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f4.6 idles for a second and dies

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lokidaemon

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Hi all. I just recently bought a savage x 4.6 as a venture into the world of nitro rcs. Nevertheless, I simply cannot get it to idle which is making break-in impossible. I can occasionally get it to run for a few seconds but, it immediately stops after more than 3 seconds and sometimes right after I remove the glow igniter. I know you're probably thinking I'm not charging batteries or the glow plug is bad but, I'm testing my batteries on my multimeter constantly and, I've tested 5 NEW glow plugs within a matter of an hour- a little unlikely that 5 plugs would all be bad. I called HPI earlier today because I couldn't get it to start at all. They recommended playing with the idle screw in 1/8 turns which led to me finally being able to start it but, not keep it running. All in all, this is becoming a nuisance and is really turning me off of nitro rcs. Any help is gladly welcomed because I really want to play with this thing before snow hits the ground.
 
During the first tank, it's going to fight you. My F4.1 was a nightmare during its' first tank. The best thing you can do is leave the glow starter attached during the first tank or two. That will ensure the glowplug has enough of a boost to keep running.

From there, just stick with it. It'll get better once it starts loosening up.
 
keep restarting it.

this is what u go through when you are breaking in a new engine.



Z
 
glow plug igniter attached or not, it falters within a few seconds of starting.
 
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Once it's started, give it short blips on the trigger to blow out the oil collected in the muffler. Set you idle higher, and keep the wheels off the ground.
 
if i try to give it any throttle at all, it immediately kills with a loud banging sound like something is colliding with something else...
 
Keep the ignitor on, keep the wheels off the ground, keep spinning the roto start as you adjust the LSN. Go to the rich side first. If it dies, lean it. When it's idling, make sure there's fine droplets coming out of the exhaust. Keep an eye on the temp.
 
still no luck. the engine tries to start but immediately dies still all the while making a very nasty banging sound while i run the rotostart.
 
hah. i think you can understand my situation and how anger can make a person become a tad more passive as things fail repeatedly. no?
 
oh i understand.


but u need to understand that the engine is brand new, and is very tight.

i have almost 8 tanks through my axial .28rr and lastnight. my roto start wouldnt turn it over. i had to use a pair of pliers on the roto start shaft to get it to move.

but just keep at it.

get as much fuel run through it as u can.

its frustrating i know. you should have seen my face when my engine locked up. lol
it wasn't good.



but just keep with it.

it'll get better
 
yea but, i can't even make it through my first tank! its still at about 80/160ml after about 5 hours of trying to get it to run. my batts are just about dead and i'm burnt out like my first glow plug. i had honestly never expected this to be so friggin difficult. i mean, i've never heard many horror stories about nitro engines and wanted to get away from the horrors i personally know about electrics...
 
At this point, the best advise I can give you is to heat it up with a hair dryer before trying to start it. That should make it easier. Other than that, crack the glow plug a bit just to let off some of the compression. When it starts, tighten it up.
It's kind of unusual, that you should be having so much trouble with it, but keep at it.
 
Have you pulled the air filter and actually looked at the throttle valve position? It needs to be at least 1mm, probably a bit more on a new engine. Make sure that when applying the brake it doesn't close up.

What does the glow plug look like when you pull it? Is wet and oily or fairly dry? Any damage to the coil?

Try spinning the engine with plug out. Does it spit a lot of fuel out? Kinda sounds like it's too rich and hydro-locking.
 
yeh on my first tank on my rtr 4.6 it was always dieing
but then heartbreak said to turn the low speed needle about 1/8 anti-clockwise to richen it up
once i did that it never turned off during break in, NEVER, lol i was surprised

HeartBreak said:
During the first tank, it's going to fight you. My F4.1 was a nightmare during its' first tank. The best thing you can do is leave the glow starter attached during the first tank or two. That will ensure the glowplug has enough of a boost to keep running.

From there, just stick with it. It'll get better once it starts loosening up.
Click to expand...

yeh i also did this, just leaving the glow igniter on.
 
tried the hairdryer to no avail. loosening the glow plug is what a how-to guide i read recommended but, it just wouldn't start at all with the plug loose. i have removed the filter and the valve is about 1-2mm open and doesn't close at all when the brake is applied. when i ran it without the plug, i see an extremely fine mist and the only time it spurts fuel is if it's flooded. also, the plug is wet and oily but still lights up a very very bright yellow, almost white. (i'm figuring the engine is too rich?)
 
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If the plug is wet and oily you're running too rich. As far as the glow plug, just crack it a bit to let off some of the high compression, letting it spin faster for starting. Don't loosen it so much that there's NO compression.
Stay with it, keep us posted. We'll have you up and running.
 
oh no, i understand not to loosen it so much that there's no compression. btw, how much should i lean it out from the factory default?
 
Look at the needles like a clock. 12 stops. Don't go more than 1 hour marker at a time. Starting, idling and take off rely on the LSN. Make sure your HSN is set to factory flush. Just don't be expecting performance since you're in the break in. Some of these can be stubborn, but you'll get it.
 

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