elsolo

I want to get my old RC-10 up an running again, after being stored for 15 years. I put new batteries in the transmitter, charged up a battery pack for the car, and I get nothing, nada, squat. Car battery has volts, transmitter shows 85% on it's voltage indicator, crystals are the same as back then, (I have no spares).

ESC is outputting volts on the red and black wires that go to the receiver. (that's about all the troubleshooting I could come up with last night)

Radio is a Futaba FP-T2NBL (27 am)
Receiver is Futaba FP-R102JE (w/ bec)
ESC is Tekin "pro-tempfet"

This is the same exact setup the car had when I put it away in 1991, as I recall it still worked fine, I just got into other hobbies at that time.

Anbody have any troubleshooting tips to try and get this thing running again? It seems like a radio problem, do they just go bad from sitting around unused for a decade and a half? Any way to troubleshoot the radio/receiver other than swapping radios between cars, (I have no other RC cars)?

stockerbrian

I too have alot of old radio equipment, particularly servos. The main thing I check is the connection to your receiver alot of times the plug get corroded, especially if they have been left connected all this damp or in a damp enviroment. So check the little plugs coming off your esc and servos, they'll have a green tinge or rust if they need cleaning.

elsolo

Connectors look good, wires are good.

kostaktinos_mt

check if the motor leads have voltage. also make sure you re-set the ESC...

elsolo

ESC does not have a "reset", I have the manual right here, no mention is made about resetting it, it was made in 1989.
Motor is not getting voltage, it gets a quick spike when I conect the battery/turn on ESC, but that's it.

kostaktinos_mt

1.doesn`t the esc have any buttons or a trim on it?
2.does the steering servo work? [if not, the esc-to-receiver connector doesn`t contact properly].

elsolo

The ESC has two dashpot screws, nothing happens when I turn them.

No, the steering doesn't work. The car is bhaving like I have no barreries, but the ESC and receiver are getting voltage ?????

kostaktinos_mt

the receiver probably gets no voltage. the connectors need cleaning.

elsolo

MAJOR PROGRESS:

The three wires from the ESC-receiver were in the wrong order, now I have throttle/brake working!
Changing the wires from the servo-receiver, I can turn in one direction, but it doesn't come back to center and it won't turn the other direction.



Now I just need to figure out why the servo only works in one direction, not the other. If I hold the steering control to the side that doesn't work and manually turn the car's wheels in that direction, it will stay there, it just won't drive itself to that direction?

kostaktinos_mt

do the same re-wiring with the servo, BUT there is a probability that the servo is already fried.

elsolo

I redid the wires for the servo the same way of course, that's when I got it to turn left (but not right).

I am assuming that either the servo or the reciever fried a component, now I am trying to figure out how to troubleshoot it to find out which is faulty. Any troubleshooting tips?

Anybody know if it's possible to do that by reading tho output from the receiver (that goes to the servo)?
What should the signal be?

cavfighter

man I wish I could help with that last question. But the fact that you have an old 10 and are willing to try and get it running again sounds like the bug has bitten again. If you cant figure it out dont get upset and get rid of the car. You can pick up new decent equipment that wont break your wallet and be able to enjoy the sport with a car that was built I think better than the cars today. Now do I think it could race with the cars today no at least on the expert level but prob would take more crap than my t4 could take any day. good luck and hopefully you figure it out.

holinger91

everything should still work cuz i have the same electronics in my car and everything works and they used to be used like crazy.

kostaktinos_mt

if the throttle works fine, the receiver should be fine too. [servo?] after making sure that ALL connectors are very clean [use alcohol], you can write down the wire-color sequences of the servo lead and the esc lead, as well as the brand(s), and give me some feedback to figure something out.

DaveG55

Quick test is to swap the esc and steering plugs on the rx so that ch #1 is now throttle and ch#2 is steering. If the problem moves , meaning the steering now works correctly but the throttle is not, the the problem is the rx. If the problem stays with the steering then it's the servo.

DaveG55

Not necessarly. It's possable to lose just one channel in the rx and the other still work fine.

shupid

is there squeeling or clicking or binding? i just fixed a servo today it did the same thing, i think that it may be shot, try opening the servo up and look for binding and lost teeth, just make shure you put it back correctly. check the transmiter if its not adjusted right or check for link binding

all these things have happend to me in the past, my pro stock was a electrical night-mare!

kostaktinos_mt

it is possible, as it is with many many other things [potensiometer diode directional failure, ring Isq endorcement, etc -if you are aware with electronics you know what i mean]. if one receiver channel is dead, the other one is useless as well, since driving an rc car requires 2 channels. therefore the test method i suggested is the most simple and the most sufficient.

shupid

ive got an idea!!!!
take the "bad" servo and connect it to the working servo plug, if it works your chan is dead! i'v done this many many times, but a channal has never failed me[&:]
if it doesnt work on the good channal, bite the bullet and pay the 25.00 for the new one.

ahh a walking dictonary, i understud the whole sentance... "potensiometer diode directional failure, ring Isq endorcement" which is just a sencor monitoring position and constantly correcting its self by the means of anolog signals and rotaiting gears, when it fails it cant find itself or shuts down and over heats, due to arking and cross polairity, too bad my spelling is of a 4 year-old[:@]

elsolo

Duh, for some reason I thought in the back of my mind that the two channels were somehow different.

Swapped them, the throttle still works forward/brake, the steering still only turns left.

I definately need a new servo, (and then newer batteries, and tires, and....)

Thanks for the help, and patience.

DaveG55

All your techno jargon makes you sound insecure.
The fact is, my trouble shooting method is easier and faster than yours. If you swap to a known good channel you will know instantly if the problem is with the servo or rx. That is the exact same thing that shupid said, though he said it much better than I.
It doesn't get more "sufficient" than that.

discgolfer72

yea good luck getting your old rc10 togather they rock

here is some vids of what to look foward to

http://www.rcpics.net/media/Mov00015.mpg
http://www.rcpics.net/media/Mov00014.mpg
http://www.rcpics.net/media/Mov00013.mpg
http://www.rcpics.net/media/Mov00011.mpg
http://www.rcpics.net/media/Mov00008.mpg
http://media.putfile.com/Mov0012564
deff want to see some pics and vids when u r done

DaveG55

Hey, glad to help out. I'm currently working on one of the gold pan RC10's too. It was pretty badly treated but I think I can bring it back. My new esc will be here next week. I cannot wait to drive this buggy and my '78 Kyosho nitro Corvette at the same time. The Vette is totally stock including the body and tires. I hope I can get the RC10 close though I think I'll be happier with the modern esc.

kostaktinos_mt

techno jargon? you must be joking. you are the one who claimed the profficiency here. i will say again, [since you simply didn`t emboss it the last time]: i don`t disagree with the method. which is that you didn`t mentioned as shupid did. i disagree with your conclusions regarding what i posted: if the throttle channel works fine, and the steering servo is ok, you need another receiver [since a receiver with only one channel working isn`t usable]. trying to pick up a fight isn`t wise nor wishable. you are the one that acted as insecure -you rejected my troobleshooting recommendation especially once you misunderstood the path`s logic. if one is provoking 'techno jargon', should be able to explain the opposite`s failure as well.

ps: i re-assessed the original post. you probably could now set the point again. maybe my english was/is the problem.

shupid

thats the strangest thing... a dead channal alowing you to turn left but not right, the polairity swich is bad then.