Personal & toysYou will see this often

Motorized toy

Also called RC car, robot toy, battery toy.

Brushed motors, plastic gears, a battery box, and a switch. The motors are unmarked. Meter them. The radio in a toy RC car is almost never a usable module.

A donor is the dead machine. The parts below are what is still worth removing from it. “Leave it” is a part that is physically in there and should stay in there: too dangerous, too worn, or only useful as part of a repair you are not doing.

What you are looking at

A scrapped machine is a box of parts that failed at different times. The reason it was thrown out is often one bad piece. The motor, the cord, the supply, and the screws are frequently still good. This index says which is which.

Why it is in the trash while the parts are not

A stripped gear, a dead battery box, or the child grew up.

Before you open it

Do this while it is still unplugged, cool, and not leaking. Cells out, including the coin cell in the transmitter.

Lithium-ion cells

Where the dead machine usually is

Toy box — In the house
Thrift store — Retail
Bulk trash day — Curb

Move-out week near a university, oddly, and every thrift store.

How it comes apart

Screws in the bottom. The gearbox is clipped.

Tools: Phillips, Meter.

What to take

The table is the short version. The notes under it describe that part inside this machine, not only the general description.

Parts in this donor
Part	Call	How many	How often	Where to look
Brushed DC motor	Prize	1–4	always	The gearbox.
Gears	Prize	a box	always	The gearbox.
Battery clip and holder	Worth pulling	1	always	The bay.
Panel switch	Worth pulling	1	usually	The top.
Speaker driver	Bonus	1	usually	Inside.
Indicator LED	Bonus	several	usually	Eyes and buttons.
Small solar cell	Bonus	1	sometimes	Solar toys.
Bluetooth audio module	Leave it	1	sometimes	The 2.4 GHz board.

Prize

Prize — take this firstBrushed DC motor1–4 · always
3–6 V typical. No nameplate.
The gearbox.
Measure no-load current.
Good.
Prize — take this firstGearsa box · always
Keep meshing pairs. One stripped tooth is the usual reason you have the toy.
The gearbox.
Bag the set.
Mixed.

Worth pulling

Worth pullingBattery clip and holder1 · always
AA or a 9 V snap.
The bay.
Clean corrosion.
Springs rust.
Worth pullingPanel switch1 · usually
A slide switch.
The top.
Test.
Good.

Bonus

Bonus, if you are already in thereSpeaker driver1 · usually
A small mylar cone.
Inside.
Fine for noises.
Good.
Bonus, if you are already in thereIndicator LEDseveral · usually
Ordinary LEDs.
Eyes and buttons.
Note the resistor.
Good.
Bonus, if you are already in thereSmall solar cell1 · sometimes
Small.
Solar toys.
Measure in sun.
Fine.

Leave it

Leave it — present, not yours to reuseBluetooth audio module1 · sometimes
A proprietary protocol.
The 2.4 GHz board.
Not a radio you can retarget.
Leave it.