FTX Carnage NEWBIE HELP

[Tomson]

Good Afternoon & hello,

 

Hello from Cheltenham, first post here, so thanks for taking the time to read this.

 

I really need some help with my sons FTX carnage.

 

About 6 months ago my 10 year old son started showing an interest in RC cars, he had some of the useless nonsense from local toy shops and was taking them over the local park to play with his mates. I have always secretly wanted an RC car (44 years young) and so started researching decent starter cars for him.  Thats when I decided upon a brushed FTX carnage for him.

 

Initial thoughts were promising, although it was slower than we hoped.  However battery life was a serious issue, we were only getting 5-7 minutes from the 1800mah battery supplied with the car.

 

After a front shock disaster (replaced for £10.00 on eBay) i then started looking for a larger capacity battery.  Shortly afterwards i purchased a 6800mah cheaply on eBay, now i have no idea whether the battery was rubbish (probably) or the carnage charger wouldn't charge the larger capacity battery, but we still got roughly the same runtime from the larger battery (all be it, the car was faster for some of those 5-7 minutes).

 

So i then made my second mistake and purchased a cheap imax6 charger from eBay, this seemed to make the situation worse, and really didn't charge the batteries any better than the supplied charger that came with the car. Of course it was then retrospectively that i researched the charger and found out how many fakes there are on eBay, this was definitely one of those fakes....typical.

 

Money refunded I got to keep the charger to use as a paperweight.

 

I then purchased a second hand SkyRC T6755 and tried to charge the two NiMH batteries that we now had.  Now I am not sure if the fake charger had destroyed the batteries but the results were very similar, poor running time and not much power.

 

So far my introduction into the world of RC cars was starting to become a pain in the arse!

 

Anyhow, after some research I purchased a 7.4v 5200mAh 2S Lipo, the difference was amazing the car now lifts it front wheels and was (notice was) so much faster than before, the T6755 charges the battery properly and the car is everything it should of been out of the box.  Big grins all round, great car, much fun, son involved and interested - things looking good.

 

However today, my son came back from the park saying the car had started smoking.  On a brief examination i have noticed the cables coming from the ESC to a capacitor/or resistor? have burnt out and this is where the smoke was coming from (picture attached).

 

It fair to say my brief excursion into the RC world is fast becoming expensive and is proving to be a very steep learning curve!

 

Now I am assuming that I need to replace this Capacitor/resistor? with a higher rating item, but am hoping that kind members of this forum can point me in the right direction!!

 

I should add that I changed the ESC into low voltage and thermal protection mode before using the Lipo.

 

PLESE HELP?????

 

Thanks 

 

Tom

[capri-boy]

Brushed esc's, hot weather, lipos and younger children who may not have adequate mechanical sympathy is a recipe for repeated failures.  I wonder if the hot heatsink hasn't melted the cables. 

 

The carnage is a fair starter RC - better than many.

 

Personally my advice would be to put a cheap brushless combo in it - you're already running lipos - the difference in speed and run times will be night and day.  A suitable combo can be had new for £30 ish - something like this:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GoolRC-3650-3500KV-Brushless-Motor-60A-ESC-Combo-Set-for-1-10-RC-Car-Truck-B3Q5/123229296466?epid=695490019&hash=item1cb109d752:g:slYAAOSwY3tbPDKD

 

 

[Snfu]

Hello 😊. A higher amp esc would stop the magic smoke. I've put a goolrc combo in my little uns kyosho axxe, 80a esc and 3600kv motor.  Works a treat 😊.  You might have to change connectors, but that's only 10 minutes with a soldering iron. Or you can buy adapters.  They're cheap and hassle free 😊

[Tomson]

2 hours ago, capri-boy said:

Brushed esc's, hot weather, lipos and younger children who may not have adequate mechanical sympathy is a recipe for repeated failures.  I wonder if the hot heatsink hasn't melted the cables. 

 

The carnage is a fair starter RC - better than many.

 

Personally my advice would be to put a cheap brushless combo in it - you're already running lipos - the difference in speed and run times will be night and day.  A suitable combo can be had new for £30 ish - something like this:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GoolRC-3650-3500KV-Brushless-Motor-60A-ESC-Combo-Set-for-1-10-RC-Car-Truck-B3Q5/123229296466?epid=695490019&hash=item1cb109d752:g:slYAAOSwY3tbPDKD

 

 

Would this fit the carnage?

seems ideal

[PH001]

You have to be very careful running lipos on the standard esc as it has no low voltage cutoff protection. The manual says the esc is not lipo compatibly iirc. All the advice above is good but you could just buy the Hobbywing 1060 for £18 if you didn’t want to upgrade the motor. At least then you can run lipos properly. https://www.modelsport.co.uk/hobbywing-quicrun-1060-brushed-waterproof-esc-sbec/rc-car-products/404964

[Tomson]

1 minute ago, PH001 said:

You have to be very careful running lipos on the standard esc as it has no low voltage cutoff protection. The manual says the esc is not lipo compatibly iirc. All the advice above is good but you could just buy the Hobbywing 1060 for £18 if you didn’t want to upgrade the motor. At least then you can run lipos properly. https://www.modelsport.co.uk/hobbywing-quicrun-1060-brushed-waterproof-esc-sbec/rc-car-products/404964

Thanks, there was an additional instruction sheet in the box on how to change the esc into low voltage mode before running the lipo, so they must of upgraded it. It was definitely in low voltage mode. I’ll be honest I’m finding the various options confusing and not sure what to do. Essentially I just want it to be reliable for my lad using the 2S without costing the earth or upgrading so much that I have to start upgrading other stuff. For example should I upgrade the motor now as well, as will I just burn it out just changing the esc? If I change the motor will the other components need replacing (shocks, chassis etc.) bloody car!

