Sometimes, you might find out your RC car steering works but no throttle. This happens for various reasons, including a faulty ESC or the unit not calibrated to the transmitter. The issue may also occur due to a damaged transmitter, bad receiver, loose servos wiring, or faulty throttle servo.
Other than that, using the wrong type of battery or an incompatible transmitter and receiver could be responsible for the unresponsive throttle. Nothing to worry about, though, because there are many ways to fix this problem.
So, how do you fix RC car steering works but no throttle? Read on to find out this and much more.
Causes & Solutions For RC Car Steering Works But No Throttle At Glance
Not sure why the steering of your RC car works but no throttle? Below is a summary of what to expect in the guide.
| Causes | Solutions |
| ESC problems | Calibrate ESC or buy a new one |
| Faulty servo wires | Repair or replace |
| Damaged transmitter | Swap throttle with steering servo plugs |
| Motor problems | Align the motor magnets and ball bearings or replace |
| Faulty battery | Recharge batteries or replace |
| Incompatible receiver and transmitter | Replace either unit |
| Misaligned gears | Tighten and realign the pinion gear |
| Faulty throttle servo | Get a replacement |
RC Car Steering Works But No Throttle – Causes?
Your RC car has many mechanical and electrical parts. Therefore, there are many reasons why its steering may work but not throttle. Some of the fundamental causes for this problem include:
1. Damaged servo wires or throttle servo
The servo is a small motor used to control the steering and throttle of your RC car. So, when the servo wires are damaged or corroded, the steering may work, but the throttle may fail to respond. Sometimes, you might find that the servo wires are loose.
2. Bad transmitter or receiver
Both the transmitter and receiver work together to control the RC car. However, these two units may stop working, causing the throttle to be unresponsive. This may happen due to old batteries, the frequencies not matching, faulty servos, or a damaged remote.
3. Motor failure
Every RC car’s brushed or brushless motor, including the Traxxas Stampede 2WD model, is prone to overheating issues. This usually causes the throttle to be unresponsive. The engine may sometimes fail due to severe crashes or exceeding the maximum RPM range.
4. Faulty batteries
If the batteries of your RC car are not charged fully or installed correctly, this could affect the throttle but not the steering. This is because the batteries cannot provide your car with adequate power. Also, using the wrong batteries is another cause of unresponsive throttle. For example, using LiPo batteries instead of NiMH battery cells in the Bandit VXL race car.
5. ESC problems
Also referred to as electronic speed control, the ESC is responsible for controlling the speed of your RC car motor. If the ESC is not calibrated after installing a new transmitter, your car’s steering may work with no throttle. Sometimes, it could be because the ESC is burned out and dead.
6. Unaligned or worn-out servo gears
RC cars have pinion gears directly connected to the motor and spur gears, which are the main drive gears. Your RC car may not achieve full throttle when either gear is out of alignment or worn out.
7. Incompatible receiver and transmitter
If the transmitter you use is incompatible with the receiver, you may not get any throttle in your RC car. This is because it will be difficult for the transmitter to send commands to the receiver, so it activates the motors.
How To Fix RC Car Steering That Works But No Throttle
Once you know the causes of your RC car steering working but no throttle, fixing the problem should be easy. The following are simple solutions.
Step 1: Check the ESC
Using a voltmeter, confirm the voltage of your RC car’s motor connectors. If there is no voltage, the ESC BLX100 of your Arrma Big Rock Crew Cab is dead. Therefore, you will need to replace the ESC and calibrate it to your car’s transmitter.
Here is a video of an Arrma Big Rock with no throttle due to a bad ESC and how to fix the issue: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEzMciqa2-w)
Step 2: Inspect the servo wires
If the issue is not the ESC, the servo wires could be damaged. Check to see if the cables are corroded or loose. If the servo wires are broken or loose, simply reattach them firmly and clean the rust. You can also replace them if they cannot be repaired.
Step 3: Re-plug and replace the servos
A servo failure is yet another cause of the throttle not responding in your RC car. To fix this issue, first, unplug the servos from the receiver. Then, get another compatible receiver and connect your servos to it.
If your RC car’s throttle remains unresponsive, you must get new servos. You should consider getting a servo with high sensitivity, high torque, and precise gear like the (our recommendation).
Step 4: Investigate the transmitter and receiver
First, investigate if the transmitter is the issue by swapping the steering servo plugs and the throttle. If the throttle becomes responsive without steering, simply replace the transmitter.
Next, check the compatibility of the receiver and radio system. If both units don’t match, replace one of them.
Step 5: Check the battery and motor
Start by inspecting the status of the batteries. If not fully charged, recharge them using the correct charger. And if damaged, you should replace them immediately. Also, check if you are using the correct batteries.
Lastly, use a multimeter to check the voltage of the motor. You will need to replace the engine if the voltage is slightly above a few volts. A motor with a high torque rotor and magnet like the (our top pick) would be an excellent choice.
Step 6: Examine the servo gears
Check if the gears are loose and retighten them. Then, confirm if the pinion gear is aligned with the spur gear and perform the alignment if necessary. But if the servo gears are stripped or producing grinding noises when accelerating and there is no throttle, you must replace them.
FAQs
Before we conclude, let’s check some commonly asked questions about the causes of RC car steering works but no throttle.
Red light keeps flashing on ESC, and the steering works but no throttle.
Ans: This happens when you don’t recalibrate the ESC to the radio system or transmitter after changing the receiver or motor.
My Arrma Senton 4×4 Mega steering works but no throttle?
Ans: If the batteries are fully charged, and in good condition, it could be ESC problems, a loose connection, or a faulty motor.
Conclusion
RC car steering working, but no throttle is a common issue among many brands, including the Traxxas, Horizon Hobby, and ARRMA. Of course, this problem has many causes, such as faulty transmitters, dead ESC, motor failure, and damaged wiring.
The good news? Regardless of the cause of the unresponsive throttle, you can fix it on your own if you can follow our guide properly.
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