ESC problem

[Kato]

I have a Losi 8ight E (registered) that I bought in July and have run maybe 6 or 7 times. All stock components except for the Losi motor heat sink and Futaba servo.

Yesterday I was at a race and went out to do a practice run and my rig just stopped halfway through the first lap. When I checked the car there was no power to the ESC or radio. I figured I just had a bad battery (Losi 14.8V / 5000 mAh). When I plugged the battery into my charger I got a "Connection Break" alarm on my Venom Pro charger. Ok, that kind of confirmed my suspicions it was a bad battery. I put in my second Losi 14.8V / 5000 mAh battery, set it on the track, and it went about 6 inches before stopping dead. I got the same "Connection Break" message on my charger when I checked the second Losi battery.

So now I have two expensive toasted LiPo batteries and what I assume is a bad ESC. Can a faulty ESC wreck a LiPo that way? I've only had the thing a couple of months !!

In talking to guys at the track I heard a lot of horror stories about ESC problems on 1/8 buggies. Not just Losi but most all major aftermarket units as well. In fact, I got to see one of the aftermarket ESC's go up in flames that same day.

Are the electronics for 1/8 racing just not capable or reliable yet? I can't afford any more $500.00+ race days and I am hoping Losi can rectify this for me.

Before this incident the car was awesome.

I appreciate your feedback.
B

[Cubic24]

The batteries should still be fine and so should the esc unless the batteries where rated too high for the speed control. I assume connection break just means a bad connection. Check the connectors on both the battery and speed control for loose, broken, or interrupted connections.

If nothing works look for troubleshooting on Losi.com or email them and see if they will refund it or replace it.

[Y2KGTP]

Strange problem. Did you replace battery connectors, or are using the stock Losi? Any sort of battery adapter to convert plug styles perhaps?

[Kato]

Stock Losi connectors. It is not the connectors guys, a buddy of mine put one of the batteries on his charger and detected a bad cell too so it appears the bad cells causes the ESC to turn off due to low voltage which makes sense but how do two batteries go bad in the span of 5 minutes? I sent the ESC in to Horizon/Losi to get checked out and am waiting to hear back from them.