Battery Smoked!

[glacierangel]

Well today, I put a nice charged up battery in to my traxxas stampede, with its relatively new ss5800 system. I turned it on, and tried driving it, but it wasn't responding well, just jumping around on its own. I reached under the body to turn it off, and the switch was hot! :eek: I then noticed something had started smoking. After wrestling with the body pins for a little bit, i got the body off and saw that the cable from the battery to the connector was melting, steadily towards the battery. I ran to get some pliers to disconnect it from the esc, because both plugs were sizzling. Once i got it disconnected, i took the battery out and watched it smoke and sizzle, until the cable was basically gone. The battery seems like it is destroyed (at least it was a $15 cheapo), and both tamiya connectors were melted. I think the esc is fine, as nothing in the car melted, except a velcro battery strap. The heat sink was very hot though, so once it cools ill try an old crap battery that i have to see if it is working. Any ideas why this happened? :confused: :confused: :confused:
Ill post pics of the battery and update on the esc in a little bit.

[josh222]

Brushless+cheap battery+ tamiya conector= your problem

[glacierangel]

lol. Nice formula. So was it the connectors fault?

[josh222]

definatly go to deans or powerpoles. Your setup is dependent on your batteries. If you run cheap packs you won't get the most out of it :)

[ElectricThunder]

lol. Nice formula. So was it the connectors fault?
Possibly. I think it's between the cheapy battery and the connectors. The cheapy batteries couldn't handle the amp draw, so they got HAWT. This, in turn, heats the connectors. Tamiya connectors suck as it is, but when intense heat is applied, they melt. They most likely ended up melting and shorting the two leads out some how. Shorting out a battery is bad, and causes more heat.

Lesson: Get decent batteries and use deans or anderson plugs. You will have a test on this tomorrow.:D

[one85_db]

Yup you need better batteries and deans! I would recommend you use LiPo Packs!

[glacierangel]

anyone have a link to some good gp 3300s? I can't seem to find any. What is the minimun discharge rate that i need in batterys?

[ElectricThunder]

GP3300s from your local radio shack for 25 bucks. Those should do just wonderfully with the SS5800.

I got two packs of side by side 6 cell IB4200WCs from promatch for 45 each. I LOVE these packs. :eek:

[one85_db]

GP3300s from your local radio shack for 25 bucks. Those should do just wonderfully with the SS5800.

I got two packs of side by side 6 cell IB4200WCs from promatch for 45 each. I LOVE these packs. :eek:


I second that!

[evst 360]

I third that!

[glacierangel]

I heard that radio shack no longer carries gp 3300s.
I would like a couple of ib4200s, but it is hard for me to drop $90 on batteries. I mean i know they are important, but they seem to wear out too fast. Or do IB batteries somehow last longer?
When i was sitting back watching the battery melt i was just like phewwww, at least that was only a $15 dollar battery :D

[one85_db]

IB 3600 on MaxAmps.com for $45
GP 3700 on MaxAmps for $55
IB 4200 on MaxAmps for $68
GP 4300 on MaxAmps for $68

also look at www.cheapbatterypacks.com
http://www.cheapbatterypacks.com/main.asp?sid=699750&pgid=superlisting&type=car&manufacturer=4&model=22

[N3wGuy]

I work at RadioShack as for the GP3300 the first store I worked at had a bunch, and I just transfered to another store and they only have one of the GP3300 on the peg right now. If you want any more info on RadioShack batteries pm me.

[kschauwe]

If the power switch was hot, you got more problems. The only current flowing through the switch, is from the BEC, which supplies the servo and the ESC electronics. Even cheap batteries and Tamya connectors shouldn't heat up that fast. Your ESC's BEC may be shorted. That's why the heatsink heated up also.

[glacierangel]

the power switch being hot is just an irrelevant detail, because it is mounted near the battery, with was boiling :eek:

[kschauwe]

Since your heatsink heated up, you might have more problems.

[terrible-t]

Where Did it start to melt? Battery side or ESC side. Or from the switch. If was the battery side one of the cells shorted. The ESC, the ESC shorted out, It's fried. Invest on a new ESC & battery, more common with a Major Manufacturer. Tamiya connecters do get hot, and loose. Deans good idea.

[glacierangel]

well the melting started at the battery side of the connector. I think ill try to send the esc in under warranty.