# Scalextric Ruined My Carrera Go! Racecar Set



## 400heavy (Jun 9, 2020)

I have a 1/43 analog Carrera Go! track and I purchased a few 1/43 Scalextric cars on eBay to run on it. The Scalextric cars just didn't run right, and I only ran them for less than a few minutes, if that even, and then stopped. When I took the Scalectrix car off and put on a Carrera Go! car (i.e., now we were running two Carrera Go! cars), I found that each controller could power both lanes simultaneously, instead of just its individual lane. I found this out when my car crashed and my son put my car back onto my lane, but my car was now controlled by my son, not me, even though his car was in the other lane! He was controlling both cars in two separate lanes, using his controller. Then I tried it and the same thing happened--now *MY* controller was controlling both Carrera Go! cars, each in their own lane. What happened? What did I break? Is it the transformer?

The racetrack worked perfectly before and only malfunctioned when I tried to run the Scalextric car on it. Pity, because I wanted to add different cars to our collection, instead of just Carrera.


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

sounds complicated?
doesn't it! ?
I don't know enough about that brand of track, but it certainly sounds like something with the terminal track was compromised if each individual controller can operate both lanes simultaneously.
do you use more than one terminal track?


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

Did you check each connection for damage or looseness?

Next disconnect one controller and see if it will still run or still power both lanes.

Then disconnect the other (and reconnect the first) and see if the circuit is still complete for both lanes or will not run either lane.


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## 400heavy (Jun 9, 2020)

alpink said:


> sounds complicated?
> doesn't it! ?
> I don't know enough about that brand of track, but it certainly sounds like something with the terminal track was compromised if each individual controller can operate both lanes simultaneously.
> do you use more than one terminal track?


No, just the one. I thought it was safe to run a Scalecrix car on a Carrera track, and vice versa.


Milton Fox Racing said:


> Did you check each connection for damage or looseness?
> 
> Next disconnect one controller and see if it will still run or still power both lanes.
> 
> Then disconnect the other (and reconnect the first) and see if the circuit is still complete for both lanes or will not run either lane.



OK, I did all that and the same problem exists. I thought it was safe to run an analog Scalecrix car on an analog Carrera track, and vice versa. I know that you cannot run a digital car on an analog track, or an analog car on a digital track as the voltage is different,


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

do you use more than one terminal track?


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## Rich Dumas (Sep 3, 2008)

I can't see any way that running a Scalextric car on your track would cause this problem, I believe that it was just a coincidence that the problem cropped up when you tried the Scalextric cars. Here is how set type plastic 1/32nd and 1/24th (except for Policar) tracks are wired, I expect that 1/43rd Carrera tracks are the same.










Somehow the controller part of the circuit for both lanes has gotten crossed up. You will have to do some troubleshooting, it would be nice to have an ohm meter. Ordinarily the only thing that is not common to both lanes is the wiring that connects the wiper in the controller to the left hand track rail looking in the direction of travel. That rail is negative. In your case both of the wipers must be connected to both lanes. I am not familiar with what your connections look like, but something is connected that is not supposed to be. It would be best to disconnect the power supply when you take ohm readings.


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

To that end if you can post images of where your connections are being made to the power pack, the track and controllers - it may help us better understand where the issue is located.

If the connections are correct then a short or melted place in the track/connections has to have occurred.

Is it possible that the connections were already operating the two lanes before you noticed that just recently?


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

in the above diagram, the left lane is the one fed by the controller.

what you are experiencing is that the controllers are both, somehow, attached to both of the left side rails in each lane.

I think


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## 400heavy (Jun 9, 2020)

Rich Dumas said:


> I can't see any way that running a Scalextric car on your track would cause this problem, I believe that it was just a coincidence that the problem cropped up when you tried the Scalextric cars. Here is how set type plastic 1/32nd and 1/24th (except for Policar) tracks are wired, I expect that 1/43rd Carrera tracks are the same.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## 400heavy (Jun 9, 2020)

Thank you. Great information. I bought it at the Camp Pendleton MCX (Marine Corps Exchange--I am retired military) so I think I will just return it and buy another one.


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## 400heavy (Jun 9, 2020)

Milton Fox Racing said:


> To that end if you can post images of where your connections are being made to the power pack, the track and controllers - it may help us better understand where the issue is located.
> 
> If the connections are correct then a short or melted place in the track/connections has to have occurred.
> 
> Is it possible that the connections were already operating the two lanes before you noticed that just recently?


