You may have noticed your RC car blinking red light. This is a very common problem among RC cars. The red blink keeps going on and the car doesn’t move.
You feel you have some stirring control but nothing happens. And you can’t quite figure out what’s wrong and how to fix it.
So, how do you fix the Redcat Esc blinking red problem?
The Redcat Esc is blinking red because the car wants the throttle in a neutral position. The solution is quite easy. First, turn your RC car off. Turn the throttle knob to 0 positions, and it will send the car a 0 signal. Now turn your car on and the red blinking won’t be there anymore.
That was the gist of how to solve the red blink problem. Keep on reading to know the details.
Redcat Esc Blinking Red: What It Means
If the Esc of a Redcat RC car blinks the red light of death. There’s definitely a problem. Even though you can’t see anything wrong initially. So, what do the red blinks of Redcat Esc mean?
It means the throttle setting of your RC is not normal. When the car is turned on, it wants to be signaled in zero. Otherwise, the car would launch at full throttle and slam somewhere.
Before proceeding to the solution. Double-check this –
- Turn your car on if it isn’t, and see if the steering is working or not. If it is, it means your car is receiving signals properly.
Head over to the next section for the solution
Problem: Abnormal Throttle Setting
After opening the cover of your car. You’ll notice there’s a red light blinking beside your Esc. The blinking red light indicates that your throttle setting is abnormal.
Here’s the solution
Solution: Fix the Throttle Setting
First things first, turn off your car.
Source: jennysrc.com
Take a look at the picture. There are three small knobs for different purposes. The knob in the middle is what you’ll need in this case. There’s a TH written beside the knob. That is the throttle knob.
Turn the knob to the dot above. When the arrow is pointing to the dot, it means the throttle is set to zero.
This lets the trigger send the car a ‘zero’ signal. Which is what Esc wants. Because when you turn on the car, it expects a zero signal for the throttle.
The reason for that is the car does not want to run straight into the wall. This is much like the ‘neutral’ gear for actual cars.
When the trigger is set for a zero signal. If you pull the trigger the car won’t move. This is a safe setting.
Anyway, after setting the trigger to zero signal, turn on your car. You’ll notice that the red light of death is gone. It’s no longer blinking.
There is also another reason why the Redcat Esc Blinks is red. It’s because the Esc was not calibrated properly.
Head over to the next section to see how you calibrate Redcat ESC.
Calibrating Redcat ESC
Here’s how to calibrate your Redcat ESC –
- Turn on your radio transmitter
- Turn on the small button beside the power button, that will turn on your ESC.
- Keep the trigger throttle in the middle, in a neutral position.
- Push the set button once, the LED will flash once. Now move the trigger throttle to reverse.
- Hit the set button, the LED will flash twice and beep once.
- Now push the trigger throttle to the front. Press the set button. It will beep three times. And flash the LED light three times.
That’s basically it. Your ESC is now calibrated.
Other Redcat RC Car Problems
There are some other problems users come across. These are quite difficult to figure out on their own. Read through this section and find out the solutions –
Problem 1: The Cooling Fan and Motor Don’t work
After you turn on the power of your RC car, the motor doesn’t work. And the cooling fan isn’t rotating, cooling the ESC and motor either.
It’s because there’s something wrong with the battery and ESC connections.
Solution: Re-connect the Motor and Battery Connection
Try to reconnect the wires between the motor, ESC, and the battery. Turn on the car and see if the connection works or not.
If the cooling fan and the motor aren’t working. Replace the cooling fan and the connections as you see fit.
Problem 2: Motor Is Beeping After Turning it On
When you turn on your car, the motor doesn’t work. When you send signals through the transmitter. And you hear a beeping noise with an interval of 1 second.
The alert tone is letting you know that there’s an abnormality in input voltage. The voltage is either too high or too low.
Solution: Check the Voltage
Check if the voltage of the battery matches the requirement. If not, change the batteries to a higher voltage battery.
Problem 3: The Car Runs In the Opposite Direction
The RC car runs in the opposite direction. Whenever you push the accelerate button/trigger on your transmitter.
It’s because the connection between the motor and ESC is mismatched.
Solution: Correct the Connection
Unplug the wires throttle control and motor. Swap the connection between them. Now the connections will be correct. And your car won’t go in reverse when you accelerate it.
Problem 4: The Motor Stops Running Suddenly
It happens when you’re running the car and it suddenly stops running.
The problem is that the throttle signal is lost. Or the ESC has entered low voltage/overheat protection mode.
Solution: Check the Connection and Voltage
Check the receiver and transmitter, and check the signal wire of your throttle channel. Re-establish the connection.
If the light is green, and the car is overheated, stop and let the motor cool down. If it’s a red light, change the battery to a higher voltage.
FAQs
Q: What Does It Mean When My ESC Blinks Red?
Ans: Your ESC blinking red means your car’s throttle is set at an abnormal setting. Redcat cars have a NiMH battery. In this case, you’ll need to check first if your radio transmitter is sending signals correctly. Turn off your car now. Then turn the throttle knob to zero. Your problem is solved.
Q: Does The ESC Power The Receiver?
Ans: Yes. The electronic speed controls (ESCs) of the majority of electric-powered radio-controlled vehicles. Which includes RC cars, boats, and aeroplanes. These have a feature that reroutes power from the battery system. Then power is rerouted to the transmitter to power the radio system.
Q: Why Is My ESC Beeping?
Ans: Your ESC is beeping because the minimum throttle is set too high. It’s beeping to let you know that it can’t arm itself. Since it doesn’t receive a low enough throttle signal. The motor jerks because the ESC uses the motor coils to produce sound. Which causes the motor to occasionally move slightly.
Closing Note
That’s all about Redcat ESC blinking red. The problem is so small that it’s quite hard to grasp on your own. Hence we developed this article.
Hopefully, now you can play with your Redcat RC Car without any problems. There are also other problems discussed so this should help you.
Best of luck!
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