Fanatec McLaren GT3 rim problems...

[anton_Chez]

Hey guys,

Anyone having problems with their newly released McLaren GT3 rim? I am having the clutch paddles drop out on me after a random amount of time. Upon plugging the rim into the base (I use an OSW with the Fanatec wheel base side conversion kit with the newly flashed firmware to operate the GT3 rim) everything is recognized, map-able and works fine. After a while driving, the clutch paddles just drop out and become unusable. I've had the gear paddles drop out once or twice but it's the clutch paddles that do it pretty much every session. Sometimes after 20 minutes, sometimes after a couple of minutes. I've contacted both Fanatec and Simracingmachines.com where I got the conversion kit from in a hope to get to the bottom of it. Just wondering if anyone else is having drama with it.

When you first plug it in, everything is recognized so their shouldn't be a problem with compatibility. Just a reliability thing now.

 

[Furnace Inferno]

Could it be an EMI related issue?

 

[anton_Chez]

Perhaps, but how would I narrow that down? I have the fully shielded cables that come as an option for the OSW I bought from Simracingbay, so fixing that issue if it is EMI might be tricky if I've already taken some steps to avoid it. How would I know if it's EMI? I've read about how direct drive systems can cause such problems, but until now I haven't had any issue with other hardware, HE pro pedals seem to work fine even without the little grounding cable they give you to attach to the brake to cure such potential issues. I don't even know where I've put that....

Other wheels seem to work fine.

 

[bluey]

Hi Anton are you having this problem in ALL your sim games ? I very much doubt it is EMI from your OSW as you have the shielded cables and all your other wheels are ok...do you have any spikes on your pedals or from any buttons on the wheel..maybe try to change your USB connections around ?....i think this maybe a fanatec problem . regards

 

[anton_Chez]

I've been messing around with DI View to see if there is anything strange going on and from what I can see, there isn't. I've just grounded my HE Pro Pedals with the little lead that they give you with them, just to try and minimize what I can with what I have available to me here. Next step is to probably make another lead and ground the servo to the chassis. I've seen Furnace recommend to another user a while back that using rubber or plastic washers in between the adapter and the mount on the motor may help. I will get some and try it out too once I have some.

It's just strange that I've not noticed anything out of the ordinary until the GT3 rim arrived with the analog paddles. This seems to be the only thing giving issues.

 

[Furnace Inferno]

I've been messing around with DI View to see if there is anything strange going on and from what I can see, there isn't. I've just grounded my HE Pro Pedals with the little lead that they give you with them, just to try and minimize what I can with what I have available to me here. Next step is to probably make another lead and ground the servo to the chassis. I've seen Furnace recommend to another user a while back that using rubber or plastic washers in between the adapter and the mount on the motor may help. I will get some and try it out too once I have some.

It's just strange that I've not noticed anything out of the ordinary until the GT3 rim arrived with the analog paddles. This seems to be the only thing giving issues.

I only ask in this specific case because Fanatec were having EMI issues with the beta version which is why it got delayed, so this particular wheel could be more susceptible.

Did you definitely not get one of the beta wheels they accidentally sent to a number of people? It could also be an issue with the software as it’s not on an Fanatec base.

Can you use it with the Mige off and just use it as a controller to test if it is something from that?

 

[anton_Chez]

Hmm you never know, some people have been having their rims replaced on their forums.

How do I run without the Mige on? Just have no force feedback? Does the PC still pick it up with the switch off on the control box?

 

[Furnace Inferno]

Hmm you never know, some people have been having their rims replaced on their forums.

How do I run without the Mige on? Just have no force feedback? Does the PC still pick it up with the switch off on the control box?

As in use the wheel and buttons like a joystick with the funky switch for steering instead and see if the paddles still cut out?

 

[anton_Chez]

I just turned the control box off, so no power to the Mige, and used the paddles on the rim, they worked. I went back to it 10 minutes later, not even using the rim, I was watching Youtube, and the paddles are no longer recognised.

