Nitro RC cars are a lot of fun, but they can be difficult to start if you don’t have the right equipment. Or, the pull starter may have broken and no longer work. In this post, we will show you how to start a nitro RC car using a variety of different methods. We will also teach you how to start your nitro car with a drill! If all else fails, you can buy an electric starter kit to make starting your nitro RC car quite easy.
Steps to start a nitro RC car
Starting a nitro RC car isn’t hard, but you must follow the correct procedure each time. Also, make sure that your glow igniter is fully charged. If your glow igniter does not have a charged battery, your nitro engine is probably not going to start.
- Take the body off the vehicle and set beside your car
- Fill the fuel tank with nitro fuel
- turn on your RC car receiver and transmitter
- place your thumb over the exhaust pipe and pull the pull starter or run your electric starter until you see fuel flowing through the fuel line and into the engine
- place your glow igniter securely on the nitro engine
- attempt to start the vehicle
- let the engine run for about 30 seconds with the glow igniter still in place
- remove the glow igniter and let the car idle
If your RC car did not start, check the glow igniter and make sure it’s working properly. You can check your glow igniter by placing it on a spare glow plug. It should glow bright red/orange.
If the glow igniter is working, then your glow plug installed on your nitro motor could be broken. You can try to replace it and see if it starts.
Also make sure the fuel is making its way from the tank into the motor.
You must have fuel, a working glow plug, and a working glow igniter to start your car. If any of these components are not working properly, try to fix them and try again.
How To Start RC Car Without Starter Box
If you don’t have a starter box for your RC car or your pull starter has broken, don’t worry. You can still start the car. All you need are a few tools, patience, and some imagination. Your goal is to get your nitro car started by an means necessary.
How To Start A Nitro Engine With A Drill
If you have a broken pull starter, don’t worry – you can still start your RC car with an electric drill. All you need is are the right attachments and a bit of patience. With this method, you can get your car running in no time! Just follow these steps:
First, make sure that your glow igniter has a charged battery and is securely attached to the motor. Also make sure you have a full tank of fresh nitro gas.
Next, find an electric drill, the proper sockets or bits needed to hook up to the old pull starter, and maybe a socket extension to reach the starter hardware.
You may need to take apart the some of the drive linkages in order to access the starter. Every car is different, so some cars may be hard/easier to access the starter.
Finally, slowly turn the engine with the electric drill until it starts. Remove the drill and let the car idle for 30 seconds.
Different Methods to Start a Nitro RC car
If your car doesn’t come equipped with an mechanical starting system or you don’t have a starter box, there’s no need to worry. You can still start your nitro RC car without any problem. Here’s what you need to do:
Pull Start:
Many RC cars come with a pull starter. If you car has this type of starter, you don need to worry about using a starter box or electric drills. All you need to do is locate the pull starter on the engine, and then give it a few good pulls.
If your car has an electric starter, you can use that instead. Just make sure that the battery is fully charged on the electric starter before you attempt to start the engine.
If you don’t have either of these, don’t worry – there’s still a way to start your nitro RC car without any problem. Just follow these steps:
Drill Start:
There’s another way to start your nitro RC car without a starter box or pull starter – and that’s by using a drill. This method is sometimes referred to as a “drill start.”
Here’s what you need to do:
First, locate the flywheel on the engine. This is the large wheel that’s located near the front of the engine, and it’s what the starter box or pull starter attaches to.
Next, take your drill and insert the bit into one of the holes in the flywheel. Once you’ve done this, turn on the drill and let it run for a few seconds. Doing this will spin the flywheel, which will in turn start the engine.
Electric Start:
Some Nitro powered RC cars come with an electric starter. For eg, the EZ-Start system from Traxxas. If your car has this type of starter, simply connect the battery and press the start button. The engine should start right up.
How this works is that the electric starter has a small gear that meshes with the ring gear on the flywheel. When you push the start button, the starter motor turns this gear, which in turn spins the flywheel and starts the engine.
If your car does not come equipped with an electric starter, you can buy an electric starter kit and attach it to the flywheel.
The flywheel is located near the front of the engine. This is where you’ll install the starter kit. This video will show you exactly how to do it.
With an electric starter kit, you will have to disassemble the motor from you car and install the necessary parts. You will also need to have an electric starter box. Once all the components are installed, starting your nitro car will be much easier and you can spend more time driving you car.
Final Thoughts
If you don’t have access to a starter box or a pull starter, there are still ways that you can start your nitro RC car. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you should be able to get your car up and running without any problems. Just remember to take things slowly and be careful when working with power tools. With a little bit of effort, you’ll be enjoying all the benefits of nitro RC cars in no time! Thanks for reading!
