new set up with battery smoke

I have a new set up, and I am new at this. E-Maxx - 12020, 8xl, UBEC, stock receiver and servos. I must preface that I have cheap batteries - 3000 NIHI that were $15 a 6C stick. And they are cheap - I tried to dismantle one and practice by using deans connectors - but it was basically 2 tubes with paper thin connectors and I couldn't do it.

I am pretty sure the set up is right. All the neg and pos are in line as all the helpful instructions state.

2 sec after connecting the connectors in the batteries began to smoke and shorted out - the was NO heat or smoke in the controller, UBEC or motor.

My guess and hope is that more energy was drawn than the cheap batteries can tolerate. What is the opnion of the group?

BTW - I am about to order a set of IB 3800 from Mike today!

[HotnCold]

If you are saying - that right after you connected the batteries they smoked - you didnt even drive the truck - i can say that i have never heard of that - Did you make sure the connectors are right on batteries, speed controller as well. (Never hurts to double check) Do you have any other batteries to try out - did both batteries smoke -maybe one cell - I guess anything is possible. I would pray that the only thing that smoked are the batteries. Get them new ones, solder them up good with deans connectors and let us know what happens... Good Luck

Hot N Cold - I am pretty sure only the battery smoked. I immediately disconnected, felt the entire motor, controller, UBEC - no warmth but the battery was still warm.

[HotnCold]

well - if you think it was only the battery - then you have the perfect opportunity to disassemble the pack and see if you lost a cell. Do you have any other batteries to try out ?

I have two other pack, but they are the same sheap ones. I found the connector that burned out on the battery pack. I disessemled everything...I really think all the wires are in place. I have attached pics. Please let me know if anything is wrong. The only thing I can think of is poor conections. If I put the plug into the receiver for the the UBEC or speed controller the wrong way (they went into the right port), would that cause it? If so, how can you tell which is the right way?

I just orderd a set of IB 3800 and 5mm plugs. I will assemble the batteries and shorten the wires on the controller and revamp the connections.

[captain harlock]

Is that a Micro controller or Warrior?

BK Warrior 12020

[Hayden]

how hot? if they smoked as you stated then you’ve certainly drawn massive amount of current so there’s probably a direct short there somewhere
Especially after 2 seconds I can nearly bet a direct short.

1: Check for continuity across + and - on the battery terminals and the esc there should not be linked.
2: check to see if the polarity is correct.
3: are you running the batteries in series or parallel?
4: it doesn’t matter what connection or batteries your using it basically uses no energy just connecting the batteries and sitting there without running it.

I’ll have to see a diagram of the setup the connectors look ok.
I see a bank of caps what are they for? suppression?

Hayden,

How hot? - I just dissembled the batterry, several connectors were burnt - mind you they look like thin aluminum.

1) I have tripple checked for pos and neg - It looks good to me. I put deans connectors on the batteries, and they were working fine with the titans. I think the UBEC is set up okay too.
2) see above
3) I am unsure what the two mean - the pack was made with three cells in a straight line then a straight line up parallel (I am assuming it's this). Each cell did have small peice of aluminim concecting each other.

The caps are what the ESC came with - I am unsure of their purpose...I am pretty new at this.

Here is a very basic diagram of the set up

Here is the diagram

[Serum]

use a cheap voltage meter to check the polarity on the batteries..

can you post a picture of both the connectors on the batteries? the rest of your deans are soldered correctly.

don't drive those cheap batteries, that's my word of advice.

[BrianG]

One thing I've noticed about pretty much any sub-C battery is that the label is a pretty thin plastic material, which also acts as an insulator. The whole "can" of the battery is the negative lead, so if batteries are side-by-side and the label is somehow worn or torn (the metal of the two cans are touching), you are effectively shorting out a cell.

I know you say you are using stick packs, but this could still be an issue. Not very likely though...

On the same thought, is there some type of plastic insulator made to seperate cells to prevent this? Some stick packs have this, but I've never seen anything for side-by-side packs.

[coolhandcountry]

Looking at the one pic of the esc wires with the connectors on them. It has me worried that you have the wires crossed. Could you get a better pic of the esc and wires for me please. I hope this is not the case.

Here is the battery pack and it's dissection

Can you tell how thin the connectors are? There is no rubber insulation between the cells, it is all thick paper