Traxxas XL5 ESC Troubleshooting: 6 Problems and Fixes

Me and my son “Make” was playing with the new Trassas RC car and the shit happened. We face some problems with Traxxas XL5 ESC.

And of course, I’m not really sure why such difficulties are occurring. Now here we face the query of which way we can perform a Traxxas XL5 ESC troubleshooting.

The problem of XL5 ESC can be solved easily by proper carrying on. Many of the problems you might encounter can be easily troubleshot by calibrating or replacing faulty or missing electronic stability control (ESC).

Some of the problems can be caused by the impact of external factors and need hardware replacement. All I experienced is that this information is not sufficient to describe the entire subject.

So I’m going to share all of my experiences with this troubleshooting, hope if you read on then you will no longer have to be unhappy when you or your kids play with your favorite RC car.

So let’s enjoy the troubleshooting.

General Traxxas XL5 ESC Troubleshooting

After a certain period of playing RC cars, they started performance dropping and hardware problems. A good RC brand Traxxas is not out of this.

The core of the problem starts from various external factors that negatively affect the RC components. This can indicate a straight performance drop or cause it to be faulty.

For maintaining regular good performance, it is essential to check on your Traxxas ESC. But only regular checking and maintenance is not enough to solve all problems. It needs to do manual troubleshooting to solve problems. 

Let us learn more about ESC problems, reasons, and simple fixes:-

Problem 1: Motor isn’t running despite the ESC working/ Traxxas ESC blinking red

This can be caused by having a damaged motor that is no longer working, one more reason due to the ESC has stopped thermally. One example of it is when you feel that the throttle is malfunctioning. You are able to see a very rapid blinking red LED.

Solution

Testing the motor by remapping the amount of power it receives. Before applying any form of testing separate the motor from ESC.

On condition that both inputs to the ESC and the producing voltage are the same voltage that the motor needs then the ESC is good to go.

Hook up the power cable into the second channel of the receiver. Check the activity of the radio system by placing the power cord on the throttle channel. Test the throttle channel of the radio system by the servo.

Into the throttle channel of the second channel, the receiver plugs the XL5 power cable Test the process of the radio system throttle channel using a servo. 

The operation can be shut down because of excessive heat. Because of that, allow ESC to slowly cool down to the normal temperature. 

Problem 2: XL5 ESC won’t go into programming mode

In this case, your ESC will not go into programming mode or determine the ordinates.

This problem can happen if you plug the XL5 into a channel other than 2. The XL5 won’t go into programming mode if it is plugged into a different channel.

Solution

Plug the XL5 into the receiver’s channel 2. The XL5 must be turned off before trying to use the program or changing channels.

Unplug and plug the RC car battery in and turn the red contact point on the battery switch. If it doesn’t work on the first try, repeat the process.

Problem 3: Throttle Stutters During Acceleration

The common cause of such a problem is the capacitors getting discharged. This is often the case when the device is next to the battery and there is poor grounding. This will cause problems in reaching full throttle and stuttering while accelerating the RC.

Other factors that can cause the throttle to falter during acceleration are-

• Loose connections
• Current overflow to the motor 
• Malfunctioning/damaged wires

Solution

Replace the motor if it is damaged.

If electric wires are damaged. The connections are inconvenient. To make the problem go away, the wire could be replaced.

A smaller motor will allow less current flow.

Since we have some great motors that are compatible with the Traxxas XL5, we’d like to suggest:

Problem 4: Motor Runs Slowly

Slow acceleration is often caused by incorrect gear settings. Additionally, incorrect speed control adjustment makes the speed increase more slowly.

In this case, your RC will fail to reach its full-throttle power.

Solution

Confirm that the battery and motor connectors are in good working condition. Check them for possible problems. If any issues are found, replace them.

The throttle runs at its half power when XL5 is in training mode. So, confirm that the XL5 isn’t in training mode.

Reprogram the XL5,  on the condition, it is in training mode. Set it to Sports or Race mode. This will revert full-throttle power.

Problem 5: XL-5 overheats and shuts down.

Playing on tall grass or rugged to a drivetrain can overload the motor. This will overheat the ESC, which can produce erratic driving behavior or ultimately will shut down abruptly.

Solution

The motors in your RC car need to be limited in size to 15-turns and 540s sizes. 

To reduce excess current from flowing within the motor, use a milder motor and remove possible bindings that clog up the drivetrain.

Also Read: 10 Steps: How to Make an RC Car Faster

Problem 6: Run Time Short With NiMH Battery

This issue generally occurs without any signal of overheating. This fact occurs when low voltage detection (LVD) is not disabled when using NiMH batteries. Traxxas’ NiMH batteries and lithium polymer batteries are the only two kinds that work (produce the same sort of electricity).

Excessive discharge of a LiPo battery can lead to ESC battery defeat. So to prevent ESC from having only a low voltage detection system use the LiPo battery.

Solution

Enable the low voltage detection if you want to continue with LiPo Batteries. Or if you don’t want to use LiPo batteries then before using NiMh batteries disable low voltage detection. ESC is not overcharged while running this will be ensured by that.

Don’t try to perform a repair by yourself if an internal malfunction is detected. Return your XL5 if any internal damage is detected. You can return it to  Traxxas.

And now I can say, we’ve troubleshot all the general problems of Traxxas vehicles.

FAQs

• How do I know if my Traxxas battery is charging?

When the battery is fully charged the LED will glow solid green.

• Why does my ESC keep beeping?

This could happen when your battery voltage is too low or too high. Make sure that you have charged the battery using the correct charger or that the battery you are using is the correct battery.

• Can I run a brushless motor on a brushed ESC?

Yes, All you need is the full brushless setup.

Verdict

I’ve gone through all the possible Traxxas XL5 ESC troubleshooting solutions. You can read the manual provided by the manufacturer for more information. 

Hope any of this helps you solve your problems and troubleshoots your experimental setups.