RC Car Has Throttle But No Steering: Solved

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Have you ever faced this issue that your RC car has throttle but no steering? If this sounds familiar then you know how frustrating it can be. This problem makes the entire RC car unusable. 

So, why do RC cars have throttle but no steering? 

Three primary problems cause the RC car to have failing steerings. Those are; throttle working but the steering doesn’t, faulty steering wheel, and misadjustment of the RC car’s steering. They are fixable as well by following some simple steps as well. 

Have you stopped panicking? Don’t worry. This is just a brief of what can be done. I have dedicated an entire segment with a detailed description. So, why wait? Hop on. 

Reasons Which Causes Steering Problem

There are plenty of reasons which can cause steering wheel problems. To have smoother steering wheel control, you need to be aware of the problems first. Then we can go for the solutions. 

Source: liveabout.com

Finally, you can look into RC EC3 vs EC5 battery connector as well for solving your confusion. 

In this segment, we are going to look at the problems and their solutions. So, let’s dive into it without any further discussion. 

Problem 1: Throttle Works But the Steering Wheel Does Not 

This can be identified as one of the most common problems. Plenty of reasons can lead to this issue. Let’s go through some of them. 

Reason 1: Low Battery Power 

Checking your battery power should be the first thing you need to do. If the battery runs low, this problem usually arrives. 

Given the situation, the battery fails to supply enough power for the steering.  Hence the entire steering wheel fails.

Solution: Changing the Battery in RC Vehicles

First, try to use the battery with a full charge on it. If it’s not fully charged then you have to wait for the amount of time required for RC to be fully charged. But if the battery fails to charge in the first place then replacing is the obvious solution. 

Here are some battery replacement options that you can check out:

Also, ensure that the battery does not drain too fast. If you want, you can fix your lipo battery. If it does not work, replace it. 

Reason 2: Wrong Steering Rate in RC Vehicle 

The steering rate might be another issue you might face. The steering rate can go to zero while you are driving.

Source: quora.com

 As a result, the steering wheel will stop working. It can happen due to frequent low steering rates or by accident. 

Solution: Fixing the Steering Rate

Check the steering rate by increasing it to your control. You can do this with your controller. The RC should work better with a higher steering rate, 

If this is the only issue then your RC should be working fine from now on. 

Reason 3: Faulty Steering Wheel

By changing your servo channel wire, you can identify faulty steering wheels. Switching from channel 1 to channel 2 should give you the first identification. 

After completion of this procedure, switch the channel of the speed control wire from 2 to 1. After switching the channel, again recheck the steering wheel. 

If the channels are fine then your steering wheel will work. But you won’t get the desired acceleration. 

In this case, the servo channel is working how it should have been. The problem lies in the steering wheel itself. 

Solution: Replacing the Steering Wheel

As the steering wheel is the issue here, replacing is the best option. Along with a new steering wheel, you should also consider a new steering wheel controller as well. 

Make sure that the controller is compatible with the steering wheel. Otherwise, the steering wheel will again start showing the issue. 

Problem 2: Direction or Signal Issues 

The primary incentive behind adding a servo in RC vehicles is converting radio signals to action. 

If faulty servo fails to conduct this action. Hence, RC becomes unresponsive to the instructions provided by the steering wheel. 

Solution: Fixing Servo

There are some tricks you can check to solve this. But for that, you need to check some of the points first. Those are

  • Firstly, look if the servo cable connection is working fine or not. The cable connection needs to be ensured to carry the commands. 
  • After you are done with the servo cable, now give a run down if the lead wire has any damage or not. If the lead wire is damaged then you will need to change the entire cable. 
  • After ensuring that, your cable has no issue. You need to check if the servo is faulty or not. You can do that by exchanging servo plugs with the throttle channel. This maneuver will determine if your servo is working or not. 
  • Finally if everything above mentioned works, you will need to check for the steering linkage damage. If the servo reacts to the shaft of the steering wheel then it has issues 

If you find a damaged cable, you will immediately need to replace it. Using damaged servo wires also causes this issue. Hence, the damaged servo wires should be replaced as soon as possible. 

Source: eurorc.com

Additionally, for the damaged servo, check for the stripped gears. For that, you will need to disassemble the entire servo and replace the stripped part. There can be multiple stripped gears. 

If all the above-mentioned steps fail, then replace the entire servo. And get a new one. Here are our top picks for servo:

Getting a new servo might increase the price. But getting a top-notch servo will make your vehicle last longer. 

Problem 3: Mis-Adjusting the RC Vehicle’s Steering 

If you find your steering wheel off-balanced then misadjustment might be the issue. Due to the misadjustment, RC vehicles rotate harder on one side than the other. Also, the servo turns into one side as well. 

Solution: 

If your RC vehicle’s steering is misadjusted, then you will need to fix them immediately. For proper control, the RC vehicle’s steering needs to be adjusted. 

For this, the car and the controller have to be shut down at first. Then position the steering wheel in the right direction. 

Ensure that the steering is moving to the side of where the controller is moving. If it fails then

If your car has a digital controller, the center is the correct position for the trim. Also, the sub trim should be set to zero. 

At times, the controller is not digital. In this case, use the knob to align it at the center. 

The servo horn should be perpendicular to the servo. Pull the servo horn and move it over one tooth if it’s not set perpendicularly. 

Also, the sub-trims need to be perpendicular as well. You can do it through your radio controller. 

Check the servo locks and the steering knuckles. Ensure that the knuckles are properly fitted onto the vehicle. 

Now, check whether you have been able to solve the problem by turning everything on. You will presumably hear a buzzing sound. This initially will come from the EPA. readjust it and you are good to go. 

FAQs

What are the reasons for the RC car not responding to the remote controller?

RC cars do not respond to dead batteries or loose wire. This is the most common problem seen. Going out of range can be another issue why your RC is not responding to the remote as well. 

What to do if my RC car is driving backwards?

This can happen if the batteries are set backwards. Also, if the reverse switch on the controller is off. Turn it on if that’s the case. Also cleaning the servo works most of the time. 

How to fix an unresponsive radio system?

To fix an unresponsive radio system you will need to find wires running from the batteries to motors. Check for damages to the wire. If there is any existing damage, replace them as soon as possible. 

Endnote 

So that’s all from our end. I hope you’re now clear on why your RC car has throttle but no steering. 

It’s a task related to electricity. So, do follow safety measures when you are working with electronics. And always contact a professional if you are not confident enough. 

Good luck with your RC cars!