Granite Granite 4x4 reverse not working great

[DriverMcDriveFace]

Hi all, just got the Granite 4x4 as my first "real" RC car to get into the hobby. Also new to the forums but I can't find any problem that sounds specifically like my current problem.

Problems I describe below happen even if the car is on a block and just trying to make the wheels spin.

My reverse needs some coaxing to work. At a complete standstill maybe half the time it'll reverse the first time I push it to go backwards. I don't hear any sounds, no whine, no motor action, nothing. The light comes on as you expect. Blinking when I'm at less that 100% reverse and solid at 100% reverse input. But nothing.

If I jiggle it from neutral to reverse a couple times reverse kicks in. If I'm going full speed reverse and slam it forward it immediately responds.

If going forward and slam it into reverse it will never go into reverse. It acts like I put it into neutral except for the fact the lights will come on.

I've tried messing with the endpoints (sidebar question: I can use the endpoints to limit the top speeds so I can let my son drive it and not worry about him going 30mph into a wall right?)
***Although I haven't tried setting the endpoint at slow speeds in forward and backward yet and testing with that. will try tonight if someone thinks that will help isolate the issue.

Messed with the throttle trim where I would find the spot just below it sending in reverse or forward without causing the light to come on. No discernible difference in reverse responsiveness.

I loosened up the slipper clutch a bit thinking that maybe it was too tight. Maybe an inch or two in tire rotation when using the provided tool, seems to have made a small difference and the car doesn't seem as 'shocked' if I throw on the throttle to max.

I'm just not getting it.

My only thought from reading on random forums is leading me to think that either the ESC has a flaw OR the motor requires more voltage to go in reverse than forward and the provided battery pack isn't hitting the required voltage right away even when fully charged and I need to get a 2s Lipo for a more consistent charge.

That's my thoughts, observations, etc... but I'm still a super noob at this and hoping someone more experienced can help me out with this.

 

[Jerry-rigged]

The problem is that it is applying breaks, instead of reversing. The truck needs to be 100% stopped, and the throttle in neutral for like one second, to let the esc unlock reverse. This is kind of common across lots of ESC's. Sometimes if you bump the throttle trim a bit, it makes it even harder to get into reverse, as when you let go of the trigger, the radio may be sending 1% forward or backward, which will screw with the reverse lockout.

 

[olds97_lss]

I'm sure the esc differs from what's in my outcast, but I have to double tap reverse for mine to go in reverse. Even when at a stand still, I move the trigger to reverse, nothing, let off to neutral, then reverse and it goes. It works this way every time I want to back up.

 

[DriverMcDriveFace]

Well, I have to double tap to hope for it to reverse in any situation so I guess that's consistent behavior there...

Also just saw online that the "brakes" effectiveness are determined by how strong the motor magnets are so that could explain why I'm not seeing much braking force occurring at all (even when suspended off the ground) given that the stock supplied motor probably isn't the strongest thing in the world.

I just find it damned odd then the standard is "forward to reverse? you best wait! Reverse to forward?? right away!!!" that added to my confusion.

Well thank you both! It was driving me nuts but at least I learned more about the car while trying to figure out what the heck was going on!

 

[olds97_lss]

The esc in my outcast acts quite a bit different than my castle esc's in my revo, savage, stampede and my traxxas esc in my jato. I believe they all wait for the motor to stop spinning, or they apply brakes. Once stopped, reverse works the first time every time. Can't say as I've tried reverse then hard forward before. That just sounds painful for things.

 

[DriverMcDriveFace]

Haha, yea I know it's not something that should be done normally... but when the kid sends the car towards the street or a wall I wanted to be able to 'nope nope nope' the other way. looking like it'll be faster to U-turn it out of danger though.

 

[Jerry-rigged]

I just find it damned odd then the standard is "forward to reverse? you best wait! Reverse to forward?? right away!!!" that added to my confusion.

Yeah, with most ESC's there is no delay going from reverse to forward. Oddly, with the BLX185, reverse has brakes too. So I gotta let my granite stop before switching to forward too...

 

[Cheapbastard]

Try going forward then slam your real car transmission into reverse what do you think would happen? This process of so called double tap reverse saves your diff or diffs (transmission in real car) from getting tore up. You have to brake (slow down) then go into reverse. For noobs this hurts as you say from those Oh **** moments from running into things but not really as you are braking (slowing down) instead of slamming the transmission (analogy) into reverse. Reverse speed is usually limited and not full throttle so going reverse to forward is not as jarring to the diffs as forward full throttle into reverse.

 

[DriverMcDriveFace]

Yes, except it's an inconsistent function from someone who doesn't know why it's happening.

• Reversing and slamming to full forward is A-OK and works as a noob like myself would expect.
• 'braking' is so weak I'm not seeing any difference even when the car is suspended in the air I might as well leave it in neutral for all it matters
• attempting to reverse at a full stop requires double tapping it or sometimes single tapping (someone else seems to mention it might be the throttle trim messing with it but without a digital display or unearthly precision in my fingers I won't be able to test all thorttle trim settings anymore than I have already to find)

Now I understand from what people have said before you that this is fairly normal and different ESCs have different quirks on how they do things.

 

[Caffeine]

Same issues here.. one day reverse works.. the next it doesn't.. no solution yet.