How to Protect RC Electronics from Wet Conditions

How to Protect RC CARS from Wet Conditions

 Question

How Do I Protect My RC Electronics From Water and Mud?
RC muddin' sounds like fun until you think about the clean up involved. But beyond that, the internal parts get pretty dirty on a dry day and normal dust can tear up the inside of an RC. But what about water, snow and mud?

Answer

Before venturing into the water, snow or mud you can waterproof your RC vehicles and electronics. Clean up after the fact is also important to keep your RC in good working order.
Traxxas has some new RCs featuring waterproof brushless systems, but you can also do your own waterproofing on almost any hobby-grade RCs. With toy-grade it might be more difficult because you generally don't have easy access to the internal parts -- but if you don't mind tearing it up a bit you could open it up and do some waterproofing of the toy RCs, too.

WD-40 

If you decide to do some muddin' without special preparations, after a good cleanup squirt some WD-40 in the gear box and back of motor if possible. Let it dry for about a 24 hours before running to give it time to dry out. It won't prevent all damage, but it can help in a pinch.

Tape and Balloons 

Electrical tape and balloons are two methods of protecting delicate internal parts. Wrap tape around exposed wires and connections. Use a balloon to protect the receiver pack. Balloons provide great protection of internal parts from dirt and moisture. But don't use a balloon on your ESC.

Silicone

Among other Snow Proofing Tips (which can apply to mud and water as well), Misbehavin' RC suggests using silicone sealant.

on servos that aren't already designated as waterproof.

Receivers and Servos

At the HobbyTalk forums, the Hankster outlines waterproofing and general protection tips specifically for your Nitro RC. He's got detailed instructions and photos on how to cover your receiver and servos with balloons.

Clean Up

No matter what the weather or how well you've waterproofed your RC, you always need to do proper after-run maintenance when you're done.