Radio Shack ZipZap shorted - toasted

[Jim]

Hello All!

Does anyone have any schematics, or troubleshooting info for ZipZap?

Can the NiMH be 'broken' by shorting + and -?

I opened the plastic cover and peeked under the circuit board and
*knew* it was going to be trouble. There's a fine fine enameled coil
wire (for the steering) that just kinda loops around things like
capacitors and resistors to 'shorten' it somewhat neatly and orderly
so they can close the case. Silly wire really just floats and flops
around. Measured later and is appx AWG 38-40.

I was *trying* to be very careful getting the wires free but there was
a quick ffzzzzttt and that was it. Might have gotten hung up on
anything really, battery, resistor lead, anything , there's all sorts
of metal in there.

Charger light stays green for several minutes.

Battery shows 0.85V whether plugged into charger or not.

There're four wires coming from the steering coils. The two that are
commoned and connected to battery V+ have about half an inch, from the
soldered point, of blackish looking discoloration that sure doesn't
look normal. I can't get a reliable resistance reading off the coils,
have only two hands. :)

This thing is just a 'problem waiting to happen' anyway with those
wires flopping around. No -way- can it last more than a few months of
average use before it toasts itself involuntarily.

TIA Have a :) day!


--
jim barchuk
jb@jbarchuk.com

[Me]

Jim wrote:

> Hello All!
>
> Does anyone have any schematics, or troubleshooting info for ZipZap?
>
> Can the NiMH be 'broken' by shorting + and -?
>
> I opened the plastic cover and peeked under the circuit board and
> *knew* it was going to be trouble. There's a fine fine enameled coil
> wire (for the steering) that just kinda loops around things like
> capacitors and resistors to 'shorten' it somewhat neatly and orderly
> so they can close the case. Silly wire really just floats and flops
> around. Measured later and is appx AWG 38-40.
>
> I was *trying* to be very careful getting the wires free but there was
> a quick ffzzzzttt and that was it. Might have gotten hung up on
> anything really, battery, resistor lead, anything , there's all sorts
> of metal in there.
>
> Charger light stays green for several minutes.
>
> Battery shows 0.85V whether plugged into charger or not.
>
> There're four wires coming from the steering coils. The two that are
> commoned and connected to battery V+ have about half an inch, from the
> soldered point, of blackish looking discoloration that sure doesn't
> look normal. I can't get a reliable resistance reading off the coils,
> have only two hands. :)
>
> This thing is just a 'problem waiting to happen' anyway with those
> wires flopping around. No -way- can it last more than a few months of
> average use before it toasts itself involuntarily.
>
> TIA Have a :) day!
>
>
I had a similar car. The "battery" is actually a capacitor. It is possible
that you fried the capacitor, but prob. not. That black spot is probably
where your problem is. Where exactly is that spot? Is it on top of or on
a contact of a component? If so, that component is gone probably.