Kenner car toy part II

[RobKnight]

Hey I am back!
Sorry for making a part 2 ln this topic but I replied last in part I and then I replied again and was afraid my latest reply was going to go unnoticed.

Anyway here it is..

I feel somewhat disconcerted guys and I hope you can help. Remember how I told you the ebayseller who sold me kenner-kitt sent me a video of one of his kittcars (he always has at least one for sale) where he tries out the voicebox AND the voicepitch-slidebutton on the car to demonstrate to me that his also sounds speeded up even when the pitchslidebutton is at the slowest.

And I compared my car with the video and it sounds to me that his car sounds a litte slower when the slide is at midway than mine. Mine sounds a bit fast still..And that bugs the hell out of me. Actually it breaks my heart cause it makes me think that my slidebutton is defect!! Now I only compared a few times cause I had to go. But when I come home tomorrow I will try some more.
So guys, is there something wrong with my pitchslide button??? Or am I imagining it? Or maybe he didnt have it quite 100% on midway when he played the voicebox.
It sounds somewhat farfetched that my slidebutton is defect... ??

Please help me guys... I am crazy about this car and its breaking my heart... I can t buy another one and I dont know any electrician that can help me either...

[Assasinge]

Replies wouldn't go unnoticed, when you have losers like me checking this site several times a day, and the fact that it brings your thread or post to the top. And doesn't Ebay have some Kenner car toys?

[WittgenTT5/Rstein]

Replies wouldn't go unnoticed, when you have losers like me checking this site several times a day, and the fact that it brings your thread or post to the top. And doesn't Ebay have some Kenner car toys?

"losers like me"

Oh hell no Assasinge, whats wrong with liking a series like KR?

[Assasinge]

I meant, I check this site too much lol

[jup]

If you can't find an electrician and don't want to attempt disassembly, then you are down to just wearing out batteries until it does sound right.

Though, you can still try rechargeables. Research them on the internet and find the weakest ones that anyone can mention. That's probably the least technical answer that is left.

[RobKnight]

Hey Jup! Thanks

1. But why did the sellers car sound just a tiny bit slower in the voice (especially midway on the speedpitch) than mine?? He had a new battery as well... is mine defect? It seems farfetched with it being defect. Perhaps its other sets of circumstances??

2. If I were to dissasemble the car to slow down the voice box , how do I do??

[jup]

Both of those questions are difficult for me to answer, as I never had the car/unit to begin with.

But, if the insides are anything like the device I had, there's just not a whole lot you can do aside from regulating the power that goes directly to the motor.

If...by some miracle...I still had that device in storage, I could put together a video to show you what you are probably up against. In most likelihood, you have the battery compartment and two wires running from it. Both wires run to two posts on a drive motor, which is probably bolted to some kind of shaped plastic base. On the end of this motor is a small wheel with a belt wrapped around it. There sounds like some kind of armature that rubs against the rubber belt and is connected to this solo speed control you mentioned. The belt should also be connected to another wheel that hooks to a shaft that has the record on it. (Probably the largest plastic round thing on the contraption.) If the device is as simple as I just explained it there, not a whole lot you can do. You could figure out how to add even more friction. But, friction wears the belt out. And that belt is quite old. Also, the cone that is connected to the needle that runs in the record's grooves is probably cheap, to begin with. No telling if any two cones ever sounded one hundred percent alike, to begin with. Also, the sounds you hear do matter in accordance to how fast the record spins at. Back to that same issue of batteries with more bang in them. Which means very few things can be done. A) Lessen the bang going into the motor. B) Make the motor work harder. C) Exchange that ancient tech with a modern sound device. D) Do nothing and accept that it still even works. From what you've mentioned, Option A is your best bet.

EDIT: I always suppose there is an option E, now that I'm thinking about how the device works. If you are mechanically inclined, you could go for partial disassembly and place new wheels onto the motor and record. By changing the size of these wheels with a new belt, you can physically alter the RPM's at which the record turns with. Unknown factors exist, here. Can you get such parts? Is the space in which the sound device going to permit different sized wheels? How can you even tell which wheels will make that record rotate properly?

I suppose with e-Bay, you can order almost anything ever made. But...how to figure out the right sized wheels is a hard one. Mathematics, maybe??? A 3D Printer would certainly make that experimentation far easier to work with. Which STILL makes Option A the best of the bunch.

