talontsiawd

Ok, this is a very newbie question. My nitro experience or RC experience in general started about a week ago. My friend and i got a Traxxis truck running. So i figured a new RTR car would be simple. But this thing has been problems from the start. Without touching anything, it won't start. Then i made sure it was at the proper setting as the manual said, it then would start but immediately die. If i richen it up on the high speed, it seems to go for longer, but this is seconds. When i lean it, it goes for longer periods of time, like 15 seconds but rarely starts. I've tried to prime it when running, it keeps running but will die if i stop primming it. It seems no matter what i do, it will just not stay running. I've messed with the low speed a bit but i'm pretty intimatated by that. I've also messed with idle speed as well. Nothing seems to work. I've been the most successful with leaning it out quite a bit with a high idle and then dropping the idle afterwards. But when it dies, i can't restart. If it actually runs for a decent time, it starts to rev like crazy.

Another thing that happens is if it doesn't start right away, it floods very easily. I don't know if this means anything. I don't go crazy when i prime it, just till i see fuel. But sometimes it gets hard to turn over after i've drained the cylinder and don't prime as well.

Sorry for the long explaination, i'm just not really understanding this. I know tuning is very critical. And i've grow up around cars so i feel i have a decent understanding of how things work. Getting things to work...different story. I'm getting very frustrated as i spend a bunch of money and can't even get it running to get through the break in period.

I know with 99% certainty that it's not an issue with glowplugs. The light up bright orange, i've tried the extra and some extra's i've bought. They all work quite well. So i'm sure it's some sort of fuel issue. I feel like i've tried everytihing. The traxxis motor was way out of tune and it only took about 30 min to get it to run reasonably well and my friend and I had no clue what we were doing, were a base tune should be. With this, i have all the factory tuning stuff infront of me and can only get it to start and either sputter out or it will abruptly stop. Any insite would help tremendously.

hpi apollo

every noob with nitro goes through this, ti is very frustrating indeed, here is what you do, set the needles back to factory settings, lean the hsn out 1/4 turn now lean the lsn 1/8 turn, this should get it somewhere near where it needs to be, charge your glow igniter allt he way, fi tis a battery powered igniter trash it and get a reachargable, now when it starts, if it soudns like it is choking then stops, it is rich, lean the lsn out 1/8th of a turn if ti does this, if it all of the sudden cuts out isntantly, richen up 1/8th of a turn, also, when you get it running a while, make sure th temp gets over 220 degree F, and about priming the engine, take the fuel line off, put the igniter on, and pull the pull start until the tone of the engine tunring over stays the same, now, prime it until the fuel gets to the carb, and stop, dont make it go into it

talontsiawd

Thanks for the help, i put it to all the settings you said, then realized I forgot to put my glow plug starter on the charger[] Hopefully my friend will come by with his this afternoon.

Again, thanks, hopefully I can get this running with minor tweeks.

talontsiawd

Ok, i pretty much got it started off the bat this time. I think the low end was the key, something i did not mess with. With minor tweeking i got it to idle very well, no dieing, no reving, etc. I'm very happy. Unfortunately my glow plug started wasn't charged so i could only do the first tank. So nothing crazy but i'm very happy.

I truely apprciate the help, my oppinion about these cars changed dramatically

hpi apollo

you have no idea how pissed i was at my first nitro, i had the 18ss.....oooo i was so mad, and on top of that, i was using a drained glow igniter yet i didnt know it, a good rechargable igniter is one of the best investments you will ever make, also the best way to tune the lsn is once you get the hsn set, drive it around a while, get it up to temp, and let it idle for 30 seconds, if it cant do it and dies out, lean it out a little bit, do this until it takes off smoothly, if i can do anything to not let someone go through the frustration i did, its worth it

talontsiawd

Ok, i ended up getting on the road today. Only got through the break through, never got to go full throttle[]. It's running pretty rich as far as i know, but i figure i should wait til i hit really run it to tune. But it is running. I wish i posted earlier, this was so frustrating 2 days ago, now its so fun. I feel i'm pretty prepared to tune as well, i got a broken in motor running well, hopefully this will be the same.


