Hey guys, my father in law just recently bought a T-Maxx 3.3 and allowed me to borrow it for a week or so. It only has a total of about 5 hours run time and has ran with no problems. I have virtually no mechanical knowledge so excuse me for my vague explanation. A couple of days ago I tried to start the T-Maxx and it would not start. It makes its usual loud buzzing sound, and from what I can tell from the slot above the starter, the starter is spinning, but that seems to be the extent of it. The people at the hobby shop told me it was a bearing in the engine, I bought and replaced it but the truck is still doing the same thing. Any input would be appreciated!
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New T-Maxx will not start
- Thread starter tyler89
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If the tmaxx was stored without proper storing methods the feul will gel up in the carb.
One thing that i used to do when starting off with my first nitro that helped me was alwas going back to factory settings. Kinda alot of work but you will learn wonders as you go.
things i checked befor starting.
Make sure your glow plug is nice and bright.
Make sure you feul is moving alog thru the lines.
Full charge on the wand
Turn on the trucks power as to some throttle settings may come in to play with your engine staying on.
Says here a new T maxx so I'm assuming all is in order.
And be sure you see both lights go on when starting.
And when starting make sure your flywheel is moving.
If not then you may have stripped gears in the ez start system.
One thing that i used to do when starting off with my first nitro that helped me was alwas going back to factory settings. Kinda alot of work but you will learn wonders as you go.
things i checked befor starting.
Make sure your glow plug is nice and bright.
Make sure you feul is moving alog thru the lines.
Full charge on the wand
Turn on the trucks power as to some throttle settings may come in to play with your engine staying on.
Says here a new T maxx so I'm assuming all is in order.
And be sure you see both lights go on when starting.
And when starting make sure your flywheel is moving.
If not then you may have stripped gears in the ez start system.
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The people in your hobby shop are incredibly stupid. I mean that...STUPID!
Follow the guides from Jose, above.
After you get it running, add a post and tell us if it needs some adjustments. DON'T take it to that hobby shop.
Follow the guides from Jose, above.
After you get it running, add a post and tell us if it needs some adjustments. DON'T take it to that hobby shop.
hulkmaxx
Wanna know my secrect. I'm always ANGRY!
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+ 1 on what Rolex said Hobby shops are money pits or at least most. All in my area are all to eager to take a noobs money right quick. I would bet its prob just a bad glow plug causing the isuues.
Now really thinking of what Rolex just said i really wonder how they start you off with a bearing to solve your issue.
Thats like someone telling me i need a new tire when i really just ran out of gas.
We need more info about this Tmaxx.
Like how long has it sat?
Do you know how the tune is?
Dose your father in law even lift? <-----(Jk)
Do you know about nitro?
---------- Post added at 11:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:51 PM ----------
Rule of thumb for me is break it in replace glow plug.
Tune and check glow plug (may replace again)
Very high risk of failure of a glow plug when running to rich.
Thats like someone telling me i need a new tire when i really just ran out of gas.
We need more info about this Tmaxx.
Like how long has it sat?
Do you know how the tune is?
Dose your father in law even lift? <-----(Jk)
Do you know about nitro?
---------- Post added at 11:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:51 PM ----------
Rule of thumb for me is break it in replace glow plug.
Tune and check glow plug (may replace again)
Very high risk of failure of a glow plug when running to rich.
Diesel Mark
Gone - bye bye.
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Just to give you an idea of how much of idiots hobby shops are they told me when I first started to run 50-50 nitro to gasoline to clean out my motor. Luckily I had some common sense and I haven't gone back there
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Snook Man
Hardcore RCTalk User
What bearing did you replace? If it was the One Way Bearing between the backplate and the ez start it has to be installed with the lettering on the bearing facing the engine or it will just spin on the starter shaft.
Snook can these bearings go bad new?
Snook Man
Hardcore RCTalk User
Not usually, but if the starter shaft is worn it can wear the bearing quickly and if worn badly the OWB can not grip it to turn the engine.
- Thread starter
- #10
Jose, thanks for the response man. Like I said, it only had about 5 hours of run time over a two week period, all the maintenance suggested by the manual was performed(clean remove glow plug and spray with WD40, clean air filter). It never sat without this maintenance done and the longest it ever sat without running was 2-3 days. To my knowledge, I never changed anything from the original factory settings. I am not sure what you mean by "glow plug nice and bright", maybe if you elaborate then I can get back to you on that. Their is no fuel moving in the line when I attempt to start it, and the wand is fully charged. Neither light comes on the wand when attempting to start, I am pretty sure it used to though. I will be sure to check the flywheel.
---------- Post added at 8:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 7:57 AM ----------
Snook, it was the one way bearing, and I re-installed it with the lettering facing the engine.
---------- Post added at 8:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 7:57 AM ----------
Snook, it was the one way bearing, and I re-installed it with the lettering facing the engine.
Did you put your finger to cover the tune pipe wile starting?
This allows the suction of the fuel to the carb.
If your lights aren't lighting up then you have a problem.
If your light for the glow plug dose not come on then need to check wiring and glow plug.
Remove glow plug and connect the glow plug wire to it and touch the side of the glow plug to the cooling head. Then try to start it. You should see it glow.
If the glowing look like your stove dose on high its no good.
It should look much brighter then that.
