Time to throw a spanner in the works. I've had my McLaren rim for a little over a week and already have a problem with it. I'm not the only one with this problem either. I'm very disappointed to be honest. I wanted to buy the Formula instead of the McLaren but since the PS4 CSL came out the Formula rim jumped up almost €80 which I couldn't justify paying. I wish I had done now.
So, the problem. Up-shifting is hit and miss. It worked perfectly the first few hours. I pull the up-shift paddle and nothing happens so I pull it again and it goes up two gears instead of one. It's almost like a latency issue. Now this doesn't happen all the time but it is getting a lot more frequent. So frequent in fact that I changed back to my P1 rim half way through a race this evening because it p*ssed me off so much. It isn't specific to PC either as can be seen in this Reddit post (I'm Bodb_Derg there by the way):
It's such a pity too because when it was working it was amazing. I'll be contacting Fanatec when I finish here to get a full refund. I've not been using the rim for more than 6 hours since I got it last week. €180 (not including delivery) and I get 6 hours out of it. That's €30 an hour. I've had cheaper hookers.
@David Received my replacement wheel and I am having similar issues. For anyone having these random unresponsive buttons issues, can you answer a few questions? I am trying to work with tech support to resolve this problem.
Which platform are you having the issue?
If on Xbox, are you part of the Insider Program? If so which ring?
Have you tried setting the mode switch to D ? If so are you still experiencing the issue?
No i haven't tried the D mode , i will when i get home.
Haven't bothered setting up the clutch paddles so it's in the default mode as delivered , i prefer to use my foot clutch.
Thanks. So it’s not an Xbox nor Insider only issue. I saw someone mention on the iRacing forums that they were also having the same issue. It is something with the McLaren wheel since I have tested 3 other wheels with no issues at all. Hope we can get a solution.
@David Received my replacement wheel and I am having similar issues. For anyone having these random unresponsive buttons issues, can you answer a few questions? I am trying to work with tech support to resolve this problem.
Which platform are you having the issue?
If on Xbox, are you part of the Insider Program? If so which ring?
Have you tried setting the mode switch to D ? If so are you still experiencing the issue?
Thanks for your help
CSL Elite base for XBox One and PC
PC only here. My wheel base has never even touched a console.
iRacing and Assetto Corsa .
Doesn't matter which mode I try the problem persists.
I also don't use double clutch because I race in VR and can't see the percentage of pull on the display.
Also, if that's Dave_Ha from Reddit, hi, wish we could have met under better circumstances lol
What I don't understand is if it is a firmware issue why was it perfectly fine for the first few hours? I mean, a firmware can't decide, "meh, don't like this" and change it's mind can it?
Yes i am David_Ha on reddit , maybe will see you on iRacing.
This is my first season in iRacing racing the Pro Mazda.
I used to be a console guy (xbox one x) but my mate kept harassing me to get on iRacing as he was.
Now i can't go back to the console as it's inferior.
Mate firmware is a funny thing , i do a bit of programming .
It worked for me for about the first hour too then started the problems , sometimes i would get 30 mins of driving with no shifting issues then it would start again and be that way for the rest of the session.
I have also seen it happen on the Fanatec device properties page , the blue dot to indicate button press or shift activation would sometimes flicker for one press or wouldn't respond on the first attempt.
I have also seen it happen on the Fanatec device properties page , the blue dot to indicate button press or shift activation would sometimes flicker for one press or wouldn't respond on the first attempt.
Yeah. I did the same thing last night. I took the rim out of the box and re-flashed everything. didn't work. Noticed the same thing as you on the Fanatec properties page. Not going to lie, it looked real bloody goo on the rig. Such a shame to take it off again
I agree with the assessment in the video as regards Fanatec customer service. After I explained my up shift issue to them via email, Mourad replied very promptly and was very courteous and helpful. They arranged an RMA super quick too.
UPDATE: Rim seems fine now. Used it for many hours yesterday. I reflashed (for the third time) the FW and it seems to have worked.
What I did (copy/paste from my Reddit comment)
I uninstalled driver 312. Installed driver 293 WITHOUT the McLaren rim attached. Rebooted. Installed driver 311 over driver 293 (didn't uninstall 293 first). Rebooted. Installed driver 310 WITHOUT the McLaren rim attached. After PC booted up, I attached the rim to the base, powered the base up and, even though it was already installed, I re-flashed again to Firmeware 447 (rim firmware version 25).
Now all of this may be coincidence and it might go back to having the issue later, but let's hope it doesn't. At least I can use this awesome rim now ... and it IS an awesome rim!
No idea why the text has a white background by the way. Maybe something to do with the copy/paste??
I have a issue were I only get an N displayed in the McLaren rim when selecting 6th gear in rF2 ! All other gears get displayed normally and all gears are getting selected and work but I only get an N on the wheel for 6th gear .
All other Sims show all gear numbers displayed normally .
