Smoke/Overheating from ESC

[SinCity]

i didn't realize how deep the puddle was, I went through and it splashed inside the body (i guess its time for fender lining huh?). I was driving up the driveway going back and noticed it got real slow, thought the battery was dead. Then as I went to turn it around to drive it back it took off full speed again, like a full battery. I didn't think much of it, but I started backing up and saw a smoke (very little, looked more like dust coming from the tires, but smelled burnt plastic) coming from inside the body. I stopped it and unplugged it immediately. I waited 48 hours to try driving again, it seems that the ESC gets so hot now it overheats. I don't want to drive it long enough to find out, but I drove around a bit today with the body off and checked the temp every 2-3 minutes and it was getting so hot i couldn't touch it...


any ideas? If I have to replace, what should I replace it with? Waterproof?

[canadianbacon]

If you're going to keep driving through puddles best bet would be to get an Traxxas XL-5 waterproof ESC. Only downside it that it doesn't have a dragbrake but if you aren't comping it then it shouldn't be a problem.

[umop apisdn]

Yeah if you're using the factory axial esc, it done me the same way and it's garbage in my opinion. I have an XL5 "waterproof" esc, I put waterproof in quotations because as I've read, its water RESISTANT. I'm having all kinds of issues right now while going through water...the truck just cuts out, I'll have steering but no throttle. Then all of a sudden the truck will take off like a bat out of hell with all kinds of power, then cut out again.

I know the easy solution would be to stop taking it through water, but I'm not going to do that....way too much fun.

[canadianbacon]

Originally Posted by umop apisdn

Yeah if you're using the factory axial esc, it done me the same way and it's garbage in my opinion. I have an XL5 "waterproof" esc, I put waterproof in quotations because as I've read, its water RESISTANT. I'm having all kinds of issues right now while going through water...the truck just cuts out, I'll have steering but no throttle. Then all of a sudden the truck will take off like a bat out of hell with all kinds of power, then cut out again.

I know the easy solution would be to stop taking it through water, but I'm not going to do that....way too much fun.

That's probably caused by your receiver becoming wet more than anything.

[TexasSP]

Mines waterproof with a Tekin FXR. My receiver is inside the electronics box sealed with silicon and the FXR is inside a condom. Been running this way over a year now with no issues what so ever.

[SinCity]

Originally Posted by umop apisdn

Yeah if you're using the factory axial esc, it done me the same way and it's garbage in my opinion. I have an XL5 "waterproof" esc, I put waterproof in quotations because as I've read, its water RESISTANT. I'm having all kinds of issues right now while going through water...the truck just cuts out, I'll have steering but no throttle. Then all of a sudden the truck will take off like a bat out of hell with all kinds of power, then cut out again.

I know the easy solution would be to stop taking it through water, but I'm not going to do that....way too much fun.

darn straight its too much fun. I'll look into waterproof esc's. Seems like your having the same issues as I am dealing with power loss and gain. Thanks for the input, if anybody has anything else to add feel free to.

cheers

[umop apisdn]

Originally Posted by canadianbacon12

That's probably caused by your receiver becoming wet more than anything.

Yeah definitely could be. Something weird though, when the trucks stops while in water, I can turn the throttle trim just a hair and the throttle comes back, and thats when the truck has so much power and takes off like a bat out of hell.