---------- Post added at 8:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 8:52 AM ----------
Also look at the coil inside of the glow plug and make sure all is lighting up.
This allows the suction of the fuel to the carb.
If your lights aren't lighting up then you have a problem.
If your light for the glow plug dose not come on then need to check wiring and glow plug.
Remove glow plug and connect the glow plug wire to it and touch the side of the glow plug to the cooling head. Then try to start it. You should see it glow.
If the glowing look like your stove dose on high its no good.
It should look much brighter then that.
---------- Post added at 8:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 8:52 AM ----------
Also look at the coil inside of the glow plug and make sure all is lighting up.
- Thread starter
- #12
Ok, so an update. I took the backplate off the EZ Start, when I fire up the wand, the EZ Start spins, the gears in the backplate spin, and it spins the one way bearing, but it seems as if the flywheel is seizing up. I only know this because I tried to turn it manually and every half spin or so it gets stuck for a moment, but when fully assembled, the flywheel doesn't even make an attempt to turn while the EZ Start is spinning. The only thing in between the one way bearing and the flywheel is the engine(I could be wrong about that, like I said, I have virtually no knowledge on these). Hopefully that could help narrow down my issues. Thanks again guys.
http://traxxas.com/node/50983
---------- Post added at 9:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 9:00 AM ----------
Snook may be on to something here then.
See if you can flip the one way bearing then attempt to start again
---------- Post added at 9:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 9:03 AM ----------
And yes thats normal for the engine to feel that way. They call it pinch means you still have compression
---------- Post added at 9:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 9:00 AM ----------
Snook may be on to something here then.
See if you can flip the one way bearing then attempt to start again
---------- Post added at 9:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 9:03 AM ----------
And yes thats normal for the engine to feel that way. They call it pinch means you still have compression
Childresshunt
RCTalk Addict
Sounds like a good call by snook when he said the owb may be in backwards. If the starter is spinning but not the flywheel one way would be the problem
- Thread starter
- #15
Ok, so I covered the tuning pipe with my finger while trying to start it and still got nothing, no fuel in the line. I also took the glow plug out, plugged it into the glow plug wire, and touched it to the side of the engine and got no color or heat from it at all. I was wrong when I said that the owb does not turn the flywheel, I can tell that it is making an attempt to, but the flywheel is just seizing up. I also made sure the new owb was installed correctly.
Snook Man
Hardcore RCTalk User
Weak ez start battery, tight pinch or flooded engine can all lead to the starter having probles turning the engine over.
No glow from the plug can be: bad plug that needs replaced, bad wiring, or bad ez start wand. Make sure the yellow ground wire on the ez start wiring harness is attached to one of the engine block/engine mount screws or the circut is not complete and you will get no power to the plug.
Will the engine turn over/flywheel spin counter clockwise when looking at it from the front of the engine as it should with the glow plug removed?
No glow from the plug can be: bad plug that needs replaced, bad wiring, or bad ez start wand. Make sure the yellow ground wire on the ez start wiring harness is attached to one of the engine block/engine mount screws or the circut is not complete and you will get no power to the plug.
Will the engine turn over/flywheel spin counter clockwise when looking at it from the front of the engine as it should with the glow plug removed?
- Thread starter
- #17
The ground wire is properly grounded. The flywheel will turn counter clockwise but only by hand, when I attempt to start it up it makes an attempt to turn clockwise by seizes.
---------- Post added at 9:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 9:42 AM ----------
Is their a way for me to check if the EZ Start battery is weak or if the engine is flooded?
---------- Post added at 9:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 9:43 AM ----------
but seizes***
---------- Post added at 9:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 9:42 AM ----------
Is their a way for me to check if the EZ Start battery is weak or if the engine is flooded?
---------- Post added at 9:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 9:43 AM ----------
but seizes***
It seems that the engine is not completely broken in yet. I had this happen with one of my new trx 3.3 it had way to much pinch.
I had to put the pull start on it and keep it on untill it was fully broken in.
If the flywheel wont turn then the fuel wont go. And if the glow plug wont light up then its time to change it. Now this is something that i did to freeup the motor (I'm NOT RECOMMENDING THIS. I DID THIS AT MY OWN RISK) grabbed a channel lock and slowly turned the fly wheel.
If you attempt such thing make sure you turn it the right way.
Note: nitros are a pain in the rear but when you learn to mess with them they are fun!
I had to put the pull start on it and keep it on untill it was fully broken in.
If the flywheel wont turn then the fuel wont go. And if the glow plug wont light up then its time to change it. Now this is something that i did to freeup the motor (I'm NOT RECOMMENDING THIS. I DID THIS AT MY OWN RISK) grabbed a channel lock and slowly turned the fly wheel.
If you attempt such thing make sure you turn it the right way.
Note: nitros are a pain in the rear but when you learn to mess with them they are fun!
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First thing to do: Replace the glow plug.
Grab a heat gun or hair dryer and "pre-heat" the engine. this will loosen the "pinch" and let the engine turn over much easier (reducing stress on the engine). If your plug isn't heating though, nothing you do will start it. I recommend going with an independant ignitor, I've had great luck with my Hot Shot 2. I know Traxxas had a bad run with their EZstart wands a couple years ago, the wand would stop lighting the plug but still turn the engine over