Again, thanks for the help, its been a huge step for me getting this on the road.

hpi apollo

jsut remember to get it over 220 degrees and under 270 and you will be good

talontsiawd

Infared themometer comming this weekend hopefully.

supersonnic

So do you guys think that is my problem as well? I mean I have exactly same issues with starting and running and my glow plug is glowing just half way. I use stupid D-Cell battery glow driver. I was thinking about buying more expensive rechargeable one. So will it run better as well as start better with the new one?
(Sorry for all the questions but I'm just new to this.)
By the way, I have HPI RS4 3 Evo.

hpi apollo

yes, a rechargable glow igniter is on the top 5 list of best things purchased for a nitro, it starts up soooooooooooooooooooooo much easier, get one

supersonnic

I'm doing it first thing in the morning and I'll tell ya if it worked. Thanks for help man!

talontsiawd

So it's running pretty well now. All broken in, etc. It was a little sluggish, leaned it out a bit, now works great, no stalling, etc. I'm sure it has more in it, probably alot more. But it's plenty fast for me right now.


supersonnic-I've used the d battery glow igniter on this other car we were working on, i hate them. It can just barely start my car as well. My rechargable one works great. At first, it was easy to run it out of batteries since i was having trouble starting it, etc. Now that i only need to use it for accouple of seconds, no complaints. The only advantage of the d cell ones is how long they last.

hpi apollo

d cells die out within the first 2 attempts at starting, afterwards they barely glow, rechargables are really powerful and slowly fade

thedub88

I bought this one from tower hobbies $19.99 It has a meter so you know if the glo plug is good just by looking at it.

I think I charged it mabe 5 or 6 times all summer!!

talontsiawd

The one my friend has works forever, it just doesn't get as hot. Hot enough to start when tuned but if you are rich it just doesn't want to go. But it lasts for days and will work everytime on a properly tuned motor. My recharable one works great every time though, assuming it's charged.

hpi apollo

the dub88, just because it has a meter doesnt mean it tells when the plug is good, it tells when your battery is low, for me, a meter is one more thing to break, if ti doesnt start, battery is low, and d cells, while they may last long, they dont glow very much, i like my engines to start on the 1st or 2nd pull, not the 30th or 40th

supersonnic

I bought the most expensive glow starter and I tell ya there's huuuuuuuuge difference!!! Car starts from the first try and runs smoothly as well! Thanks for tip!

thedub88

Your wrong. the meter isn't only a battery gauge, it also tells you if the plug lights. If its charged and the plug is bad, than the needle will stay in the red, if the plug is good than it will go to green. Of couse if the battery is dead, than theres no power to move the meter


This is what tower says

FEATURES: Proven Twist and Lock Connector ensures a secure, solid connection
that won't come off, providing safer, faster starts for your model.
Included meter monitors Glow Plug condition and battery charge level.
Pre-Installed Genuine Sanyo Sub-C battery cell enclosed in a blue
rubber protective cover.
Included AC battery charger with nut-shaped charge end recharges
the Glow Starter in 10 hours. A red LED light comes ON when
charger is charging.
Removable blue rubber socket cap prevents shorting and any dirt or
dust debris from entering into the the shaft.
One Year Limited Warranty USA and Canada only.

hpi apollo

why do you need a meter to tell if your glow plug is good, look at it, a plug can be bad but not broken and still conduct current flow, the more simple, the better

thedub88

Because if your a noob sitting there for twenty min. trying to start your car, thinking the plug is good, you might think its the needles and screw up the settings. But if you had a meter, as soon as you put the starter on the plug you would know the plug is bad.

Yes a bad plug could still conduct electricity, but not nearly as much as a good plug. so the meter wouldn't be all the way in the green, It would only go half way, telling you something is wrong