2 New 4x4 Ruckus with same issue

josh29j

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My dad and i both bought 2 new 4x4 brushed ruckus at the hobby shop yesterday. Came home charged the the 2s 7.4v 5200 lipos we got. I switched the jumper to lipo also. The problem is that with both batterys in both trucks we run between 1-10 mins dependng, and then it goes in to the voltage protection mode at 40% speed. I checked the batterys as soon as it happens and i never seen the battery below 3.7v and the LVC has kicked on as high as 4.1v. It happens in both trucks. What are we doing wrong? So that's 2 different trucks and 4 different lipo and it happens every time. Max runtime is 10mins and the shortest is like 30sec all with full charged batteries.

Thanks
 
I don't run stock electronics, but there might be a way to program it lower. Try looking for a button on the switch or somewhere on the ESC. If you find a program button, you could look online somewhere and find a cheat sheet on programming. Your other option is to find a program card for that ESC.
 
I think the only way to program it is with the jumpers. At leaat i cant find anything. A new problem happened to mine now. It just quit running i have power for steering but that's it
 
Check to see if the motor is still good by hooking power directly to the motor leads (unplug from esc hook leads to the battery). If it spins the motor is good and the esc is probably bad if it doesn't replace the motor.

It's been known that lipo and brushed motors in 1/10 4X4 can be a success but also a good amount of failures. Brushed motors can run really hot and burn up the sealed can ones like stock are literally garbage motors they burn up or the brushes wear out you chuck them in the garbage. You already have lipos I would suggest going brushless and save the hassle of dealing with the brushed motors (IMHO).

Try running nimh you willl probably have more success running while running brushed motors in a 4x4.

Also no programming the brushed esc you only can the use the jumpers to change anything.
 
Can anyone recommend a brushless combo that is decent and direct replacement that doesn't break the bank? I was hoping not to have to upgrade stuff after the first day also. Is there a better quality brushed motor i can run till then? Still not sure why the trucks were only getting 1-10mins of runtime on lipos. i will check the motor today when i get home.
thanks
 
Can anyone recommend a brushless combo that is decent and direct replacement that doesn't break the bank? I was hoping not to have to upgrade stuff after the first day also. Is there a better quality brushed motor i can run till then? Still not sure why the trucks were only getting 1-10mins of runtime on lipos. i will check the motor today when i get home.
thanks

I've got a Kinexsis system in mine but the combo was about $75. GoolRC makes some dirt cheap combo's. The motors are great but the ESC's are unreliable. You can find a GoolRC system for about $30-$40 online. I am running a GoolRC motor and a Hobbywing ESC in another truck of mine. The Hobbywing ESC was $60 and I got the motor from another combo where the ESC went bad. I also run Floureon 5200mah 2s lipos that last a good 40 mins to an hour on both trucks.
 
Do you have to change gearing when switching from brushed to brushless. I think the stock on mine is 9t and 45 on spur.
Also to fix the early LVC the hobby shop said about moving the jumper to the other battery location to disable LVC and add a LVA to the truck. Any thoughts on this. Like i said seems the going into LVC at 3.7v to 4.1V. Which seems way early to me.
 
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If I have learned anything on this forum, this is it. Albeit you may already know.
Upgrading to a brushless motor, you will have to upgrade the ESC as well.
Lipo packs don't like to be sucked dry, NiHm packs don't mind so much, but you can ruin a LiPo by draining it too much.
 
Do you have to change gearing when switching from brushed to brushless. I think the stock on mine is 9t and 45 on spur.
Also to fix the early LVC the hobby shop said about moving the jumper to the other battery location to disable LVC and add a LVA to the truck. Any thoughts on this. Like i said seems the going into LVC at 3.7v to 4.1V. Which seems way early to me.
Yeah I use the cheapo lvas on a couple of my trucks that have the goolrc systems. They have the opposite issue, lvc is too low. I hot glued a lva to each of my batteries. I set mine at 3.6v. Little higher then needed but should lead to longer battery life.
 
I got home took out the motor and its shot. A large chunk of it fell out from inside of it and doesn't spin when plugged into battery direct
 
Can anyone recommend a brushless combo that is decent and direct replacement that doesn't break the bank? I was hoping not to have to upgrade stuff after the first day also. Is there a better quality brushed motor i can run till then?

Any (Racerstar, Goolrc and so on) brushless motor 3650 (36dia. 50mm length) size (not finned 540 IMO) 3000 - 4300kv will work for 2s running with the lower kv being able to be geared higher and/or run 3s (monitor heat). The cheap escs (Goolrc, Racerstar, Ocday, Surpass etc.) are hit and miss the motors are generally pretty good. Better quality sealed can brushed motor for a 1/10 4X4 there really isn't one IMHO but I guess maybe a 12t Titan 550. Holmes Hobbies has one I was thinking of trying but I really don't mess with brushed stuff anymore https://www.amainhobbies.com/holmes...t-550-brushed-motor-12t-hhbtmspt55012/p898272

Do you have to change gearing when switching from brushed to brushless. I think the stock on mine is 9t and 45 on spur.

Not really just depends on the size and kv of the motor that you choose. For the most part you can actually gear up (bigger pinion) when going brushless. But with any change best to monitor temps of esc and motor when making changes.

