F.A.Q for Nitro RC Car

What other tools and accessories do I need so that the nitro gas Vehicle will run?

Prior to running what must I do?

What is "nitro" and what percentage should I run in my engine?

When I turn on the remote control and the power switch on the car, the radio does not seem to work.

Why do I need to oil the foam air filter?

My car will not start when I pull the starter cord.

My car starts but I cannot keep it running.

My engine shuts off when I apply the brakes. How do I correct this?

Why does my engine shut off when there is plenty of fuel in the tank?

Why did my engine die when I gave it some throttle?

Why does my engine seem to "lock up" and lift the car off the ground when pulling the starter cord.

The teeth stripped off of my spur gear, what went wrong?

How much smoke should be coming out?

How do I stop my engine?

1. What other tools and accessories do I need so that the nitro gas Vehicle will run?

You will need 12 xAA batteries. 8xAA for the radio control transmitter and 4xAA for the car servos. You will also need Nitro Fuel, we recommend 20% Nitro and this can be purchased from most local hobby shops. Lastly you will need a Glow Plug Igniter since it is a necessity. This can be purchased at time of checkout or at any hobby store.

2. Prior to running what must I do?

There are a few things everyone must do prior to starting the first time.

1. Air Filter Oil should be used on your air filter. This will prevent dust and dirt from reaching and damaging your engine. This can be purchased from any hobby shop. You can use vegetable oil also.
2. Fresh batteries; this is important as you will see below due to problems and symptoms that can be caused by this.
3. Fully charge Glow Plug Igniter.
4. Prime the fuel line..
5. Find an open area.

3. What is "nitro" and what percentage should I run in my engine?

Nitro is short for nitro methane, which is an ingredient in model fuel that provides some of its own oxygen, allowing more fuel to be burned than would be possible with atmospheric oxygen only. Higher "nitro" content generally equates to higher performance as long as the engine is designed to run within the range of nitro percentages being used. Engine porting, the size and shape of the combustion chamber and several other factors determine the percentage of nitro that can be efficiently used. We recommend 20% Nitro Fuel for most applications.

4. My batteries are installed in the car and in the battery box on the car but when I turn on the remote control and the power switch on the car, the radio does not seem to work.

1. This is a very common problem. If the batteries installed are not fresh or fully charged rechargeable batteries, the controller will not operate correctly. You may have some things such as throttle working but no steering. This is usually due to batteries that need to be replaced. We recommend rechargeable batteries.

2. If changing the batteries did not resolve the problem, you should inspect the battery box located on the car. Open this compartment and make sure all 3 plugs are attached to the receiver box. You can also try swapping positions of the wires to see if that resolves the problem. You should also check very closely the connections on the battery box and connections on the remote control where the batteries are installed.

3. If Answer 1 & 2 did not resolve your problem you should try reseating the crystals. One crystal is located in the receiver as pictured above and the other crystal is located in the Remote Control Unit that you hold in your hand. First you should check to make sure that both crystals are the same frequency and when you pull the crystals you will see small writing with a specific number imprinted on the side. These must match. If they do, you should reseat and even swap positions of the crystals. If the problem still exists you can try new crystals which can be purchased at any hobby shop. Please note that the crystal in the remote is held in place by a plastic holder that is inserted into the side of the hand controller.

5. Why do I need to oil the foam air filter?

This is one of the most important things you need to do to protect the engine. An engine can wear out in under 10 minutes if the filter is not oiled. The polyurethane foam, from which the filter is made, has an open cell structure which will allow dust and fine dirt to pass through it if it is not oiled. The "sticky" filter oil is suspended in the path of the dirty air on the strands of the web-like cell structure of the foam. This makes it almost impossible for dirt to pass through the depth of the filter without sticking to the strands. As the outer strands become loaded with dirt particles, the wetted strands down stream start trapping dirt. This prevents surface loading or air restriction for 80% of the service life of a freshly cleaned and oiled air filter element. The filter must be cleaned and re-oiled after running several tanks of fuel (more often in extremely dusty conditions). You can purchase foam filter oil from a motorcycle or automotive shop. To clean the air filter, take the foam filter element out of the intake and use safety solvent or soapy water to clean the dirt from the foam element. Use your fingers to work the dirt out of the foam. When all the dirt particles are removed (this may take several rinses), squeeze out solvent/cleaner and then apply an amount of foam element air filter oil sufficient to saturate the foam. Make sure the entire filter is oiled and then squeeze out all excess that you can (Don’t wring out the filter). Install the foam element in the air intake, making sure that the foam is fully seated in the intake with no open spaces around it that air can leak through.

