• Welcome to RCTalk! 🚀

    Join the #1 RC community where hobbyists connect, share, and get expert advice on RC cars, trucks, boats, drones, and more!

    • ✓ Friendly & passionate RC enthusiasts
    • ✓ RC tips & troubleshooting
    • ✓ Buy, sell & trade RC gear
    • ✓ Share builds & upgrades

Glow plugs keep going out!!

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
B

Bushwaker

RCTalk Basher
Messages
79
Reaction score
0
Points
0
RC Driving Style
  1. Bashing
  2. Racing
Is this a tuning issue, Heat issue or a fuel issue? How can I minimize this or is it something that just happens?

For fuel I'm trying to finish up a gal of 15% Cool Power before I go up to the 20% or 25%.

I dont drive WOT too much just alil drive from grass, dirt to pavement. I just put a new body on it so I'm not bashing right now. I just want to get it running right.
 
Do plugs really fail that often? I only killed one plug all summer...I must be doing something right.

My picco is still running the same plug I broke it in with, about 1.5 gallons ago..
 
if your truck is tuned right, they usually dont quit...unless they get old...if it is way way to rich, that could kill it, also if it is to lean, that could kill it also....

Hope that helps good luck!
 
chevyduramax said:
if your truck is tuned right, they usually dont quit...unless they get old...if it is way way to rich, that could kill it, also if it is to lean, that could kill it also....

Hope that helps good luck!
Click to expand...

1.5 gallons is risky though. The filament could break off and scratch your cylinder and piston. Of course that can happen to a newer plug as well but you're taking a chance after 1 gallon or so. I try to get close to one gallon but I don't get alot of time to bash so that's rare for me.
 
2revo1maxx said:
1.5 gallons is risky though. The filament could break off and scratch your cylinder and piston. Of course that can happen to a newer plug as well but you're taking a chance after 1 gallon or so. I try to get close to one gallon but I don't get alot of time to bash so that's rare for me.
Click to expand...

Never thought of that...thanks for the advice
 
WELL thanks for all the info you all but get this the plugs were not burnt at all! That Easy start = Easy Head Ach I tried almost everything from postion to wire testing and on my starting wand the GP light would flicker not burn bright like the motor one. So I had and old GP lighter that I had used on my RS4 I put that on my GP's and they lit right up so now I'm using that for the GP's and not the blue easy start wire the truck starts alot faster this way.
 
Ya thats what I have been using, I broke in my 3.3 HPI motor with it and also have been running the 2.5 with it.
 
You might wanna pony up for some Byron's or O'donnell fuel. Running rich will kill your plugs too. Make sure your crank bearings are ok on the 2.5, the trx engines are famous for eating bearings.
 
Bushwaker, I to had this problem just today. It's weird I come across a thread on the same issue. Today was my first day off in 5 days, and I was ready to do some bashing! I went down to my local entertainment complex, and went to start it up. I had a fresh EZ Start wand, just charged from the night before. A good 10 hour charge. Took it off of charge about two hours before I went to play. I get to the complex, did the usual fill up, priming, etc, and the 2.5 just rolled and rolled and rolled over, but never cranked. Now, I'm a little baffled because my 2.5 maxx NEVER had a problem starting up, it usually fired up within about 5 seconds or so. Anyway, after damn near running my ez start down to nothing, decided to take my rig to the LHS. I get there, the dude is too busy to look at it then, and wants me to leave it. So I start asking questions while he's working on some other piece of poop! To make a long story short, he asks me about my indicator light on my wand. I already replaced the glow plug, so I knew that wasn't the problem. He asked me if I was having any issues with the indicator light fading in and out. It just so happens that I did notice my light flickering, but just ever so slightly. He then threw me a glow plug igniter, and told me to try starting it with the igniter. I went outside, installed the igniter, and that bastard fired up the second I hit the ez start button. So I can vouch on ur issue. Come to find out, the circuitry in my wand is apparently going bad, and is not able to fire up the glow plug enough to start the motor. I bought the igniter, and plan to use it from here on out! Just some FYI for anyone else who might have a hard time starting their RC's. The igniter made a believer out of me. The dude at the LHS, told me he's had his same igniter that started my Maxx, for 8 years. I'm sold. I'm sure the peeps here who have been doing this for 10+ years can laugh at our situation, but the ones who have been doing this for not so long, can learn from this! I never knew what a glow plug igniter did. I just thought a glow plug igniter was for some old school RC who didn't have the modern technology we have now. Lesson learned.

T.
 
Morpheus I hear ya bro but I had bought everthing brand new cause I thought it was the wand and then I look at my wires on the easy start esp the blue one and I wouldnt have trusted that thing for nothing it was so mesed up. So I went out and bought a new wand a new battery for the wand and new easy start wires and I was so close to getting a new easy start motor. I was like why is this thing not starting with all this new ish on it ! Then like I said I thought it was the plugs HA HA LOL after the 3 that I threw away thanks to the false reading on the wand. I had to rethink what I was doing? I'm just glad I kept the igniter for my RS4 before I traded it. The igniter that I have has a GP meter on top of it that lets you know if the GP has gone bad. this is just a lesson well learned.

Jack
 
Last edited:
I've been in this for 10+ yrs. and learned along time ago to not trust the EZ start, sleezy start as it was called back then, to fire up my rig. I always carry 2 glow ignitors as well. Full charge on both naturally and an extra charged sub-c battery to boot. Nothing will get you more irritated than getting ready to bash only to find out your ignitors are dead and its "game over".

I'm not laughing, I know the frustration that comes along with it, but as you mentioned...lesson learned. : )

-Nitro
 
last summer i checked about 5-6 glow plugs. they all drew 1 - to 1.1 amps at 1.4 volts. so if you separate the amp draw, you will have that much more amps for the ez-start. i just tossed the bat in the hand wand, and wired it to the cigarette lighter out let on my street truck.. i can crank till i get tired. no issues with overheating the starter motor.
 

RC Builds

Back
Top