HL M41A3 Problem - stuck on firing sequence

[templargfx]

Hello Everyone!

Well I just received my first tank the Heng Long M41A3 Bulldog. Its the smoke/sound/bb version.

After unpacking it and reading through the manual I started it up for the first time and had a little drive around my room (all flat) twisted the turret a few times and tried firing twice (without bbs in).

I turned it off and switched smoke off (my room is small) and put some BB's in it then switched it back on.

I pushed the engine button and after starting, it immediately began the firing sequence (shooting sound, and motion, no BB. Like pushing the K button) and kept repeating this, not taking any further commands from the remote.

Here is a video of what I am talking about :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcID0v3cRFM

I took the top off the tank and had a look at hte electronics (board in the middle and board on the top hull aswell as making sure all the cables are connected. Nothing looks burnt out or dislodged on the boards, and all connections are in fine. I reseated the crystals and tried again but got the same result. THe video is after I put it back together.

Any ideas what might be wrong? should I send it back to the people I bought it off (luckily in the same country!)

[templargfx]

Hello, Thankyou for the reply!

What do you mean "go through the setup program" for the model? Do you mean the instructions for first running it?

Unfortunately I tried discharging/recharging the battery, replacing the AA's in the remote and using it with the arials all but touching, however no help.


With regards to returning the model, I have noticed that alot of people post on here and other places that they have problems with the electronics in their Heng Long tank.

Considering this, do you think I should just keep the one I have and buy some new electronics online? I the reason I say this is that for all I know, I could send it back, wait a week or two for the new one to show up, only to have another electronic issue with the new one.

--edit--

I have decided that I am going to purchase the Taigen digital upgrade package for my tank rather than trying to get a replacement tank that will probably brake just as quick!

Does anyone know which of the gear boxes fit into the HL M41A3 from welshdragonmodels? Unfortunately the listing of gearbox's does not have supported models detailed for each set.

[templargfx]

OK, I found the solution to my problem, and I even found the cause!

The solution was to unplug the turret from the RX-18 unit. the 2 wire connector that creates the animation of the vehicle. This connector is attached to a tiny switch which is pushed together by the BB gun "pulling" itself all the way back. If this switch gets stuck, no controls will work while the vehicle plays the shooting sequence over and over. When you unplug it, you can control the BB gun again and force it to finish shooting.

The problem is that if you push forward on the controller to fire, but dont keep it held UNTIL it fires, the BB gun will remain in a half/cocked position. If you do this enough times, or just let go of the stick right before it fires, the BB gun mechanism holds this switch down causing the firing sequence to repeat over and over.

At the moment my solution is to run the tank without this connector on the RX-18. I dont get the shooting animation when I fire, but I dont like that anyway. K button still makes the sound and does the little back-forward movement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pi-srMrm20
IT WORKS!

[rogerloosli]

as above, but if you run the rx18 recoil wires through the switch in the top of the turret , if you do it again by accident you can turn the jerking recoil off until it finishes it cycle . the wires that used to go to this switch just wire them direct ! regards

[Dietrich]

Hi templargfx,
Welcome to the Forum....and Well Done on finding the problem with the switch ....It is a pretty cheap little thing that is easily upgraded to a better quality if you want to keep the function.
These tanks are just like the real thing...Loads of fun when they work....but a blasted nuisance when they break down !........
Alb.