15 RC Car/Truck Repair Tricks For New Racers

RC Car Vehicle Examination

Like humans, vehicles also need to be appropriately diagnosed before deciding any fixing strategy. Rule out the root of the cause first. It would help if you asked some basic questions from yourself, that are:

• Is the fuel level is maintained correctly?
• Are the batteries installed and charged correctly?
• All the wires are correctly connected or not?
• What about the transmitter? Is the frequency right?
• The steering arm is connected with servo or not?

The problems could be electronic or mechanical, so fixing also varies accordingly. We will discuss each of the issues and their solutions separately.

Related Article: How To Make A Homemade RC Car?

Solving The RC Car/Truck Problems:-

1. RC Car or Truck On/ Off Switch Issues

The on/off switch is a crucial part, and you can only use them if installed in the RC car/truck originally. Not turning on both transmitters and RC vehicles can be embarrassing, so deal with this carefully. The direction of switches varies in different RC cars/trucks; you might need a flashlight to examine it.

Another situation is that it may feel fine on the outside, but internally no switching action is going on. In such a case, all you need to do is remove the case from the switch and then make electrical contact within the terminals, without cutting the wires.

When you plan to poke into the RC vehicle, be sure that the switch is in an off position. While you are not using your RC car, make sure to unplug all the switches. Never store it when it is plugged in.

2. RC Car/Truck Wiring and Open Circuit Issues

We all know that RC vehicles are made with wires and connections. Issues with wires and circuits are common in RC. Understand the concept of this problem can help you in fixing it.

Usually, the wiring problem is in the steering system and motor, so check that first. Wire becomes unsoldered, especially in cheap off-road cars. Unsoldering of the wire opens the circuit, and the car or truck stops working. The best solution is to take a soldering iron, figure out the broken part, then finally resolder the wire; you can also connect the cables back by using tape.

Examine the circuit board properly and find out the places where the electric circuit is open. The circuit must be closed to ensure proper current flow. Check whether all connections are appropriately fixed with the servo, motor, and battery or not. If not, then fix it. In the beginning, you may find this issue tricky to handle, but this is as simple as explained above.

3. RC Car/ Truck Steering System Issues

The steering arm is one of the main components that help us drive the RC car/truck in the direction we want. Any problem in it can disturb the vehicle’s functioning and can cause significant loss during the driving if left untreated.

The RC car’s/trucks steering column is connected to the servo with the help of a wire or a plastic rod. A plastic piece may get broken, and it will render the whole system useless because it will cause steering immobility. You can fix the plastic part by using strong glue that will join it quickly. In another case, the wire may be damaged or become loose; you just need a durable piece of stiff wire to fix it.

4. RC Car/Truck Gear Issues

It’s better to cope with gearing issues as soon as you identify them, as gear is an essential and critical component in driving. If your RC car/truck is making an unfamiliar grinding noise, it confirms that gear has some problem.

Check that whether your car’s gear is stripped or just slipped from its place. You just need to adjust it back on its position if it is slipped. But if it is stripped, then you need to replace the gear completely.

5. RC Car/Truck Transmitter Connection Issues

The RC car/truck issue can be even at the least expected place, which is a radio transmitter. You need to check that properly; for this, open up the transmitter and carefully examine the circuit board. Different RC cars have different transmitters; some of them have screws while others have plastic hooks.

Observe the copper plates; they must be placed where the contacts should touch. If they are not appropriately set, you can bend them by using a flat tool. It may not still start working; in such a scenario, you can clip off some screws and then adjust them. The clipping off will screw down the circuit board closer to copper plates, and ultimately it will bring contacts close to the copper plates.

If your RC still didn’t get fixed, then you need to replace the whole control system. Separately buying servo, batteries, transmitter, motor, and speed controller are definitely cheaper than purchasing a completely new RC vehicle.

6. RC Car/Truck Transmitter Frequency Issues

Other than the transmitter connection issue, you might go through the radio transmitter frequency problem. This is more common if you have more than one RC vehicle and different cars’ frequencies mixed up. But don’t worry, you can easily have more than one vehicle as the problem is easy to fix.

In no time, you can check your transmitter and the frequency on which it’s operating. The particular frequency of a transmitter is written on it, and then it should match with the same frequency. If it’s get mixed because of extensive collections, just set the frequencies; when they get matched, it will start working appropriately.

7. RC Car/Truck Batteries Issues

The problem with car/truck batteries isn’t anything unusual. Whenever your RC car/truck stops and needs some repairing, the first thing that comes in our mind is the battery.

