Please help me.... you're going to laugh....... but I bathed my car..but help please

[KillaK]

First of all I have a Tamiya 1/10 scale TL-01 chassis, 7.2 volt (obviously) subura Impresa WRC 2001 model (viewable here http://www.etamiya.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1110)

now my problem....... GOD I'M AN IDIOT.....anyway.

Yesterday I ran my car through my brothers backyard and it was raining a little bit so the muddy conditions were quite great for a quick bash. BUT..... it got more muddy than it ever has before and i needed to get it clean (i didn't have any sort of compressed air or anything)..... so i ran it under the tap in the bathtub (keeping the engine components and the CPR dry).... i then sorta figured that regardless of whether i got it completely wet or not, it would still work after a few hours once it was dry. So i let the water run all over the car and i got it completely dry, then gave it a good drying off with a towel and shook as much water out from it as i could.

I then tested it, and it worked fine. Running the engine hard even kicked out the remaining water (or most of it anyway), so i breathed a sigh of relief vowing to never to it again as i felt lucky. 5 hours later after leaving it to dry on it's own, i decided to give it another go, just to seal my worries away.............. no go..... no steering, no power, but the wheels do calibrate when i turn it on.

After blowing on the engine hole (little hole ontop of the engine) for about 20 mins, i managed to get it back.... as good as before.... and then as quick as i got it back, it went again.

Turning on the car calibrated the wheels, but there is no trigger response or steering response. That was 10 hrs ago and it still isnt working.

To those reading this, once you're past laughing at me (if you are), and if you are knowledgeable........ am i ruined? Is there anything i can do.... dismantle the parts maybe and make sure that they're oiled or something. I really have no idea.

Failing that, a suggestion of what needs replacing.....Engine or CPR.

I'm just a little thrown back that it worked fine after it's bath (for about 10 minutes i played with it), and now it's a dead stick.

Thanks for reading, and for your possible help.

Cheers.

[chevy camaro]

well the first problem was you ran it rightafter you gave it a bath.
try blowdrying the rx and esc ythe motor shouldnt have any thing to do with it not turning. Check the plugs in your rx make sure they dont have any moisture in them . if it dosn't work try taking them apart and blowdrying them.




MIKE:)

[KillaK]

thanks for replying.

yeah that's what it was looking like i was going to have to do.... btw i'm not a hundred percent sure if it's TL-01 or TT-01. But i'm thinking now it's TT-01.

And, i'm an absolute know-nothing at this kind of thing. Could you possible explain the ESC you mentioned?

Also maybe just a quick idea of what i should be unplugging and drying. Be specific if you could...... please.

Does it sound like something is gone, or could I possibly be worrying about nothing?

either way.... i'm going to have to do it in the morning. Wish me luck.

[KillaK]

this is my chassis.

one more thing, it sort of makes a rumbling/grinding noise (not loud) when i turn it on, though i've noticed it's only when the wheels aren't perfectly straight.

http://banbircweb.fc2web.com/2003hobbyshow/tamiya/DSCF1894.jpg

[KillaK]

oh, and the Rx too..... what's that?

sorry to pester.

Scott :)

[chevy camaro]

esc Electronic S peed Controle
RX Radio recever


I ts not a problem i will do my best to help you out . oh does it have a msc mechanical speed controle it has a servo that moves a little disk with the wires to the motor on it and some ceramic restors on it

[chevy camaro]

the rumbleing noise is your servo trying to line back up to dead center its not hurt most of them do that :)

[streetracer]

We here at RC Car Action have found that , and i know most of you have heard, but When you get a motor(Electric only), you can break it in by putting it in a cup of water, and pulsing the motor to half throttle. Even the 540 size motor you have will not be effected by water but will not run right if you have mud in it. Get some motor cleaner from your LHS. use it to clean your motor every now and then. The esc will need to be completly dry as well as the servos, even though they have a moisture seal, they dont always trap water. Let both components sit in a slitly warm room, and if you can, take the top part of the covers off of the ESC and RX. This will allow for mor water to evaperate.

Good luck.
Kyle

[KillaK]

well last night was sort of humid (Aussie christmas :) ), and i checked it once more before bed and still no go. So i removed the body, and unplugged the little thing plugged into the speed controller (the Mhz thingy..... sorry about my lack of detail) and decided to let that dry out if it can.

waking up this morning i turned on the car and the controller, to find that it was behaving exactly the same.... a little bit upset, i then looked to the right to find the frequency thingy that i pulled out yesterday...... plugged it in and BAM, she's going hard again. Guess i got real lucky this time, though it's good to know that water isn't that damaging to my engine.

Thanks Mike and Kyle for helping me and not telling me what an idiot i've been.

Cheers, and i will get some motor cleaner from my local hobby shop.

Scott :)

[chevy camaro]

well i am glad we could help but your not a idiot your just a newbee to the sport you will learn as time goes on i had to and every one else has to i am sure every one has gotten ther electrics wet once or twice . heck i sunk my rustler in a 4 inch deep mud puddle last week. and the damn thing still works. good luck. if theres any thing i can help you with let me know just pm me. MIKE:)

[KillaK]

thanks very much Mike. I won't hesitate to ask for help.

And thanks for allowing me to PM if need be.

Scott :)

[chevy camaro]

no problem any time :D

[Fluke]

i learned the hard way too