Nitro Starting Problems

Nitro Starting Problems

Author
Discussion

Rednut05

Original Poster:

9,173 posts

220 months

Tuesday 24th April 2007
quotequote all
Hi,

I have a Hot Bodies Lightning GT nitro truck. Now I can try and jump start it as much as I like to no avail.

The only way I can get it started is by removing the the glow plug. Giving it a good clean with a rag and then reinserting.

After doing this, the truck will start 1st try. After a good run about I stop it...


Try to start it again and won't start for the life of it.

I have to remove and clean the glow plug again.

What's going wrong?

It's my first Nitro as some may have guessed. I have my bets on a simple straight forward answer.

David

miniman1480

25 posts

212 months

Tuesday 24th April 2007
quotequote all
have you tried replacing your glow plug also whats coming off your glow plug if it is fuel it could be that your carb needs adjsusting.


Edited by miniman1480 on Tuesday 24th April 19:52

Rednut05

Original Poster:

9,173 posts

220 months

Tuesday 24th April 2007
quotequote all
I haven't tried replacing it as it's not a very old buggy. Could I just be unlucky?

The glow plug doesn't seem overly oily. Well not dripping or anything and when it is removed, there isn't any fuel sitting below it flooding or anything. Just a shiny surface as it's oil coated.

Could there just be a dirty connection between the glow plug and what it screws into or does this 'connection' not matter?

If it's borked I'll pop out tomorrow and get a new one.

But just in case, how do I adjust the carb?

New to all this.

Cheers.

David

Rednut05

Original Poster:

9,173 posts

220 months

Tuesday 24th April 2007
quotequote all
I had a previous Tamiya Wild Dagger. Cost for me it was a lot of money when I brought it a while back due to being younger.

I brought it from a shop called Beaties and I took it home, built it, really excited about it. Got it running and then I found out it had a problem.

It had a mind of it's own and wouldn't listen to the transmitter. I tried it many places and still no luck. I took it back basicly every weekend and they did what the shop near you have done. Said it ran fine for them and that I should have no problems.

Even said they had replaced parts.

After a while I took it back again. They'd closed down.... so my £50 transmitter plus £200ish electric RC truck never did work and hasn't till this day.

Now it sits next to my Nitro and looks pittyfull.

haha

David

bigmanszetec

1,193 posts

214 months

Tuesday 24th April 2007
quotequote all
Rednut05 said:

It had a mind of it's own and wouldn't listen to the transmitter. I tried it many places and still no luck. I took it back basicly every weekend and they did what the shop near you have done. Said it ran fine for them and that I should have no problems.



Could have just been interference from something nearby?? Should have tried a different frequency.

As for your nitro, as you know all my experience is with electric models, sorry mate.

Rednut05

Original Poster:

9,173 posts

220 months

Tuesday 24th April 2007
quotequote all
bigmanszetec said:
Rednut05 said:

It had a mind of it's own and wouldn't listen to the transmitter. I tried it many places and still no luck. I took it back basicly every weekend and they did what the shop near you have done. Said it ran fine for them and that I should have no problems.



Could have just been interference from something nearby?? Should have tried a different frequency.

As for your nitro, as you know all my experience is with electric models, sorry mate.


You tried my electric. you said new speed controller or something.

anyway my nitro could drive over it so I may put the 2 motors from the electric to a boat or something....hmmm scratchchin

roop

6,012 posts

291 months

Wednesday 25th April 2007
quotequote all
Where are you in Yorkshire...? I'm just the other side of Halifax - be happy have a nose at your car and get it running...

frazer guest said:
sorry to hear of your woes, but im glad im not the only one having trouble with these bloody things.

when i was a young un, i had a few tamiyas, whilst an older lad down the road had a nitro cart. so last july, i decieded to buy myself one. grand total = £375, all in.

at first, it would only run when all the wheels were off the ground. as soon as you put it on the tarmac and applyed throttle, it would cut out. now the bloody thing just wont start at all. no fuel lines are blocked, my glow plug works, batteries are new, the glow plug charger works, but alas, it just wont start.

it has been back to the shop 6 times. every time they tell me they have taken it home, and it ran fine, (the model shop is in a shopping centre, so they wont start it there. the excuse is insurance!).

i now have a £375 static model, that has never worked right since day on. i am now reluctant to try and start it again, as i can see me losing my temper and taking a lump hamer to it.

any of you chaps have any suggestion?

thanks.

Rednut05

Original Poster:

9,173 posts

220 months

Wednesday 25th April 2007
quotequote all
your lucky day Frazer

sgrimshaw

7,419 posts

257 months

Wednesday 25th April 2007
quotequote all
Rednut05 said:
Hi,

I have a Hot Bodies Lightning GT nitro truck. Now I can try and jump start it as much as I like to no avail.

The only way I can get it started is by removing the the glow plug. Giving it a good clean with a rag and then reinserting.

After doing this, the truck will start 1st try. After a good run about I stop it...


Try to start it again and won't start for the life of it.

I have to remove and clean the glow plug again.

What's going wrong?

It's my first Nitro as some may have guessed. I have my bets on a simple straight forward answer.

David


Sounds like you may be slightly overpriming the engine, not enough to hydralock but enough to dampen the Glow Plug.

When priming, watch the fuel moving along the fuel line and stop just as it enters the carb.

The engine will pull the fuel through with the starter from that point.

Also make sure the Glo Plug Igniter has plenty of charge in it, this will help no-end.

The instruction manual has some great tips, available on-line here : www.hbeurope.com/manuals/hb55007.pdf

Hope this helps, looks to be a real fun vehicle.

Simon

Rednut05

Original Poster:

9,173 posts

220 months

Wednesday 25th April 2007
quotequote all
Because I don't really know anything about this.

What's over priming? How am I doing it? How to avoid it?

David

jezrider

261 posts

212 months

Thursday 26th April 2007
quotequote all
Carefully pick up your glow plug with some needle nose pliers and pop it into the end of ur glo plug charger, the coil in the centre should glow a very bright red and you will get a trace of smoke of it as well, if its dim for any reason then glo plug needs throwing away. you wont believe how much difference a new glow plug can make.

I agree it could be over priming, this is the amount of fuel that you put into the engine before you start it. Too much and it will flood, it sounds like this could be the case. Put your finger over the exhaust and pull the engine over 3 or 4 times until the fuel visibly enters the carb.

Let me know how you get on

Rednut05

Original Poster:

9,173 posts

220 months

Thursday 26th April 2007
quotequote all
I wondered about the glow plug... So I took it out, screwed it into the glow plug starter and...........nothing.

I looked at it and wondered if the coil down the middle seemed to be broken so I got a pencil and stuck it into the low plug hehe

This in turn made it get hot hot hot. So I guess the graphite was making the connection where the wire had broken?

Engineering David

jezrider

261 posts

212 months

Thursday 26th April 2007
quotequote all
cool, 2 options here then ...

1) buy a new glow plug (ensure you get one suitable for the size of your engine.

2) modify the pencil and use that !

Rednut05

Original Poster:

9,173 posts

220 months

Thursday 26th April 2007
quotequote all
AS tempting as modding the pencil is hehe

I'll buy a new glow plug soon.

Thanks for the help. I'm sure I'll be back within the next few days saying how the new glow plug doesn't work.

Watch that space

Cheers for the help so far.

David

Rednut05

Original Poster:

9,173 posts

220 months

Saturday 28th April 2007
quotequote all
Glow plug works fine now. Cheers for the help.

David

jezrider

261 posts

212 months

Sunday 29th April 2007
quotequote all
good news David, now get out there and use it !