Also , as a coincidence the N button on the wheel itself sometimes doesn't register a press and sometimes will register but will flicker on and off unless I Press it really hard , the P button doesn't do this and just works on normal Press .
When I say I have to press really hard on the N button , I know they are hard buttons but I really need to press it way harder than the P button even though it has clicked it won't show the dot unless I Press extre hard .
Can you please change the firmware on the McLaren wheel so its buttons correspond to the same buttons as all the other wheels ?
If i swap my Formula Carbon with my Universal Hub all the buttons are the same but with the McLaren wheel all the buttons are mapped differently and in most games/Sims there isn't an option to have different wheel profiles so i have to remap buttons everytime i swap from one rim to the McLaren rim !
Its very annoying and should be as simple as going from F Carbon to Uni Hub !
It's my first time buying a Fanatec product. I bought (from 2 weeks ago until now) :
PEDALs
V2.5 wheel
2 rims..
I received pedals, wheel and 1 rim.. but the Mclaren rim is still in "processing mode" (bought it 1 week ago) ... i sent 1 email 50 hrs ago and no one answered.. i tried to call but no one answer the phone.
My question is : do i have to wait how many days or weeks before they send the item?
Maria Laura Rodriguez said: l! It's my first time buying a Fanatec product. I bought (from 2 weeks ago until now) : PEDALs V2.5 wheel 2 rims.. I received pedals, wheel and 1 rim.. but the Mclaren rim is still in "processing mode" (bought it 1 week ago) ... i sent 1 email 50 hrs ago and no one answered.. i tried to call but no one answer the phone. My question is : do i have to wait how many days or weeks before they send the item? thank you all.
Can you please change the firmware on the McLaren wheel so its buttons correspond to the same buttons as all the other wheels ?
If i swap my Formula Carbon with my Universal Hub all the buttons are the same but with the McLaren wheel all the buttons are mapped differently and in most games/Sims there isn't an option to have different wheel profiles so i have to remap buttons everytime i swap from one rim to the McLaren rim !
Its very annoying and should be as simple as going from F Carbon to Uni Hub !
Is there anyway to do this ? One button layout for all rims , so that a change of rims ingame doesnt require a full remap of buttons !
New CSL elite base and Mclaren wheel and optional quick release. At random times the wheel simply loses communication with the wheel base. Quick connect is well seated and fixing screw in place.
When communication is lost, the wheel base stays powered up, but the buttons, shifters, and ability to steer the car are gone. (only use iracing)
There is absolutely no wobble or play in the connection/shaft. There has to be a software, firmware, or connector pin issue. At first I thought it was an issue with Discord as it only seemed to happen while driving and using Discord. However, last night I was not using Discord and it started happening again.
It seems to happen most frequently in mid corner, or after receiving a tow back to the pits.
I have also notice that while assigning buttons, the mapping will occasionaly be some long string of button combinations. Example while assigning "Dev1 button14", the mapping with show up as "Dev 1 button 14 Dev 1 button 59 Dev 1 button 63". Assign the button again and it goes back to "Dev1 button 14.
Those of you with button and shifter drop out are not alone.
I have to say I hit exactly the same problem, and it ruined two races for me. I also had other buttons triggering without me pressing them. I am researching and in email conversation with Fanatec, but this is really concerning as I can't trust this rim anymore.
On a bright side, it is my favorite rim out of F1 Carbon and BMW Gt2 for DTM/GT3 racing, I really like the proportions. Hopefully, those issues will get resolved soon. I am happy with the rim itself and I am sure Fanatec will help, it is an inconvenience though.
Thanks for your message, I feel less alone. ^^' So I'm not the only one to have it... I hope they are reading our messages and I hope they will do something soon...
Did you guys ever get your problem resolved? I have same issues and with over a month of no response from fanatec it is really troubling and unprofessional. I did receive a conformation email so I know its not going into my spam folder or wrong adress.
The biggest issue i have with Fanatec is the lack of communication or even acknowledgement publicly , i only found the above driver after much searching for users with the same problems (there are plenty) and someone was given this to try to fix the same problems by Fanatec , but apart from the email response i got 6 weeks ago there has been nothing.
Sorry but that is just really bad customer service , i do service work as my job and the number 1 rule is good communication with your customers to keep them in the loop , when you do this at least the customer doesn't feel forgotten (as i do and lots of other people)
Come on Fanatec the reason i went with you guys was because i thought i was buying into better quality (including service) products , i will never be recommending you guys to any one , before this episode i would have but you guys have handled the Mclaren GT3 wheel with various problems so badly you have affected your reputation. eg: shifting issue's and broken pins and also removing from your web store the Mclaren GT3 wheel then reappearing packaged with the QR with no explanation for this , again i only found out from someone on reddit why.
At least let us know what the current situation is ?