6. My car will not start when I pull the starter cord.

This can be due to many things.

The first thing that many new users of Nitro Cars need to know is that a Glow Plug Igniter is need. The Glow Plug Igniter must be fully charged prior to attaching it to the glow plug. If it is fully charged and it is attached to the Glow Plug. Make sure a good connection is made.

Second, if the above is done you should check to make sure that fuel is getting to the carburetor. This can easily be done by holding your finger over the exhaust hole and giving a few pulls on the pull start. This will cause fuel to siphon through the fuel line to the Carburetor. Make sure that you do not pull the pull cord all the way to the end. Starting is a learned art and can easily be done with short quick pulls about 1/2 of the way.

Third, if the above two do not resolve the starting issue, you may have flooded the engine. You can remove the glow plug and turn the car upside down and pull the cord a few times to clear out the fuel than restart.

Lastly, your settings may be mis adjusted. If you continue to have issues we highly recommend that you visit a local hobby shop for guidance on correct starting procedure and setup.

7. My car starts but I cannot keep it running.

This is common for all new cars. All cars need proper throttle, rich & lean adjustments to get the car running just right. We recommend visiting http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/ for further information on how to tweak your car so that runs perfectly. You can also visit a local hobby shop or visit local races in your area so that you can learn the tricks and tweaks needed to enjoy your RC Car to its fullest.

Some symptoms of mis-adjusted engines and carburetors are:
1. Car does not start.
2. Car starts but will not stay running.
3. Car starts but exhaust spits out a lot of gasoline.
4. Car starts but each time I hit the brake it stalls.
5. Car does not seem powerful.

8. My engine shuts off when I apply the brakes. How do I correct this?

Your idle speed screw is improperly set. When you fully apply the brakes, the carburetor opening must be sufficient to keep the engine idling. Set the slide gap as specified in your engine manual.

9. Why does my engine shut off when there is plenty of fuel in the tank?

Your engine is running too lean. The engine runs hot and shuts off by itself because the piston has grown to large to be able to move up and down in the cylinder. The high-speed needle valve must be opened so more fuel gets to the engine. Running an engine lean may produce a little higher performance initially, but will ruin the engine eventually.

10. Why did my engine die when I gave it some throttle?

Your engine is running too rich. Too much fuel is getting into the carburetor for the amount of air. Turn the needle clockwise about 1/8 turn and test. Repeat as needed until the engine has good throttle response and doesn’t die when the throttle is punched. See the engine tuning instructions in your manual on how to set the high-speed needle valve so it is a little rich.

11. Why does my engine seem to "lock up" and lift the car off the ground when pulling the starter cord.

This happens when the engine is flooded and the engine is hydraulically locked. Pulling on the pullstarter while the engine is in this condition will break the pullstarter cord or damage the engine. Remove the glow plug and pull the pullstarter briskly several times (do not pull the cord out more than 12”). It’s good practice to check the glow plug/glow starter for a bright glow while the glow plug is out of the engine be careful not to burn your fingers). Replace the glow plug and washer, and the engine should be ready to start.

12. The teeth stripped off of my spur gear, what went wrong?

The motor pinion and spur gear mesh is probably too great. There should be about .003 - .005 gap between the teeth of the two gears. An easy way to set the gear mesh is to cut a narrow strip of notebook paper and feed it between the two gears. Then loosen the engine mount screws and slide the engine and pinion gear into the spur gear. Retighten the engine screws and then remove the strip of paper. You should be able to run a strip of paper between the gears without them binding.

13. How much smoke should be coming out?

When the engine is at idle, a small amount of smoke should be visible. At full throttle, there should be a large amount of blue-white smoke coming from the exhaust. You should see a good cloud of smoke come from the car's exhaust as it accelerates out of corners or from low speeds.

14. How do I stop my engine?

If the engine is tuned properly you can let the engine run out of fuel or block the exhaust tip with a rag. You may also pinch the fuel line between the tank and engine until the engine dies.

RC Nitro Gas Car Racing infomation

From what we have experienced with high performance and standard engines including Nova Rossi, Sirio, and RB, force, team infinity or Vertex engines that they have a very long and extensive break in process that if followed will give you a problem free engine for a very long time.

Don't ever come to the conclusion that breaking - in your engine no matter what type of brand of engine it is ,that if you run 4 tanks of fuel through the engine that its enough run in ,because It wont be okay at all and your engine will not last long ( very little life span.)

Please note that anyone who is a novice and has never owned a nitro engine please ask your local hobby shop expert for help on the breaking-in process of your Engine.

Do not attempt it yourself if you are a novice.

Have fun racing or bash around the backyard and May your engine last you a very long time.