Gen 7 esc smoked TWICE

[chevyv8]

All stock electronics within my gen 7 pro. Been running a 3s for a few years with no issues. Yes I have the jumper switched.
Added 5 roof lights to the body, plugged them into the open port of the esc and went for a run. Within 2 minutes, the esc literally let the smoke out.
Ok, replaced with stock replacement esc. Same thing happened. Within 2 minutes of being on, the esc went up in smoke.
The only common denominator in my case is the lights.

Can I have really smoked 2 esc’s with lights being plugged in at the receiver?

What is happening?

[hnoroian]

I don’t believe that there were any available ports on the esc used for power accessories, though later you said the receiver.

[Logan’s RCAdventures]

I am actually running this same ESC in my Villain IV right now. I've sank it, and I'm currently running two NIMH batteries and two 20 turn brushed motors. It gets up hot but it's also used in the Gen7 for two years. I've had great luck with mine and I did also have lights on the receiver at one point. I would say that you should check the amount of turns on your motor and probably 3S is pushing the limits of that ESC, but so am I!
Edit: I got the boat back

[chevyv8]

Esc says 2-3s lipo.
And yes I meant to say open port on the receiver.

1 thing I didn’t mention, I replaced front and rear axles as well as a set. I can’t see how that would cause the esc to literally go up in smoke though.

Stock turn motor. Still redcat motor. Redcat esc. Part numbers are from the manual.

[ferp420]

If you try to run to many amps through your built in bec on the esc it will let the smoke out but that dosent mean the esc is toast if you can plug in a external bec or a small nimh battery around 6v and test it sometimes you get lucky

[Logan’s RCAdventures]

I've had great luck with mine so far, so I'm thinking that Ferp420 has a point here that it possibly could have been that BEC that kicked the bucket, however I've never had that happen before. I have a ESC with only forward because it got so hot it literally melted the case, then the integrated circuit for reverse melted. Are you still running the stock servo as well? I have a Gen8 with two halogens plugged into the receiver and it still works fine. (Same model of ESC in Gen7 and Gen8 btw)

[ferp420]

My first redcat 1040 esc lasted about 3 seconds the second one from the gen8 is now a winch controler i ran it in the gen8 for years before swaping it out and its been a winch controler for a few years since

it dose sound like there might be another issue though like maybe the servo end points arent set right of something like that
If the steering servo got bound up in any way like for exsample trying yo push past the steering stop your amp draw whould go up alot that with the extra lights would pop the bec and on 3s it would pop faster than on 2s i dont know why but there becs im sure theres a sientific explination but i dont really care thats just a observation
all my 4s escs poped there bec lol almost instantly i guess theres just to much heat steping down from pack voltage to bec output voltage

[Logan’s RCAdventures]

Yeah I have noticed when the servo is under high load with the lights on the lights dim a little bit, but that's when it's under some really tough stuff. I haven't had any issues with the one in my boat or the one in the Gen8.