Fanatec CSW/CSR Elite Modders Thread *UPDATE February 2014*

  • Thread starter eKretz
  • 3,607 comments
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Yes am new i only found this site when i googled problems with csw, which i had for 4 weeks and had to send it back. Going by what i have seen in this thread, No surprise the motors went on mine. Like i says the base is only 4 weeks old and fanatec wanted me to send it back to them.
Anyway i have tried putting shocks on my pedals but the damn shocks where no good leaking every where, so am looking for good shocks, and how the guy done that quick release.
As i did find when i was using the shocks it took too long to go back in position So the quick release what he has done looks a great way to avoid this trouble.
 
JogoAsobi
All of this stuff is already well-known to the community, unless you are relatively new to the scene :sly:
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Yes, you are probably right...well known to the people who have CSPs. I do not, hence I have never bothered to look CSP mods up. ;)
 
Gameruk
No they was quite helpful. I thought the motors are meant to be a new batch ie v2 , but seems still the same problems.
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It would be interesting to know what batch was defective. My wheel is from a very first production batch and still going strong, no problems at all.
 
bumer
It would be interesting to know what batch was defective. My wheel is from a very first production batch and still going strong, no problems at all.
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Bumer what settings do you use on your CSW? In game FFB and on the wheel?
 
For me in f1 2012 ingame setting was 0 for environment ffb 0 feedback was 30 wheel weight was 0. on the wheel itself, ffb set to 100 force 80 so as you can see for me, not strong at all rfactor 2 was default settings in game and same settings on the wheel.
I always have sen set to off.
Its not like i had extremely high settings and was pushing it to the max.
 
Gameruk
For me in f1 2012 ingame setting was 0 for environment ffb 0 feedback was 30 wheel weight was 0. on the wheel itself, ffb set to 100 force 80 so as you can see for me, not strong at all rfactor 2 was default settings in game and same settings on the wheel.
I always have sen set to off.
Its not like i had extremely high settings and was pushing it to the max.
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Oh I believe you mate, I've had lots of RMA's for my CSW and I don't ever get one that lasts more than a month.
I just wonder if the guys that are having no issues are running theirs differently. Not that it should matter, if the wheel has adjustable settings you should be able to utilise the full range of settings without fear of failure
 
Just a thought for all you CSR E and CSW users to consider. Some people on this thread and other threads have posted about multiple-recurring motor failures/issues, while others report they have had none.

Perhaps eKretz could post a poll that would ask the following:
1) Total estimated weekly hours wheel is run.
2) Percentage break-down by Platform users' wheel(s) are used with.
(I.E.: PS3 25%, PC 50%, XBOX 25%)
3) Software titles used by percentage, and their related FFB settings.
4) Number of motor failures experienced to-date if applicable.
5) Firmware version of wheel.
6) Motor Serial Number if accessible.
7) Make the Poll results private while it runs to keep results from influencing Poll entries.
8) If possible, run the Poll on numerous Sim-related sites concurrently for a few weeks.
9) Only make the results public once the Poll has been completed.

The reason I am suggesting this, is that I have seen lots of hardware-related discussions, so it would be interesting to see if its affected by software. If its just a bad production batch, motor Serial Numbers might help ID that.

I do remember seeing a few posts back in the day regarding wheel issues/failures attributed to in-game menu use, will try to dig them up. Not saying this is the case, but it might be worth looking at.

Please excuse in event some of my suggestions have already been explored.
 
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Carson79
Bumer what settings do you use on your CSW? In game FFB and on the wheel?
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Ingame stuff is usually maximum, depends of course which settings it offers, but on the wheel it depends on a game and how much I want to fight with the wheel, so usually not very high, about 50-80%.
 
JogoAsobi
Just a thought for all you CSR E and CSW users to consider. Some people on this thread and other threads have posted about multiple-recurring motor failures/issues, while others report they have had none.

Perhaps eKretz could post a poll that would ask the following:
1) Total estimated weekly hours wheel is run.
2) Percentage break-down by Platform users' wheel(s) are used with.
(I.E.: PS3 25%, PC 50%, XBOX 25%)
3) Software titles used by percentage, and their related FFB settings.
4) Number of motor failures experienced to-date if applicable.
5) Firmware version of wheel.
6) Motor Serial Number if accessible.
7) Make the Poll results private while it runs to keep results from influencing Poll entries.
8) If possible, run the Poll on numerous Sim-related sites concurrently for a few weeks.
9) Only make the results public once the Poll has been completed.

The reason I am suggesting this, is that I have seen lots of hardware-related discussions, so it would be interesting to see if its affected by software. If its just a bad production batch, motor Serial Numbers might help ID that.

I do remember seeing a few posts back in the day regarding wheel issues/failures attributed to in-game menu use, will try to dig them up. Not saying this is the case, but it might be worth looking at.

