RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

Hello all, I am relatively inexperienced in the RC hobby so I may be a bit stupid, haha. To be frank I don’t even know if this is the right place to post this, lol.

I own a single HL Sherman that I bought about 4 years ago, and I would drive it in my backyard about once a week, every two weeks. It was only very recently when i started to drive it in more difficult terrain, such as small puddles and thinner mud.


Anyways, I was driving my sherman in my backyard the other day when all of a sudden, the tank disconnected from the transmitter(went lights flashing mode). I tried to re-start the tank(through the lock key) however there was no reaction. At that time I had just assumed it was a battery issue and did not pay too much attention to it.

I then re-charged the batteries, tried the startup process again, yet the tank still didn’t start up. It went into lights-flashing mode when I flipped it on, but did not start when the lock key was pressed on the transmitter.

I tried replacing the batteries in the transmitter, yet it still led to the same result. Re-binding the transmitter to the tank, however, did start up the tank. Unfortunately, despite being in started-up mode, the tank did not react to any of the controls being manipulated. No track movement, turret traverse, nothing. It just sat there idling like a stone.

After attempting to re-bind the tank multiple times(due to it being the only method of starting up at the time), i was finally able to get a bit of reaction from the tank when I lightly moved the controls, albeit very delayed. Thirty seconds in, the tank then became unresponsive to any controls and continued to idle like a stone.

I attempted this process over a course of multiple days. Every day, i was able to get a bit of a reaction from the tank. Sometimes, the delay would lessen significantly, but the tank would still become unresponsive after a minute.

Does anybody have an idea of possible causes to this issue + potential remedies or spare parts i could buy?

Much appreciated yall!

Many of those symptoms sound like a dying tank battery. If you're using a HL charger, they are notoriously poor at their job so an aftermarket charger is a good purchase. A second battery is also good to have, and after 4 years your original might be on the verge.

This whole puddles 'n mud thang--any chance there was any of the dreaded MFU and liquids contact?

Mike.

Hello Coleman,
I do not use the stock battery anymore, instead i use two replacements by CBB(

Both batteries were fully charged during the incident and testing, and they were both working fine performance wise prior.

Regarding water damage, the sherman was only driven in puddles where the ground clearance was sufficient in preventing the hull from touching any water.

The transmitter, would sometimes get a little wet from rain/snow, and I did neglect wiping the excess moisture off of it afterwards. However, there was no noticeable performance drop up to this incident.

Hello, same diagnosis as my friend above. How can we be sure? that no humidity in the circuit? that your battery (accumulators) is well charged? What is a CBB battery, what type, has your tank already worked? before this problem, type of charger used? As I often say, a discharged battery will provide enough voltage (volts) to operate lights or others at low consumption, but if it requires high capacity (Amperes) type motors? will not work. Then to be sure that there is no humidity in the plate? you have to open it and see if anything is oxidized. Also see level of all the plugs, and first, that of the battery, if in addition a Tamiya? recurring problems with this model. Voila, after that it's just a personal opinion. Attached is a photo of a precious and essential tool? a Multimeter.
I'm not a specialist in TK 6 patinas. But I don't think that binder, rebinder, your radio, changes anything? Question: Are these Lipo batteries? which you use ?Nimh or L.ion

The steps you describe your having taken were smart: you went first to the most likely problems: battery charge and transmitter binding. The problems you describe definitely have solutions, and we can try to help you do them for free or at minimal cost. (Even if most of us forego such superficial things as underwear, toilet paper, etc., so we can spend on our hobbies.)

I agree as to two possibilities: an inadequately charged battery and/or death by moisture. I looked up "CBB battery" and found many types, suggesting the CBB is the brand name of a manufacturer. I saw lead acid (absolutely wrong, of course) and NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries. I use two different battery chargers (not the ones supplied with any Ready-to-Run tank) and I have seen NiMH batteries fool both into reacting as if the battery were fully charged when it is not so.
1. Can you show us exactly what kind of battery you are using? (Photos are great help.)
2. Do you know how to open the tank to look for moisture, loose wires, or any obvious problems? (Photos are great help so we can identify potential causes.)
2. Can you especially show us the electronics that may have gotten damp? (Photos are great help.)

Hello Herr D. Professor,

I apologise for the late reply. I was caught up in a slurry of events, haha.

The batteries i use are as displayed in the attachments, as well as multiple angles of the interior electronics of the tank. From what I can tell, no connections are loose within the tank.
I do not know how to tell if there is water damage towards any of the components, however.

As for any problem? The first thing is to ensure the good condition of the battery, voltage (volts) and capacity (amps) after that it's just suppositions? but you seem sure that humidity concerns? without having opened the plate? see condition of the IC, oxidized or not? in troubleshooting there is a methodology to respect, and without a minimum of tools and knowledge, and short of a miracle, you seem convinced of the good health of your batteries? (possible) but you have no means of control? Moisture in the plate? if you don't open it?this is just guesswork!! (personally don't really believe in it?) but possible, a bad connection? here too, check carefully, and you also need a minimum of tools and electrical knowledge. Otherwise, and unless there is a miracle? We are going in circles.

The type of battery is fine. The little charger you have may be better than that which comes with the HengLong Sherman.

I cannot see any evidence of moisture exterior to the MFU (the TK6.0S or other such board we often call a "Multi-Function Unit" because it controls motors, sound, smoke, turret, etc.). However, there is some slight chance of some inside the MFU. Usually the cases around the MFU can be removed after removing all the connectors. I have opened lots of Taigen/Torro 2 and 3 and HengLong TK5.3 and earlier MFUs, but I have never opened a HengLong 6.0S. Whenever I remove any connectors, I still take lots of photos first so I can see what wire comes from what component and to what connection spot on the MFU.

A voltmeter just such as Jofaur86 shows above would be rather inexpensive and useful to confirm the voltage of the batteries after charging. (And there are many other uses, too.) Another simple idea just occurred to me. It could be that the transmitter is binding correctly (as evidenced by your brief experience. Could the batteries and/or connections in the transmitter be a problem? A voltmeter would be great for testing the transmitter batteries. Or one could just get fresh AA batteries in the transmitter. Then try to ascertain that all the batteries are seating fully in the transmitter. I have encountered HengLong transmitters that did not contact the batteries well enough, but only needed a little careful bending of the contacts.

All of this may seem frustrating. I am a long-retired professor, and the electronics and mechanical aspects of my hobbies (RC tanks, O Gauge trains) have taught me so much so different from the academics. So I am always thrilled to learn more and, however clumsily, haltingly, develop more skills.)