Setup and Run of Tamiya Audi Quattro TT-02

Tamiya Audi quattro Rallye A2 (TT-02) in Action!

Following on from our last article on the Tamiya Audi quattro Rallye A2 (TT-02), where we took the car from assembly kit and made it into a ready-to-run car, we will now take the next steps, and look at what to consider when you start running the car.

Always start the set-up process with a fully charged battery in the car.

Once you have a fully charged battery in the car, the first step is to set-up the TBLE-02S ESC. Let's take a look at this next.

Before you do anything with the ESC, you need make sure the throttle settings on the transmitter is at factory default settings, meaning that the trim is at 0 and the EPA (end point adjustment) is at 100%.

The example above shows these settings on a high-end transmitter. On more affordable radios this is often set with physical switches, or through menu systems. Read the manual for your transmitter for details.

The next thing with the TBLE-02S ESC is to set the throttle channel to the reverse setting. Again, this can be a simple switch on many radios, or found through a menu. You will find info in the manual.

All of this is also of course mentioned in the TBLE-02S manual, which you should read through a few times before you start, and it will all be quite simple.

The manual for the ESC mention that you should disconnect the motor cables before starting the set-up process.

All the settings are done with the set button. It can be a bit tricky to operate the set button with your finger, and if you find this is  the case, you can use any pointy, but not sharp, tool instead. I used a 2mm hex driver as that worked well for me.

In the image above you see highlighted the instructions on how to calibrate the ESC. Just follow these, and the ESC will be set-up and ready to run. If you make a mistake, you can just turn off the ESC, and start again.

Once set-up, reconnect the motor wires, and bundle them up with once of the included cable ties if necessary.

Your car should now be ready to run, but always give the car a quick check-over before you start running. 

When you start running, the first thing is to just run slowly, check that the car is running straight or if you need to make steering trim adjustments, and overall check that everything seems to be working.

With that done, it's time to go out and enjoy your car!

The TT-02, even with the high ground clearance setting used on the Audi quattro Rallye, is designed for fairly smooth surfaces like tarmac, concrete, hard packed clay, or similar surfaces.

Our journey for the day took us to a deserted beach with  hard packed sand, and even there the Audi quattro Rallye managed to perform good. Best of all, it all looked like a scene straight from the 1983 Safari Rally, thanks to the realistic look and handling of the TT-02 Rallye!

When done, remember to switch off the ESC and the transmitter, disconnect the battery, and remove it from the car.

After running, especially if you run a  dirty conditions, it's very important to clean the car properly.