IF...big if, here...SOMEHOW you could get the exact same sized belt that has been recently made, (Like manufactured in 2015/2016) you may experience slightly better results. A worn out, aged belt will have stretched out a bit over the years. It's just natural aging. Again...how to get a duplicate belt???

[KITTfan]

I don't have Kenner KITT either but by looking at the youtube videos, one possibility came in my mind concerning the drive belt. Probably the original one may have already perished and may have been replaced but is it routed correctly? Maybe a tensioner pulley is bypassed or something like that?

[jup]

It's not beyond the realm of possibility that the car's been serviced and has an inferior replacement belt. But, getting the properly fitting belt may be hard to near impossible. Or it may be as easy as measuring the length of the belt inside and doing a search on belts of similar sizes. Experimentation. Never know if someone with experience has the exact answer to this...and maybe even a link to an e-bay listing that sells the belt.

Of what I saw on my little player, the belt is pretty idiot proof. If it wasn't wrapped around the two pulleys, the player wouldn't work. The resistance bit shouldn't be by-pass'able. It's just too direct and simple of an assembly.

https://youtu.be/5MVbXlEMDhc

Well, now...that tells me what the device actually is. Indeed, a belt driven motor to a tiny record. Housing looks super tight. So, I doubt a change in pulley sizes is even possible. That bit about the screw driver prying and plastic tabs makes me worried about opening one of these up. Was hoping for pure screws. (Aged plastic becomes brittle.) Wires for adding a volt regulator circuit look easy enough to access. But, not much room for the circuit. Unless it merely needs to be an in-line resistor. I haven't built circuits since high school. So much forgotten.

Something like this might help...

https://youtu.be/m8rK9gU30v4

...but, if one isn't comfortable with even basic electronics, it's asking as much as making a trip to the moon. I mean...even I am a bit over my head after watching that video.

Like, I'm looking in e-bay under 'Mini 3A DC-DC Converter Adjustable Step down Power Supply Module replace LM2596' as the search words and am thinking this 99 cent part is probably overkill. Says it needs a minimum of 4.5 volts input and is quoting 2-3 amps. At least, it shows the part is the size of a nickle. Maybe that would fit inside this car...

[RobKnight]

Thanks guys!

But now I feel a bit worried... do you guys really think the drive belt has been replaced??
The guy said all kitt voice cars sound high pitched with new batteries.

Also the seller sent me a video of another one of his kitt cars to demonstrate that all such cars sound highpitched with new batteries. He even tested the battery at 1.57 volt ti make sure it was fresh. But still I believe his sounds a little bit slower when his pitchvoice regulator is at the highest and midway. My new battery was 1.5 volts.

1. Is it possible that his "new battery might have been just the tiniest bit drained even though it showed 1.57?

2. How can I tell if the car has been serviced and had the drive belt replaced??

[jup]

I have no idea how to check to see if your car has ever been serviced or has the original belt. More modern devices might have a security sticker across a screw hole to void warranty. But, with that car being a mere toy, I don't expect there to be a way of telling.

Your best approach to this issue is to figure out how to balance out the output of your batteries, as any other method sounds above your pay grade...so to speak. I'd say rechargeables are your first and best bet. Rechargeable batteries tend to be equally priced to their one time use counterparts, can be reused when drained and typically output less amps/volts, which is what you are looking for.

[RobKnight]

Thank you jup!
I have read carefully what you wrote and I agree with you.
I will try the rechareable batteries!!

Your knowledge is awesome!!

Cheers!

[jup]

Good luck. And thank you, too.

[RobKnight]

Hi again! Sorry to reopen the thread but I noticed something new on the car. A couple of screws are missing on the underside... how can I show you guys a picture of it??

[snafu]

You can either use a photo hosting site such as Photobucket, or check out the attachment section when you're posting (use the full editor mode on your post) and attach a photo directly from your computer. I think there's a file size limit..

[jup]

I suppose for replacement screws, you should try to find a third screw that is accessible, remove it and take that to a local hardware store. With luck, a person there can identify and match up replacements.

Most likely with a model of that era, the screw should be some common type that is still mass produced to this day. Costs should also be minimal. This person should be able to identify thread size, screw link and most likely that it is a standard Phillips head. Plus, the style of head used.

Another thing to consider adding with your replacement screws is a kind of glue named 'Thread Lock.' The positive is that this glue keeps the screws from falling out from use. The negative: It also keeps them from coming out if servicing is ever necessary. (Which, for trying to access the voice record, you will need.)

Of course, without a representative screw to show, none of us could hope to say what it would be from the vacant hole