Also to fix the early LVC the hobby shop said about moving the jumper to the other battery location to disable LVC and add a LVA to the truck. Any thoughts on this. Like i said seems the going into LVC at 3.7v to 4.1V. Which seems way early to me.

You can use a lipo alarm and disable LVC (jumper to nimh) in the end it's a band-aid fix. If you hit LVC early your batteries are crap or there is a problem with your esc but could be thermal shutdown if it's later in the run (not in the first few minutes of a fully charged 5200mah lipo) motor and or esc getting too hot. A lipo alarm can help recognize though if your batteries are the problem (too much voltage sag too early).

I got home took out the motor and its shot. A large chunk of it fell out from inside of it and doesn't spin when plugged into battery direct

Sounds like the time to go brushless (IMHO).
 
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I bought the truck with the system already in it. It has an aftermarket pinon
Yeah I use the cheapo lvas on a couple of my trucks that have the goolrc systems. They have the opposite issue, lvc is too low. I hot glued a lva to each of my batteries. I set mine at 3.6v. Little higher then needed but should lead to longer battery life.

You can get a program card for the GoolRC and Racerstar systems for relatively cheap. It basically plugs into the ESC through the receiver lead and has buttons and lights that allow you to change the breaking force, reverse speed, LVC, and sometimes throttle punch.
 
Just to add my $.02, I do know that the GoolRC brand does have combo's that include the programming card. ESC+Brushless motor+ card
Although I did purchase mine separately, and I am not sure why I did...….
 
You can get a program card for the GoolRC and Racerstar systems for relatively cheap. It basically plugs into the ESC through the receiver lead and has buttons and lights that allow you to change the breaking force, reverse speed, LVC, and sometimes throttle punch.

You can but the (Goolrc, Racerstar, etc.) card has a highest LVC setting of 3.1 which is still pretty low. I don't have expensive packs but the LVC highest setting (3.1) has worked fine for me (no lipo alarm).
 
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Just to add my $.02, I do know that the GoolRC brand does have combo's that include the programming card. ESC+Brushless motor+ card
Although I did purchase mine separately, and I am not sure why I did...….

If it's your first cheap combo (Surpass, Racerstar, Goolrc etc.) probably better and cheaper to get a combo with a program card. But the card even if you purchase it separately wlll work with most if not all the cheaper brands. FWIW I ended up purchasing my first cheap combo then purchased the card separately also.
 
You can but the (Goolrc, Racerstar, etc.) card has a highest LVC setting of 3.1 which is still pretty low. I don't have expensive packs but the LVC highest setting (3.1) has worked fine for me (no lipo alarm).

For the short time I ran my cheap ESC on stock settings, I never got to run the battery close to flat. My truck would always break before I could get below 3.9v. So I would just take it inside, throw the battery on the charger while I would make a quick repair. I really recommend the batteries I used to anyone who only can buy a single pack.

Here is one almost like the one I bought. Mine had bullet connectors on the battery so you could detach the cables.
https://www.amazon.com/FLOUREON-520...se+lipo&qid=1556649509&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr0
 
I really recommend the batteries I used to anyone who only can buy a single pack.
Here is one almost like the one I bought. Mine had bullet connectors on the battery so you could detach the cables.
https://www.amazon.com/FLOUREON-520...se+lipo&qid=1556649509&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr0

They are good packs I have had 3 over a few years. The only one that failed was completely my fault I left it plugged in on one RC that ended up sitting in the shed outside. The one below with tape is a 5200mah that I had to take apart because the center female pin got pushed in. That's the only thing I dislike about them in some applications the way the bullets are plugged in may not fit or work but on the plus side if you ever wanted to use it with a different esc plug just use a bullet connector with that plug on it (no adapter). The Zeee is one that I have been trying out as the Floureons are beginning to show their age.

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Yeah I have the program card, 2 actually, a red one and a grey one. Like hey it's me said, only goes up to 3.1. I like to run higher (3.6). Not that I have super nice batteries, I just am cautious. I do run 3.4 on my tekin esc in a crawler. I read a while ago not to go below 3.5 to get longevity from your lipos. I got one that's about 5 years old, a green venom, still no puffing and within .02v per cell difference.
 
So horizon sent me two replacement escs and 1 replacement motor (so far great customer service). I installed them, and pretty much same issure no more than 10mins and the LVC would kick on even though my LVA are saying 3.7v+. I noticed also the motor gets up to 150-170 in like ten mins. I emailed them and see what they think. I would like to go to brushless but i also would of just bought a higher end car if i was gonna spend this much this fast also on a side note. Do 4x4 RC cars motors get hotter quicker? and or use more battery power v.s. a 2wd?
 
I would like to go to brushless but i also would of just bought a higher end car if i was gonna spend this much this fast also on a side note.

That's why things are priced the way they are though. Brushed are entry level priced RC's but even then I understand they should at least come with esc/motor combos that last longer than 10min running. Part of the reason Goolrc and the like are popular because it's brushless for cheap without the expense of name brand (Hobbywing, Castle etc.) brushless. You got a brushed model but if you spent what they want for the brushless combo separately why not just buy the brushless model in the first place.

Do 4x4 RC cars motors get hotter quicker? and or use more battery power v.s. a 2wd?

Yes to both more weight more moving parts in a 4X4.
 

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