Here is a list of common slot car issues many customers have sought answers to. Well, look no further; just click on the problem and you'll be redirected to your answer.
Problem:
My 1/32 slot car runs sporadically.
Problem:
My 1/32 slot car keeps coming off the track.
Problem:
The motor on my 1/32 slot car runs but the back wheels don't turn.
Problem:
My 1/32 slot car won't run.
Problem:
My 1/32 slot car slows down at certain places on my track.
Problem:
My 1/32 slot car runs rough.
Problem:
My 1/32 slot car runs sporadically.
Solution: Most likely this is a conductivity problem, your motor is not
getting a constant supply of electricity to it. Check the braids (or
contact brushes) to make sure they are not overly worn or dirty. If it
is a new car, make sure the braids are frayed and curled downward so
the frayed ends touch the track first. Replace overly worn braids with
new ones or clean dirty braids with a small brass wire brush. If the
problem still exists, take the body off and check for loose wires.
Sometimes the wire coming out of the guide works itself loose. Simply
reconnect it by pulling it out the rest of the way and re-inserting it
in the guide hole.
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Problem: My 1/32 slot car keeps coming off the track.
Solution: Learn to drive better. Afterall, this is a hobby and it does
require a certain amount of hand-eye skill. People coming from HO scale
slot cars or overly magneted 1/32 slot cars are often dismayed when
they encounter a slot car that they actually have to have some skill to
drive. Many brands sell slot cars with light magnetic down-force cars
or no magnet at all. Their philosophy is that this is an adult hobby
that is supposed to be somewhat challenging and certain skills need to
be developed. That said, there are changes you can make to your car to
help it stay on the track. 1) Sand your tires or replace them with
silicone tires. This will give you much better traction in the corners
so you can drive faster through them and stay on the track. 2) Add a
stronger magnet. Magnets vary in strength, even magnets from the same
manufacturer and of the same size. You can replace your magnet with a
more consistent hop-up magnet from Slot.It or Professor Motor, or you
can add a magnet in a different location on the chassis or simply stack
another magnet on top of an existing one in the same location. The
configuration of your slot car will determine what you can do and where
you can position a magnet. Hot glue comes in handy when positioning a
magnet in a custom position.
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Problem:
The motor on my 1/32 slot car runs but the back wheels don't
turn.
Solution:
Take the body off and check to see that the rear axle hasn't
come loose from it's holder on the chassis. Simply snap the axle
bushings back into place. A little c.a. or hot glue will prevent this
from happening again. Similarly, the motor may have popped out of it's
holder as well. You can snap it back in place and glue it down too. In
rare instances, you may have stripped the gears. This only happens in
cars with plastic gears when the rear axle or motor is out of position
for some reason and the gears aren't meshing properly. It is important
to inspect your car after heavy crashes and new cars before running
them to be sure everything is in proper alignment. Crashes, rough
handling during shipping or careless assembly can all cause axles or
motors to come loose or pop out of their holders.
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Problem:
My 1/32 slot car won't run.
Solution:
99% of the time the problem is the motor is not getting
electricity do to bad conductivity and 1% of the time it is a bad
motor. First, you need to check the braids. New braids are often wound
too tight to make good contact. Fray them and curl them down so the
frayed ends make good contact with the rails. Also, it is a good idea
to run a brass wire brush on them to remove the waxy coating that comes
on the braids of certain brands of slot cars. If the car still won't
run, take the body off to see that both of the wires have good
connections. A good way to test that the problem is not the motor, is
to lift the rear of the car off of the track, making sure the guide is
in the slot and the braids are making good, solid contact. Give it some
power and the motor should run smoothly. If not, re-examine the braids
and check again for loose wires. Usually if a motor is bad it will not
run at all or it will run and briefly and immediately give off an odor
and start to smoke. As mentioned, bad motors are a very rare
occurrence.
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Problem:
My 1/32 slot car slows down at certain places on my track.
Solution:
Actually, this is probably a problem with your track and not
your car. Make sure your track doesn't have bad connections and that it
is connected properly. With movement or constant set up and take down,
your track connections can become loose. Isolate the trouble spots and
inspect the track connections. If they are bent or somehow deformed,
take a small screwdriver and carefully bend them back into shape then
reconnect them into your layout. In extreme cases you may have to
replace the track piece. If you have expanded your set beyond say,
25-30 feet, you may be experiencing power fall-off. You can solve this
problem by adding "jumpers" to your layout. These are merely long
lengths of wire with one end connected to the terminal track and the
other end connected to the point of the track that is approximately
half way through the layout. Jumpers help to distribute power equally
around the track. If you add multiple jumpers, just try to divide the
into equal sections. The longer the layout, the more jumpers you will
need.
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Problem:
My 1/32 slot car runs rough.
Solution:
Your axle may not be in its proper position. Simply remove
the body and snap the rear axle back into place. Rough running may also
be associated with tires or axles that are out of round. Simply sand
the tires as described in the New Slot car Break-in Section. Sometimes
a tire is rubbing on a fender well or other part of the body or
chassis. Take the body off and inspect to locate the problem. Often a
little trimming with an Exacto knife or Dremel tool will solve the
problem. On rare occasions the chassis may be cracked or have a major
manufacturing defect. A missing chassis screw can also cause a slight
warping that can be corrected by replacing the screw. Also, make sure
that all the screws are torqued approximately the same. It is best if
the screws are backed off 1/2 to a full turn from being fulling seated
to allow for some chassis flex.
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~ by Jim Corley