[PH001]

Lots of people had problems running the std brushed esc on lipos. It should be reliable with the Hobbywing esc, maybe buy a heatsink for the motor just to keep temperature rises minimal. Full brushless conversation is more expensive but will give you a good speed boost.

[capri-boy]

Brushed just doesn't cut it for me - they run hot on lipo and run times are comparatively less.  The motor combo I linked should be fine on 2S - i wouldn't think you'd need to run 3S either.  It won't be stupid fast but will be quick.  

 

What you need is a 3650 sized motor (36mm diameter, 50mm length) with a 3.17mm shaft.  You could fit a longer motor to improve torque, like a 3660 but most longer cans have a 5mm shaft which can make getting pinions tricky. The 3500kv I linked will prob be ok with your stock pinion too.  

 

The only thing you may come across is stripping spurs - if it's meshed correctly then it's less likely but bl motors are torquey and if he's apt to mash the throttle from reverse to forward etc it can cause issues.  

 

[Nickarla]

My son runs a brushed Carnage. Upgraded to the 1060 HobbyWing esc-best £18 spent, it’s so much better than standard. 

 

No no need to upgrade motor but if it burns out then a £10 550 HPI is a decent option. The servo can be upgraded to a PowerHD 20kg for £19 from Hobbyking.

 

The result is one very good, cheap RC which is pretty decent for a kid.

[Tomson]

Thanks for the advice chaps, for the moment I have ordered a Hobbywing 1060 from here.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/332652000787

[Tomson]

Turned up today, just opened package to find this (see attached) Now there are plenty of £10 1060 ESC’s on eBay, but I paid more to get a Hobbywing, sold as a Hobbywing. Yet I receive a Surpass-hobby ESC with a sticker saying Hobbywing inside! I very much doubt that. It might be OEM, it might be trash?

Eitherway it’s not what I purchased.

honestly I am starting to get really fed up with the amount of OEM/fake stuff being peddled as main brand gear in the RC world.  

[Fly In My Soup]

1 hour ago, Tomson said:

Turned up today, just opened package to find this (see attached) Now there are plenty of £10 1060 ESC’s on eBay, but I paid more to get a Hobbywing, sold as a Hobbywing. Yet I receive a Surpass-hobby ESC with a sticker saying Hobbywing inside! I very much doubt that. It might be OEM, it might be trash?

Eitherway it’s not what I purchased.

honestly I am starting to get really fed up with the amount of OEM/fake stuff being peddled as main brand gear in the RC world.  

 

Rc mart also do the same....they swap out with yeah racing rebrand...

 

They're all made by hobbywing ....its not as if your getting a different product....its just been put in a surpass branded box....

 

What isn't a rebranded hobbywing these days😁 ....but I do see what you're saying.....

 

Ask for a partial refund??

[Jay R]

Sounds to me like you are looking in the wrong place for the problem.  Car is slow, batteries only last 5 mins, Lipo runs it fast but it burns up the speed control....   Sounds like you have something binding in the drivetrain.  Put it on the floor and push it, does it roll ok?    Hold a wheel in the side and spin it, does the opposite side spin freely?   Hold the opposite side and spin the wheel, do the wheels at the oyher end spin freely?   Take the pinion gear cover off and try to turn the pinion gear with your finger till the bigger gear has gone all the way around, is it tight?

 

[PH001]

5-10 mins is about right with the crappy Nimh that the brushed version comes with. Lipo will sort that out, but the internal resistance of LIPO cells is much lower than Nimh which means more juice into the ESC and motor. New ESC is almost compulsory but many people then find the motor runs very hot. Either better heatsink required on the motor or go full brushless and be done with it. 

[Fat Freddy]

On 07/07/2019 at 20:30, Tomson said:

Thanks, there was an additional instruction sheet in the box on how to change the esc into low voltage mode before running the lipo, so they must of upgraded it. It was definitely in low voltage mode. I’ll be honest I’m finding the various options confusing and not sure what to do. Essentially I just want it to be reliable for my lad using the 2S without costing the earth or upgrading so much that I have to start upgrading other stuff. For example should I upgrade the motor now as well, as will I just burn it out just changing the esc? If I change the motor will the other components need replacing (shocks, chassis etc.) bloody car!

RtR = Ready to rebuild.

Hate to say it but there will always be something with these cars, but that does sort of become part of the charm. They are built to a price and as such are relatively easy to break. Luckily parts and spares are pretty cheap and sorting these issues can be immensely satisfying. 

The 1060 will help but it sounds like @Jay R might be right. Even a relatively small amount of resistance can add up to a heavy draw on the battery after 5 mins of high speed bashing = short run times and overheated esc’s.