"If the connections are correct then a short or melted place in the track/connections has to have occurred". That probably is what happened. Everything was working normally (i.e., each controller operated its own lane) until I introduced the Scalectrix car. I bought it at the Camp Pendleton MCX (Marine Corps Exchange--I am retired military) so I think I will just return it and buy another one.


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## 400heavy (Jun 9, 2020)

"If the connections are correct then a short or melted place in the track/connections has to have occurred". That probably is what happened. Everything was working normally (i.e., each controller operated its own lane) until I introduced the Scalectrix car. I bought it at the Camp Pendleton MCX (Marine Corps Exchange--I am retired military) so I think I will just return it and buy another one.


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## 400heavy (Jun 9, 2020)

alpink said:


> sounds complicated?
> doesn't it! ?
> I don't know enough about that brand of track, but it certainly sounds like something with the terminal track was compromised if each individual controller can operate both lanes simultaneously.
> do you use more than one terminal track?


No, just one terminal track.


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## SCJ (Jul 15, 1999)

400heavy said:


> OK, I did all that and the same problem exists. I thought it was safe to run an analog Scalecrix car on an analog Carrera track, and vice versa. I know that you cannot run a digital car on an analog track, or an analog car on a digital track as the voltage is different,



It won't and you can...….you have a short somewhere.

Start the process of elimination......unplug both controllers and power......plug I power, one controller....still a problem? Unplug the controller plug it into the other controller location....still a problem? Now repeat with controller number two, move it to the next....do you get the same problem w/ both controllers in both locations? If the answer is yes, I would check the terminal track typically there are three wires/wire strips on a terminal track.....one to both lanes (power) one to the inside lane, one to the outside lane make sure they are isolated. If your still having issues, try replacing the terminal track.

Hope that helps

SCJ


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

what HE ^ said


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## 400heavy (Jun 9, 2020)

SCJ said:


> It won't and you can...….you have a short somewhere.
> 
> Start the process of elimination......unplug both controllers and power......plug I power, one controller....still a problem? Unplug the controller plug it into the other controller location....still a problem? Now repeat with controller number two, move it to the next....do you get the same problem w/ both controllers in both locations? If the answer is yes, I would check the terminal track typically there are three wires/wire strips on a terminal track.....one to both lanes (power) one to the inside lane, one to the outside lane make sure they are isolated. If your still having issues, try replacing the terminal track.
> 
> ...


Thank you SCJ. Yes, I agree that there is a short somewhere. It is probably coincidental that it occurred when I ran the Scalextric car. I appreciate your help. I purchased it from the MCX (Marine Corps Exchange) at Camp Pendleton, so I will just return when they accept returns later in July.

So you are saying that I can run any different brand (Carrera, Scalextric, etc) 1/43 analog car on ANY analog track?


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## 400heavy (Jun 9, 2020)

Thank you SCJ. Yes, I agree that there is a short somewhere. It is probably coincidental that it occurred when I ran the Scalextric car. I appreciate your help. I purchased it from the MCX (Marine Corps Exchange) at Camp Pendleton, so I will just return when they accept returns later in July.

So you are saying that I can run any different brand (Carrera, Scalextric, etc) 1/43 analog car on ANY analog track?


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

that is what he is saying


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

that is what he is saying


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## carlosnseattle (May 12, 2009)

Funny thing is Scalextric doesn't make 1/43 cars. Their Spanish counterpart SCX did make 1/43 cars but they stopped making them years ago. There really is no logical way that an analog setup can convert itself so that one controller powers both lanes. The wires under the track would have to have been shorted for that to happen, and the bottom of the terminal track is sealed on Carrera Go track. You must have shorted the track somewhere else. 

if you can take pictures of our setup we can probably troubleshoot the problem. Any chance you can take pictures and post them here? Or take a video with your phone and upload to Youtube and provide a link.


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## SCJ (Jul 15, 1999)

400heavy said:


> Thank you SCJ. Yes, I agree that there is a short somewhere. It is probably coincidental that it occurred when I ran the Scalextric car. I appreciate your help. I purchased it from the MCX (Marine Corps Exchange) at Camp Pendleton, so I will just return when they accept returns later in July.
> 
> So you are saying that I can run any different brand (Carrera, Scalextric, etc) 1/43 analog car on ANY analog track?



Yes for the most part.......one needs to account for running the opposite direction or wider/narrower guide flag, braid not positioned correctly but yes should NOT effect your track.

SCJ


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