Melting battery!!!

[berna1974]

Hi everibody, I'm new here and I find this site on of the most interesting for who likes electric buggys like I do!!!

I have a Dark Impact wich I played a lot with, and waiting for a brand new Lazex ZX-5 SP coming from UK!
I purchased a Mamba Max 6900 and just installed into my DF-03: after a few minutes driving I smelled some plastic burning...and I found that the battery was so hot that a part of the plastic chassis was a little bit melting next to the bottom battery connector!!!

I agree that the battery location on the DF-03 is really closed and no air flows to it, but still...do you think it is normal???
Do you have any hints to solve this?

I don't really care of the DF-03...but I don't want to melt my new ZX-5 SP when it will be ready!!!!!!!

Thanks to all

[ashleyb4]

by the sounds of it you have tried to use a high powered brushless system with a cheap battery and the connectors or wire cant or te cells themselves cant take the current your trying to draw.

A

[berna1974]

Connectors and wires seems to be fine...I'm afraid that the cells are a bit poor!!!
Any suggestion on cells to use?

[ashleyb4]

www.stormforce racnig have some 4500 coming into stock soon they would be brilliant battery to have.

A

[Chrislong]

if there is a lot of ampage running through a wire with high resistance, you have just created an electric heater.

The standard Tamiya plugs are garbage if running anything more than a 540, which you are. So what is likely to have happened is the resistance in them started to melt them.

Don't worry about the cells, make sure the connectors are something good, such as Deans, and the cells will work fine. The next thing may be runtime is low, and new high capacity cells (avoid the IB4200 fireworks) will help that a lot and also give plenty of added *umph*.

Chris

[Spoolio]

Originally Posted by Chrislong

iThe standard Tamiya plugs are garbage if running anything more than a 540, which you are. So what is likely to have happened is the resistance in them started to melt them.

Don't worry about the cells, make sure the connectors are something good, such as Deans, and the cells will work fine. The next thing may be runtime is low, and new high capacity cells (avoid the IB4200 fireworks) will help that a lot and also give plenty of added *umph*.

Chris

Yeah, totally agree but he said his connectors seemed fine, which is a bit puzzling.

[Chrislong]

I know, but its all it can be. He is worrying about airflow to the battery and chassis melting near the connector so it must be getting warm, the battery connector should be stone cold if resistance is low.

And its a cheaper thing to swap before he goes away to buy new cells. I was thinking along the lines of; I wouldn;t feel guilty if he spent £2 on a connector and found it was the cells at fault, but if we tell him to spend £20 - £30 on cells but the 50p tamiya connector is still the problem then he's going to be rather upset.

[DCM]

Originally Posted by berna1974

Hi everibody, I'm new here and I find this site on of the most interesting for who likes electric buggys like I do!!!

I have a Dark Impact wich I played a lot with, and waiting for a brand new Lazex ZX-5 SP coming from UK!
I purchased a Mamba Max 6900 and just installed into my DF-03: after a few minutes driving I smelled some plastic burning...and I found that the battery was so hot that a part of the plastic chassis was a little bit melting next to the bottom battery connector!!!

I agree that the battery location on the DF-03 is really closed and no air flows to it, but still...do you think it is normal???
Do you have any hints to solve this?

I don't really care of the DF-03...but I don't want to melt my new ZX-5 SP when it will be ready!!!!!!!

Thanks to all

what battery type were you using, and was it the cell or the solder connection getting too hot?

[mole2k]

Originally Posted by Chrislong

I know, but its all it can be. He is worrying about airflow to the battery and chassis melting near the connector so it must be getting warm, the battery connector should be stone cold if resistance is low.

And its a cheaper thing to swap before he goes away to buy new cells. I was thinking along the lines of; I wouldn;t feel guilty if he spent £2 on a connector and found it was the cells at fault, but if we tell him to spend £20 - £30 on cells but the 50p tamiya connector is still the problem then he's going to be rather upset.

I'd agree with that, also switching over to deans plugs or similar cant be a bad move anyway where as throwing a lot more money away on cells without changing connectors would just end up with melted connectors!

[DCM]

I agree that a Tamiya Connector is a big no-no but I don't think this is the problem, it sounds more like a duff cell.

[berna1974]

Hi guys, I'm back online and just saw all your comments! Thanks all of you for your precious support! I left electric RC years ago...now I'm back and I find things changed a lot!!!
It's true, I I wrote the connectores are fine...but are still Tamiya connectors!
I'm going to change Deans connectors to replace them asap, as Chrislong sayd the expense is so low that it will be worth it anyway!

But I wanted to go deeper on batteries and I opened up my pack: well it's embarassing...but my shop cheated on me: cells are 7,2V, 1200mah...Nickel CADMIUN!!!!!!!
Even if connectore will help...I pretty much believe that I'll need to get new packs!!! I will definetly change model shop, and I will look for Ni-Mh at least 4000Mah new pack. I don't think I'll go for Lipo as I should change my charger also...and I prefer going step by step...but I believe good nimah pack will change my life from the sh.t I have right now!

[RogerM]

Problem solved by the sounds of it!!

I have to go with Ash's recomendation of the E-power 4500 and to get them from Neil @ Stormforce.

By the way the Lazer ZX5-SP (the global kit) is available in the UK, had mine about a week ..... nice!!!!!

[berna1974]

I'm not very good on assemble batteries as I never done it and I don't want to make mistakes an throw them away!
Thanks for the hint but I think I'll look for assembled pack: I'm not racing so I don't really need super extra performance, I just need enough to have much fun!
I saw the ORION Rocket Stick Pack 7,2V-4500mAh and they seem to be good enough (specially compared to what I have now...) only need to replace the connector with Deans.

The ZX-5 SP seems to be a real nice car as I saw around: I ordered it online from a UK shop as it's not available in Italy yet, and waiting for it to get here!

[markwilliamson2001]

Neil can assemble them for you at Stormforce, for a small fee. Worth it IMO, as you get better cells better assembled.

[berna1974]

Good to know, thanx. On friday I'm going to a model show in a city nearby and I hope to find something there, and usually on shows you can get good prices.
In case I won't find anything I'll think about it!

[dan_kitty]

or you could get a lipo, but you would need a proper charger for it.

the mamba has lipo cut off device on it

[dan_kitty]

lol just read your post saying you dont want to go lipo, sorry

[berna1974]

Non problem, in fact I don't want to change the charger...it will next step maybe!

[Spoolio]

Originally Posted by Chrislong

I know, but its all it can be. He is worrying about airflow to the battery and chassis melting near the connector so it must be getting warm, the battery connector should be stone cold if resistance is low.

And its a cheaper thing to swap before he goes away to buy new cells. I was thinking along the lines of; I wouldn;t feel guilty if he spent £2 on a connector and found it was the cells at fault, but if we tell him to spend £20 - £30 on cells but the 50p tamiya connector is still the problem then he's going to be rather upset.

. The man talks much sense.

[berna1974]

Oh yes, and I will still try with deans with my crappy cells just to see what happens!!