Has anybody heard anything on the issue with the paddle shifters either not working or double shifting randomly. The cause of the problem has been discovered and I have stripped a wheel down to test this. The paddle shifters press a metal plate which flexes and makes a contact, the problem is that fanatec only have the plate held in place by a small piece of tape which heats up after a few laps and allows the plate to move slightly causing a bad contact. I have stripped it down and recentered the plate three times and each time with the same result. So, I now know that fanatec are aware of this issue and it's cause so my question is, will fanatec be recalling these defective products to be corrected?
Theses plates need to be fastened to the board more securely otherwise this issue will continue.
I have a question about updating firmwares for my different Fanatec devices.
The firmwares are contained in the driver and you connect your full system up (pedals, handbrake, shifter, wheel base and wheel) and run the update. Ok so far.
But I have different wheels and think I have read to update the firmware (or install the driver?) I always have to make sure my original PS4 wheel is connected to my PS4 Elite base when updating. I tried it with another wheel attached to the PS4 Elite base and the update went wrong resulting in a replacement of the base though I’m not sure that was due to the update, it was my first update before using the system.
But so how do I update the firmare on my other wheels (P1 Elite and McLaren)?
Reinstall the driver three times each time with a different wheel attached?
Hope someone can help me.
Can anyone having problems with buttons randomly not responding try this. If N stops try and press both N and P, does N work now?
If Y stops try Y and A buttons, working?
I notice that anytime a button stops responding it will work using a double combination.
This is not good after sales care, why are we not getting any answers? We have spent good money for a badly flawed product so we need answers. I am certainly not going to think about the direct drives wheels and peripherals if I can't get an answer on a known malfunction of a simple product.
Can anyone having problems with buttons randomly not responding try this. If N stops try and press both N and P, does N work now?
If Y stops try Y and A buttons, working?
I notice that anytime a button stops responding it will work using a double combination.
Mate, you're spot on. I had no trouble for weeks then suddenly I had the random pit limiter button not work while I was coming out of the pits. Lost 2nd place because of it. Anyways, I hit both P & N together (after seeing this post the day before) and it worked again.
Can anyone having problems with buttons randomly not responding try this. If N stops try and press both N and P, does N work now?
If Y stops try Y and A buttons, working?
I notice that anytime a button stops responding it will work using a double combination.
Mate, you're spot on. I had no trouble for weeks then suddenly I had the random pit limiter button not work while I was coming out of the pits. Lost 2nd place because of it. Anyways, I hit both P & N together (after seeing this post the day before) and it worked again.
-edited-
This issue is driving me crazy. I wonder if someone from Fanatec who understands the firmware coding can explain what is happening with the communication in the wheel that allows two buttons to make the unresponsive button work.
Comments
So, the problem. Up-shifting is hit and miss. It worked perfectly the first few hours. I pull the up-shift paddle and nothing happens so I pull it again and it goes up two gears instead of one. It's almost like a latency issue. Now this doesn't happen all the time but it is getting a lot more frequent. So frequent in fact that I changed back to my P1 rim half way through a race this evening because it p*ssed me off so much. It isn't specific to PC either as can be seen in this Reddit post (I'm Bodb_Derg there by the way):
https://www.reddit.com/r/simracing/comments/92s6s5/shifting_issue_with_fanatec_mclaren_gt3_wheel_on/
It's such a pity too because when it was working it was amazing. I'll be contacting Fanatec when I finish here to get a full refund. I've not been using the rim for more than 6 hours since I got it last week. €180 (not including delivery) and I get 6 hours out of it. That's €30 an hour. I've had cheaper hookers.
- Which platform are you having the issue?
- If on Xbox, are you part of the Insider Program? If so which ring?
- Have you tried setting the mode switch to D ? If so are you still experiencing the issue?
Thanks for your helpThanks. So it’s not an Xbox nor Insider only issue. I saw someone mention on the iRacing forums that they were also having the same issue. It is something with the McLaren wheel since I have tested 3 other wheels with no issues at all. Hope we can get a solution.
PC only here. My wheel base has never even touched a console.
iRacing and Assetto Corsa .
Doesn't matter which mode I try the problem persists.
I also don't use double clutch because I race in VR and can't see the percentage of pull on the display.
Also, if that's Dave_Ha from Reddit, hi, wish we could have met under better circumstances lol
What I did (copy/paste from my Reddit comment)
I uninstalled driver 312. Installed driver 293 WITHOUT the McLaren rim attached. Rebooted. Installed driver 311 over driver 293 (didn't uninstall 293 first). Rebooted. Installed driver 310 WITHOUT the McLaren rim attached. After PC booted up, I attached the rim to the base, powered the base up and, even though it was already installed, I re-flashed again to Firmeware 447 (rim firmware version 25).
Now all of this may be coincidence and it might go back to having the issue later, but let's hope it doesn't. At least I can use this awesome rim now ... and it IS an awesome rim!
No idea why the text has a white background by the way. Maybe something to do with the copy/paste??
****
-edited-