Rustler VXL ESC Dead
12-25-2007, 09:03 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: New Zealand, NEW ZEALAND
Posts: 117
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Rustler VXL ESC Dead
My new Traxxas Rustler VXL Brushless with 3S (11.1 volt) 5,000 ma-Hr LiPo blew its ESC after not much racing up and down paved roads. Maybe half an hour total with about 5 minutes per run followed by a re-charge. So a pretty easy life. Cartwheels and bang ups of course but that's gonna happen with something as insane as this!!!
One day it started to stutter then stopped and the ESC had a "Low Voltage Cutout" alarm. The ESC was very hot and the motor just hot(ish).
To cut a longer story short, it turned out to be the ESC. Replaced under warrantee so no big deal. I'm heartened that I can't find any other reports of blown ESC's so I guess it was just a rare dud. I didn't do anything stupid like trying to push heavy objects, etc.
One thing occurs to me. To show my friends that it wasn't only capable of STUPID speeds but it could also crawl around the kitchen at ultra slow speeds. I wonder if that caused the problem because I tried it twice and both times it threw an under voltage cutout after about 10 seconds of slow going. Maybe this extreme racer doesn't like crawling around.
Any ideas? Yeah I know.... "Don't go really slow". I mean anything useful.
One day it started to stutter then stopped and the ESC had a "Low Voltage Cutout" alarm. The ESC was very hot and the motor just hot(ish).
To cut a longer story short, it turned out to be the ESC. Replaced under warrantee so no big deal. I'm heartened that I can't find any other reports of blown ESC's so I guess it was just a rare dud. I didn't do anything stupid like trying to push heavy objects, etc.
One thing occurs to me. To show my friends that it wasn't only capable of STUPID speeds but it could also crawl around the kitchen at ultra slow speeds. I wonder if that caused the problem because I tried it twice and both times it threw an under voltage cutout after about 10 seconds of slow going. Maybe this extreme racer doesn't like crawling around.
Any ideas? Yeah I know.... "Don't go really slow". I mean anything useful.
12-25-2007, 09:06 PM
#2
Senior Member
My Feedback: (23)
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Oshkosh,
WI
Posts: 7,934
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Rustler VXL ESC Dead
ORIGINAL: warren52nz
My new Traxxas Rustler VXL Brushless with 3S (11.1 volt) 5,000 ma-Hr LiPo blew its ESC after not much racing up and down paved roads. Maybe half an hour total with about 5 minutes per run followed by a re-charge. So a pretty easy life. Cartwheels and bang ups of course but that's gonna happen with something as insane as this!!!
One day it started to stutter then stopped and the ESC had a "Low Voltage Cutout" alarm. The ESC was very hot and the motor just hot(ish).
To cut a longer story short, it turned out to be the ESC. Replaced under warrantee so no big deal. I'm heartened that I can't find any other reports of blown ESC's so I guess it was just a rare dud. I didn't do anything stupid like trying to push heavy objects, etc.
One thing occurs to me. To show my friends that it wasn't only capable of STUPID speeds but it could also crawl around the kitchen at ultra slow speeds. I wonder if that caused the problem because I tried it twice and both times it threw and under voltage cutout after about 10 seconds of slow going. Maybe this extreme racer doesn't like crawling around.
Any ideas? Yeah I know.... "Don't go really slow". I mean anything useful.
My new Traxxas Rustler VXL Brushless with 3S (11.1 volt) 5,000 ma-Hr LiPo blew its ESC after not much racing up and down paved roads. Maybe half an hour total with about 5 minutes per run followed by a re-charge. So a pretty easy life. Cartwheels and bang ups of course but that's gonna happen with something as insane as this!!!
One day it started to stutter then stopped and the ESC had a "Low Voltage Cutout" alarm. The ESC was very hot and the motor just hot(ish).
To cut a longer story short, it turned out to be the ESC. Replaced under warrantee so no big deal. I'm heartened that I can't find any other reports of blown ESC's so I guess it was just a rare dud. I didn't do anything stupid like trying to push heavy objects, etc.
One thing occurs to me. To show my friends that it wasn't only capable of STUPID speeds but it could also crawl around the kitchen at ultra slow speeds. I wonder if that caused the problem because I tried it twice and both times it threw and under voltage cutout after about 10 seconds of slow going. Maybe this extreme racer doesn't like crawling around.
Any ideas? Yeah I know.... "Don't go really slow". I mean anything useful.
And besides its all the stuff I bought and didnt receive so I feel ashamed when I do break something.
12-26-2007, 08:48 AM
#3
Senior Member
My Feedback: (1)
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: , TX
Posts: 1,240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Rustler VXL ESC Dead
i'm afraid my brothers may be having some issues. i did a complete ext flm conversion and got it finished up xmas eve. for some reason reverse has all power, but forward bearly goes at all. it takes forever to build any speed which totals out to be about 1/4 of what it used to be. also noticed the power seemed to be pulsed if you can picture that. like two wires are getting full power to the motor and one is there for the ride. kind of and on off triger effect. i don't suspect a loose wire since reverse has plenty of power and is smooth. i'm afraid some of the foward fets went out or something. i'll try to mess with it more and reprograme it before i really start pointing fingers. it worked fine before i started the build and there is no binding issues what so ever.
12-26-2007, 12:02 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Arlington,
TX
Posts: 3,344
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Rustler VXL ESC Dead
Running really slow should not make it kick into low-voltage mode. However, I'm thinking it is something that my Mamba ESC does at very slow speeds. I mean slow enough to barely make the motor turn over and make my truck move, sometimes it will stop if I keep the throttle low for several seconds, but then it works just fine if I stop and do it again, or go fast or whatever.
Maybe the VXL esc is hit by yet another Traxxas curse?
Maybe the VXL esc is hit by yet another Traxxas curse?
12-26-2007, 11:14 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: , CA
Posts: 4,900
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Rustler VXL ESC Dead
If you are running it sensorless, you shouldn't be crawling. I had some strange things happen to me when I was trying to use it to crawl around with the stock motor. It would cog like crazy at super-slow speeds and after repeated cogging, the ESC would just shut down (rotor locked detection or something like that). I'd get a blinking red light and that was it.
