The hobby of RC car collecting and racing is growing in population every day. Learn how to correctly use and maintain that new hole in your wallet!!

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[edit] Steps

Understand pricing Many rc cars can cost up to $1000 or more--so knowing how to use it properly and keeping the parts working the way they are supposed to is critical.
Make your buying selection. When selecting a RC car, you have many types to choose from. First you want to choose if you like electric (runs off of a battery) or gas powered (runs off of gas)or Nitro (runs off nitromethane) gas car and nitro cars are most often faster-some reach speeds over 50 mph! Electric and gas cars each have their strengths and weaknesses.
Correct wiring Before running your car, make sure all wires are properly connected. A battery that is not fully connected will give you very little power.
Get a car that strikes with your interests Different types of cars are suitable for different types of terrain. Some of the most popular are carpet cars, off road, buggies, monster trucks, and stadium cars. There are others, these are just the most popular.
Know the cars strengths Different types of cars work with different terrain. Carpet cars are very low to the ground and obviously cant handle jumps the way a higher, off road car can...
Know your cars stats Make sure you know the top speed of your car and the highest turning angle it is capable of. This could be the difference between a nasty crash and being able to use it again tomorrow.
Get the most from your motor Make sure your motor and slipper gear are properly aligned. A mesh that is too tight will stress out the motor and esc (speed control). Make sure the mesh is not too tight and not too loose either-(this will result in huge power loss). It helps to place a piece of paper between the two gears if you are not familiar with how tight it should be. Just make sure to remove the paper before running your car.
Prepare for a run Before every run, make sure all screws are properly tightened and there are none missing.
Config. shock travel correctly Most newer cars have adjustable colars on the shocks. Make sure these correspond with the type of terrain you will be working with. A car with no travel will not handle jumps effectively and will most likely cause damage to your car.
Handle jumps correctly Approach jumps straight with the tires facing straight ahead. Accelerating in the air is never a good idea unless you are skilled with rc cars and know what you are doing.
Getting the right tires Tires should always match the type of terrain you will be running in. This will reduce tread wear, save money and increase performance.
Long lasting batteries Get into the habit of discharging your batteries, whether they are 1200 or 4200 you will need to do this to preserve their life time and performance quality. Make sure the battery is fully discharged before charging it again.

[edit] Tips

Make sure your car has equal weight distribution-in the front and back, unless you understand the pro's and con's with moving weight around.
Things can move around and come loose especially if you hit jumps. Inspect your car about every 5 minutes or so or every time you change the battery (if applicable)
Choose a car that is at your skill level. A car that costs $1500 and hits 65 mph is probably not suitable for a beginner. Though having the fastest car on the block is important, it wont last long if you cant handle it properly.
Give your car breaks frequently. There are many electrical parts inside that become very hot if over worked.
Remember the lower the turns of the motor the higher the top speed, but acceleration becomes slow.

[edit] Warnings

Always make sure your esc and motor cooperate. An esc that goes down to 19 turns and a motor that is 15 turns wont work together and will blow both the esc and motor. (My esc has caught on fire before because of this)
Never put too much stress on the motor. Going up a very steep hill or accelerating against a wall will burn the engine, and you will know when you smell it.
Always make sure the band rate on the controller and car cooperate. If they don't, you will have no or very little control of your car.
Parts will break!! Whether you are skilled or a beginner parts will eventually break from wear or other. Always replace a broken part before running your car again. Running with a broken part will result in other parts breaking.
If your RC is overheating be sure to stop running it right away.