’s a direct short but I could be wrong it could be just a reverse polarity.

What I am talking about is a direct short. The hot and ground are connected together on the esc. I can take a pic of mine esc if you like. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MESE%3AIT&rd=1
Look at this pic of mine and you will see the two reds and two blacks are together not sperated like above.

Id contact mike or bk, just to see if this would cause any problems.

Was this purchased from here? - ( RC-monster )?

If so - contact mike

if not - contact bk - and send them an email and if possible send them the pic of the speed controller you listed here with the red and black wires. The reds are supposed to be on one side and the blacks on the other.

Thanks for all theninput. I was put of town this week. CHC, my ESC was bought from Mike and the wires are difinitely different from what your pic. The positive (red) and the neg (black) comes from the same side on your ESC, where as on mine ther are on diferent sides. I will give Mike an e-mail.

CHC....you are right! I clipped the two lower wires from the deans connector and left the red by the jumper and the black by the receiver intact and it works. I made a quick pic how the wires are on the 12020 I have. I will let mike know.

Glad to hear you got it all sorted out! I wonder if this was just faulty wired from factory or if they come like this?

whatever it is it doesnt make sense

Did that controller come with one black wire and one red wire on each side? I am glad you got it figured out. Does it work fine now?

It is not a problem. I am glad you got it sorted out. I think some one messed up some how on the put together of the esc. Confused or something.

I am going to rewire it today putting them together like CHC's controller. Reverse did not work, but the lower wire was not connected. I will let you all know. Once again, great pick up CHC!