Note that the batteries are fully charged or not; after that notice are the batteries placed in the right direction and are precisely on the slot where they should be or not. If not, then put them in alignment; even a minute disruption from the exact location can cause the battery to stop working.

If the batteries are in their position, then try to replace the battery and choose some top-quality brand because, with time, batteries lose their power, and they need to be changed with the fresh one.

Another problem may occur if you have not used your RC vehicle for a long time, and at that time battery compartment has been exposed to moisture and air. It may cause dirt and rust in the batteries. Clean the contacts if it is still not working, then replace the batteries.

The life of your battery depends on how you maintain it. Clean it properly after a few months to avoid corrosion and store them properly.

8. RC Car/Trucks Plastic Parts Issues

Other than mechanical and technical issues, there could be a problem with the RC car’s/trucks plastic parts. Check all the details and see if any part is cracked, broken, or chipped off. A plastic rod in the steering system that connects it with the servo may be broken; you can fix that quickly. You can mend the plastic parts by using an adhesive that works perfectly on plastic.

9. RC Car/Truck Antennas Issue

You may be noticing an issue in your RC car’s/trucks running range; if so, then check the antennas. Not all RC have antennas, but if it has a telescoping antenna on the transmitter, make sure it is fully extended. An un-extended antenna will not cause any severe harm; it will just not allow your RC to run erratically or will limit the range.

The antenna must be properly installed without any bends or breakage. It must not also drag on the ground or touch any metal part inside the RC.

10. RC Car/Truck Fuel Issues

Electric RC cars/trucks don’t have this issue, while nitro RC cars/trucks can experience this. Nitro car/truck requires some extra maintenance as compare to others. When your vehicle stops working, the first thing you notice is the fuel level in the tank. Sometimes just filling it back can resolve the issue; if it’s not working, you can still check for the other factors.

11. RC Car/Truck Motor System Issues

Inside the motor, there is gear and a drive train that is made of metal or plastic. Inspect the gears with the flashlight; there may be a small pebble or a grain of sand that may be stuck inside the gear; take it out. In case of slipped or stripped gear, fix that. The easiest solution of all this is to replace the motor; it saves your time and energy for the next time.

When the motor system stops working, It’s not always about the motor; sometimes it may be about ESC. You can test this confusion that whether the problem is because of motor or ESC. The most straightforward route is to replace the motor with the second motor; if the system starts working, it means the motor’s problem. If not, then repeat the same test for ESC.

12. RC Car/Truck Servo Issues

Although servo is a cheap component of the RC car/truck, it is essential. The question arises how you would get to know that problem is in servo or somewhere else? One of the most apparent signs is that your RC responds to some transmitter commands but not all. Like your wheels may be moving forward but not moving backward.

In such a case, all you need to do is to unplug the servo from the receiver and then plug it into a receiver to make sure that it is working and the frequency of it matches with your transmitter.

After doing this, if still, your RC is not responding, then it confirms that servos are having an issue. You may need not be involved in the RC car’s internal matters, no worries, and can call for help to fix your problems.

13. RC Car/Truck Burnt-out Issues

While checking circuit boards, don’t forget to check for the burnt-out and lose components. If you find any loose part, try to screw it up. In the case of burnt-out features, you can fix them by yourself, but that would be tricky. So it is better to call the company and ask for them to replace it.

14. RC Car/Truck Mechanical Issues

At the time, the problem is where you have the least expected, mechanical issues. If your RC car or truck stops rebounding when you push it, you might need to deal with the shocks. Check if the shock cap cracked.

If yes, then the crack may result in oil loss, which ultimately stops shocks from rebounding. While changing your oil, make sure that there are no air bubbles in it, and if you are using heavyweight oil, it may take some time for rebounding.

Another critical thing is whether the shocks are clean or not. If they are dirty, then clean them by using dish soap without disassembling them. There may be dirt in the A-arms that causes a slow rebound. After checking all these points, if you can still get back the shocks, then replace the shocks, you can do it easily without any assistance.

15. Replacing the RC system

There is also a chance that after trying everything you can do to fix it, it still doesn’t start working. If the issue was in electronics, replace the complete system with new servos, batteries, speed controllers, and transmitters.

This option is inexpensive than buying a new vehicle because it will reduce the chassis and body’s cost. But before, try everything you can do to fix your previous system.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to repair your RC car/truck is compulsory for RC drivers. We hope this article will be helpful for you in fixing your fundamental problems. Now you can enjoy RC rides endlessly without fearing any issue.