TRX-4 ESC issue

[Euler]

I just picked up a used TRX4 Sport and I’m having an ESC issue, or maybe something else is killing the ESC.
The truck looks nearly new with no scuffs at all on the skid or axles. My other TRX4 that is less than 2 months old looks hammered. All components are stock. So when I hooked up a battery I got a green light at the RX but didn’t get anything at the ESC when pressing/holding the button. After trying a few batteries and checking connections. I swapped the stock ESC from my other TRX4, and the new truck worked. But only temporarily. It seemed weak, steering barely moved and eventually wouldn’t turn. It then shut off and would not turn back on.
I put that ESC back on my old TRX4 and it was now dead as well. I only ran it for maybe 30s on the new one on carpet slowly before it killed it.
So, it seems like something on this one is killing the ESCs. I assume it has to be the motor even though it appears to be almost unused.
Anything I could be missing? Something I can check?
I have a new 1080 but I’m scared to put it in and smoke it too without identifying the actual issue. I tried several charged batteries just to be sure as well and tested them afterwards in other trucks.

 

[smc-93]

I'm not an electronics expert so take my word with a grain of salt. But I'd like to think I've learned a lot from my fellow members here.

I encountered a similar with my kit build when I added heavy wheels and big, sticky tires (stock electronics). It sounds like the previous owner might have damaged the servo or got a faulty one and decided to sell it without disclosing that. Hence why it probably looks so new.

When I overloaded the stock servo in my kit it started out with twitchy, eventually unpredictable steering, eventually leading to the death of the ESC. It would turn on, steering would twitch and it'd turn back off again. Only way to turn it back on was unplugging/re-plugging the battery.

I believe if the servo is damaged in such a way that it's asking for too much power through the ESC, it'll smoke the internal BEC of the ESC. There's nothing you can do at that point except replace it.

I would recommend installing a new ESC but unplugging your servo from the RX, see if your getting power to the motor without issue. I imagine you'll probably need a new servo and ESC.

Sent from my LM-V600 using Tapatalk

 

[Euler]

I'm not an electronics expert so take my word with a grain of salt.

I encountered a similar with my kit build when I added heavy wheels and big, sticky tires (stock electronics). It sounds like the previous owner might have damaged the servo or got a faulty one and decided to sell it without disclosing that. Hence why it probably looks so new.

When I overloaded the stock servo in my kit it started out with twitchy, eventually unpredictable steering, eventually leading to the death of the ESC. It would turn on, steering would twitch and it'd turn back off again. Only way to turn it back on was unplugging/re-plugging the battery.

I believe if the servo is damaged in such a way that it's asking for too much power through the ESC, it'll smoke the internal BEC of the ESC. There's nothing you can do at that point except replace it.

Personally, I would recommend changing the servo to a known good one as well replacing the ESC.

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Thanks for the response. If that’s the issue then I left out important information. When I said all electronics are stock, I just meant the motor, ESC, and RX because they did change the servo. Not sure why based on the truck barely looking used. They could’ve stole the stock for some other truck. Who knows, but it currently has a cheap 20kg Amazon servo in it.
So it sounds likely that it has the same issue as you.
I’ll swap out that servo and test with another ESC.
Thanks again.

 

[smc-93]

Thanks for the response. If that’s the issue then I left out important information. When I said all electronics are stock, I just meant the motor, ESC, and RX because they did change the servo. Not sure why based on the truck barely looking used. They could’ve stole the stock for some other truck. Who knows, but it currently has a cheap 20kg Amazon servo in it.

So it sounds likely that it has the same issue as you.

I’ll swap out that servo and test with another ESC.

Thanks again.

I wonder if it could be just a QC issue with a cheap servo then.
Maybe they "upgraded" the servo, it was faulty, and smoked the ESC.
Hard to say.

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[Euler]

I wonder if it could be just a QC issue with a cheap servo then.
Maybe they "upgraded" the servo, it was faulty, and smoked the ESC.
Hard to say.

Sent from my LM-V600 using Tapatalk

Thanks again for the suggestion. The servo did seem to be the issue.
Both stock Traxxas ESCs appear to still be dead. So I swapped in a new 1080 and tested in both trucks; after swapping out that servo of course. Ran a battery through the new one with no issues.

 

[smc-93]

Thanks again for the suggestion. The servo did seem to be the issue.

Both stock Traxxas ESCs appear to still be dead. So I swapped in a new 1080 and tested in both trucks; after swapping out that servo of course. Ran a battery through the new one with no issues.

That's good. I'm glad you (seemingly) we're able to narrow it down

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[ferp420]

i would bet the bec burned up on both escs the aftermarket servo most likely draws more amps and if theres any binding at all pop goes the bec
i would pick up a cheap bec and a cheap servo tester
if it is the bec the speed controler will still work but the stock traxxass esc isent worth the plastic its made of