You've spent every extra dime and most of your extra time on the exciting ownership of a radio controlled car. Of course it doesn't stop there. You have to get your hands dirty and do what is necessary to keep your rc car running in top condition. That's all possible with a few remote control cars technical tips.

Like any engine, your rc car engine will require a little tuning from time to time. The experts recommend a carburetor cleaning. It's a simple process of holding open the carburetor valve, letting the engine rev to full speed, and adding a little extra fuel until the engine almost stalls. There - you've just cleared your engines throat and you'll see immediate improvement in performance.

There's nothing more frustrating with operating your radio controlled car than sending it to the far end of it's radio capacity and then having it stall out. That's the fault of the idle and it's easy to set. Locate the idle adjustment screw and set it to it's lowest level. Adjust as needed to keep the engine running for at least a minute. When the engine stalls, open the screw by 1/8 turn. That should keep your rc running when no throttle is applied and keep you from walking across the track to retrieve it.

Now that you've got the bottom end where you want it, these remote control cars technical tips will take you through the top speed end. Rev the engine for 2-3 seconds and then let it come back to idle. Do that 2 or 3 times. You can hear it. If your engine has a nice clean purring sound on the high end, it's set right. If it sputters or has trouble getting up to speed, find the top end needle on your carb and enrich the flow. Your baby just wants a little more juice.

O.K., all this talk about the engine, but what about all those other moving parts, like the gears that control the steering. After all, you're driving on dirty old track and street surfaces that have all kinds of debris - large and small. An air compressor can be your rc car's best friend. After each run, blow compressed air over all the moving parts, ball joints, wheel bearings, and servos. Your car body will need a more extensive cleaning after a long period of use, including disassembling crucial parts for a complete cleaning. Grease will build up fast in critical areas and really slow you down.

Of all the remote control cars technical tips the experts recommend, messing with the radio's electronics is not one of them - leave that to the shop. You can find more by subscribing to R/C car magazines.