Fanatec Handbrake Cable

[ThugUK]

My Fanatec handbrake is positioned on the left of my PlaySeat, and the cable is rather tight.
I forgot about the cable and moved the seat, resulting in damaging the 3.5mm plug.

I wanted to buy a new cable, but due to a mix of price and length I decided the try and make my own.
I bought a cable that had a 3.5mm plug (at a right angle so its not stuck too far out) on one end and bare wires on the other, so I could crimp my own RJ connector.

The bare wires consist of 3 wires, white, yellow and red.

I removed the old cable and realised it had 4 wires, white, red, green and black.

Now, the plug has 3 contact areas so I presumed only 3 wires, so not sure why it has 4.

Has anyone changed it over or made a new one and know which wire is which, before I use a continuity tester to check myself?

 

[RaceWasGood]

Based on the fact that i've used a standard stereo minijack (female/male) extension cable with my former Fanatec handbrake, my guess is that two of the wires from the RJ connector are combined at the other end. If you didn't throw away the old 3,5mm plug, maybe check that?

https://www.racedepartment.com/threads/longer-cable-or-extension-for-fanatec-handbrake.132437/

 

[ThugUK]

Right the RJ plug on the original wire has 6 connections.
Looking at it from the opposite side of the retaining clip from left to right.
1. Black
2. Green
3.
4.
5. White
6. Red

As I said, my new lead has 3 wires, red, white, and yellow.
Providing its wired up the same, then the red will go connection 6 and white connection 5.
The yellow will go either 1 or 2, but which one?

Update, inside the handbrake itself there are 3 wires.
On the pedal side of things, I cant tell which are in use or not.
I might just connect the red and white as they originally were, then just guess with the yellow putting it on connection 1, and if not right re-do it to connection 2.​

 

[ThugUK]

double post

 

[WhippyVan]

RJ12 pin - 3.5mm plug ( tip - middle - base )
1 - +ve (middle)
2 - Shorted to pin 1
3 - Nc
4 - Nc
5 - Signal (tip)
6 - GND (base)

 

[ThugUK]

Not sure what is wrong, but tried the leads in the 2 positions and its still not working.
Fastened the red to 6, white to 5 and the yellow to 1 and then 2, but still not working.

 

[RaceWasGood]

Did you check that the 3,5mm plug actually is connected as:

red -> base
white -> tip
yellow -> middle

I wouldn't trust the wire colors without checking.

 

[WhippyVan]

Have you re calibrated it in the fanatec properties page?

 

[ThugUK]

Did you check that the 3,5mm plug actually is connected as:

red -> base
white -> tip
yellow -> middle

I wouldn't trust the wire colors without checking.

No, I couldn't find my multimeter to check continuity.
I have ordered one from Amazon to come today, so will check later.
I did trust the colours on the off chance they were correct though.

Have you re calibrated it in the fanatec properties page?

Its not activating at all in the Fanatec properties page.
Its showing up, but when I pull it the bar graph doesn't move at all.

 

[WhippyVan]

But have you tried to calibrate it even when it won't show up just trying to use it?

Got a low voltage torch bulb or something? can use that to work out where the wire connect to the 3.5 jack with some dicking around and a battery. You could even just try different wiring combos like swapping the +ve and GND noted above, as it is just a pot you are not going to cause you pedal PCB to blow up if you get it wrong*..


*PS no such thing as a 100% guarantee but I never killed a csp v1/1 or CSL Elite LC PCB bumbling around with wiring trying to get my custom handbrake to work

 

[ThugUK]

Actually I forgot how to calibrate it.
I started the desktop Fanatec program up and it shows the pedals and handbrake.
The pedal sliders move as they should but the HB doesn’t move at all.
I will try later when I finish work.

 

[ThugUK]

Did you check that the 3,5mm plug actually is connected as:

red -> base
white -> tip
yellow -> middle

I wouldn't trust the wire colors without checking.

Just checked my new cable and...
yellow - base
white - middle
red - tip

RJ12 pin - 3.5mm plug ( tip - middle - base )
1 - +ve (middle)
2 - Shorted to pin 1
3 - Nc
4 - Nc
5 - Signal (tip)
6 - GND (base)

So I have connected them as...

1- white
2-
3-
4-
5- red
6- yellow

And its still not working in the Fanatec properties.

 

[ThugUK]

I am thinking now is the wire going to no.2 more important than I originally thought, even if it is just shorted to pin no.1

Who is the member on here who works for Fanatec? I wonder if he can shed any light on it?

 

[Moxley6969]

Ask in the Fanatec thread there's a few employees who monitor,

Or just find your multi meter...Lol

 

[ThugUK]

I have got a meter now and the plug and connector are connected on.

 

[WhippyVan]

Have you tried it with pin 2 shorted?

 

[ThugUK]

Not yet.
Will need to think of a way on how to short them.

 

[KotLarry]

Hi, have You resolved Yoour problem?
I can't seem to get things work to.
I connect everything like it says, but fanatec doesn't recognise singal...

 

[ThugUK]

I ended up just buying a proper lead and it now works fine.

 

[Oscar_pro_1984]

Have u tried the multimeter and see which color lead goes to what color on both sides? Im trying to built mine too, any help will be appreciate