 

[Buster0083]

I had a similar issue when switching games on my initial test, it was spurious and hard to replicate but I haven't seen it since upgrading the firmware on the rim, not the wheel base. The rim itself has a firmware update that's over and above what's installed out of the box.

 

[anton_Chez]

I'l have a look at that. I wonder if I can flash it on the OSW without a Fanatec base.

Edit: I've downloaded the driver but there doesn't seem to be a way to update the rim itself, only to update the wheel base, which I obviously don't have.

 

[Furnace Inferno]

I just turned the control box off, so no power to the Mige, and used the paddles on the rim, they worked. I went back to it 10 minutes later, not even using the rim, I was watching Youtube, and the paddles are no longer recognised.

Ok so now we know it’s definitely the wheel then which makes things easier, unless you can’t update the firmware without a base, is it a separate wheel in the Fanatec software? Also check the official videos as you normally just use the software but not sure if it’s different for the rim.

 

[anton_Chez]

The software doesn't display a wheel at all. It says to go into update mode by turning the base off and holding the power button for 10 seconds. This doesn't apply to me as it's not a Fanatec base.

 

[Buster0083]

Oh sorry mate I scrolled right past the OSW post you made.

 

[anton_Chez]

There have been others reporting the same issue in the Fanatec forum on Fanatec wheel bases. I am not sure if anything I do will have an effect. Other than have someone flash the rim for me.

 

[Furnace Inferno]

There have been others reporting the same issue in the Fanatec forum on Fanatec wheel bases. I am not sure if anything I do will have an effect. Other than have someone flash the rim for me.

Ah that sucks, guess you will need someone with a base then, I don’t think Fanatec will be particularly helpful when using it on an unsupported wheel base but you never know.

 

[anton_Chez]

We'll see what they say. Just ran it for around an hour with no problems at all apart from the clutch paddles just dropping out. It's fine otherwise.

 

[Jeremy Ford]

Other than the dodgy clutch paddles, do you like the feel of the wheel in use? As a plastic body does that come across when your running laps? I've been thinking of picking one up and doing the same conversion.

 

[Hiro Abe]

I've had the wheel for close to a month now without any issues (I have a CSW 2.5 base). The necessary firmware update was for the base but specific to the GT3 as I understand it. Maybe it's something funky with not using it with a Fanatec base? Have you tried reaching out to Fanatec yet?

 

[anton_Chez]

The wheel feels good in the hand but not as good when running it actually driving, probably due to the OSW and its increased strength over a CSL wheel base, or even the CSW wheel base. My BMW and Formula Black rims feel better but the McLaren rim is not bad, just not as good. Of course, being a plastic body with a lower price point, that's to be expected. I can hear a slight creak in the wheel (not bad, just something you notice) when running decent force feedback, but with headphones I don't think you would even notice that it's there, and you can't really feel it. If you run a moderate force feedback level, I think you will be fine. I tend to run on the lighter side but messing with some SimuCUBE damping settings, it's giving a heavier than usual feel for me. Most likely contributing to the slight imperfection in the rim stability.

I have had a response from Fanatec. Obviously they asked me what firmware I am running on wheelbase and rim, and I have to tell them that I am not running firmware from a Fanatec product, save for the firmware update I gave the conversion kit when the wheel was released, to allow support for it. They also asked for a video to display the issue, which is going to be pretty hard to display, as it's a random thing, and I have to use both hands to perform the clutch function. It's also an on or off thing, which could easily be manipulated if you wanted to which looks bad on me if i was just trying to make a fuss. Catching it in the act is something I haven't even be able to do while properly using it, let alone in a video.

I'll do my best, but may have to settle for the fact that I may not be able to use the clutch paddles for anything after a race start, which probably isn't that much of a big deal anyway, as long as I can map a secondary clutch for saving stalls mid race. If I unplug the USB connection and reconnect it, they come back and die after a random time. So re-plugging right on the grid, and then forgetting about it, might be a way to use them to some extent.