Please excuse in event some of my suggestions have already been explored.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a good idea for people with stock motors, but I'll let somebody else take the lead on that if they want to, since I don't use stock motors anymore and won't ever be switching back to them. I can guarantee that the motor failure issue isn't only in software or choice of sims, because I've been running the Bühler motors through all sorts of settings, firmware versions and sims (including overvolting with poor cooling) for quite some time now with absolutely no sign of any degradation whatsoever. IMO, the reason that some have had stock motor failures and some haven't comes down to simple statistics.

1.) Fact: The stock motors are low quality
2.) Low quality products have a higher failure rate than their inverse
3.) If low quality motors are used more often, they will fail earlier
4.) If low quality motors are pushed harder with settings, same
5.) Even with low quality items, there are always outliers that will perform better when the tolerances/fits and dimensional accuracy of the parts just happen to fall in the ideal range for longevity.
6.) The prototype motors in the beta wheels seem to have given the least trouble of all; they may have been of better quality or better construction than the full production run wheels' motors.
 
Well, I got the T500. The FFB is better. BUT. 3rd day using it, weird sound starts coming from base. Figure it's just the noisy fan I've read about, keep simming. Finish session. 10 minutes later, while surfing web, a huge cloud of smoke starts pouring out of the top vent.

Ready to eat a bullet here. (No, not really.) So, sorry to ask a T500 question in the CSW thread, but this is where the brains are. The FFB is still on. I have 2 league races this weekend. Should I use the wheel?

I'm going to assume that a fan probably burned out, because the FFB is still on, and returns to center pretty strongly. I haven't run the wheel in a sim since I saw the smoke, but when it's on and idle, it has return to center. I'm guessing that if I use the wheel now with a fan out, I will overheat it and it will splode. Can I put a PC fan in there until after this weekend?

I just typed up and sent an email to Thrustmaster. I'm guessing they're going to have me send the unit back to them. Has anyone here gone through this?

Despite the fire, this wheel seems superior to the CSW. While I can't say the FFB is stronger, it is sharper, probably because the wheel rim doesn't weigh 8lbs. It's definitely strong enough. Also, one thing I immediately noticed is how much more realism the spin speed adds. Because the wheel can spin so quickly, when I power-oversteer, I can let go of the rim for a fraction of a second, and it will SPIN FAST. Feels like a real car. my finger got caught in the rim last night during one of those spins, and it still hurts. :ouch: I like it.

ETA:

Oh yeah, and after a 3 hour practice session in rFactor, NO "FFB FADE!" (yet) :cheers:
 
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ccjcc81
Well, I got the T500......
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Apologies for requesting brains and getting a reply from me.

I would make the the decision based on whether or not you expect to ask for a replacement or a repair. If you would like a complete replacement I would put the thing to the sword and seal it's fate. Otherwise, if you feel like you have a quality unit (apart from what is malfunctioning) that you would like to hold on to, just be patient and leave it be. That might sound odd, but with the way these things are made, it seems that one unit may be quite different to the next.
 
Thanks. I think I'll spare the sword. Like you said, the unit seems good overall, so I'll try to be patient. Man, I've exerted more patience than I knew I had with these wheels. I finally scraped together enough money to buy a wheel, pulled the trigger, 2 months after giving my money away I still don't have a wheel. Guess since I won't be racing for a while, I'll just spend my time complaining on my favorite forums... :grumpy:
 
Seems like I have to put my thoughts of replacing the motors on a hold.. Seems like the power supply of my CSW burned out some days ago.. And I didn't even start to modify anything.. Waiting for a reply from Fanatec for 4 days now..

As I don't expect them to reply anytime soon, I think I have to find me an alternative power supply, but it's really hard in my region to get the hands on a 24V/5A psu.. The only thing available would be a notebook psu, but honestly.. I don't trust those things too much..
 
MarkoSteinetti
Seems like I have to put my thoughts of replacing the motors on a hold.. Seems like the power supply of my CSW burned out some days ago.. And I didn't even start to modify anything.. Waiting for a reply from Fanatec for 4 days now..

As I don't expect them to reply anytime soon, I think I have to find me an alternative power supply, but it's really hard in my region to get the hands on a 24V/5A psu.. The only thing available would be a notebook psu, but honestly.. I don't trust those things too much..
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Here you go: this will work with the stock motors. You can probably find it cheaper elsewhere, but at least you have the model number now:

http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_2104680_-1
 
MarkoSteinetti
The Mabuchis in the Fanatec Wheels are NOT Mabuchi 550. I don't get why people keep thinking that.. AFAIK they are 555RE motors - special build for Fanatec..
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Here is why people keep thinking they are 550's 💡.....Click on the "Comparison" then Scroll down on chart to where it says "Type of FFB Motors Used."

Directly from the Official Fanatec Website (gameshop) today July 19, 2013.
 
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It says "Dual Mabuchi 550 Series." This is a general statement which in effect means the motors could be any motor from the 550 series; I.E. 550, 551, 552, 553, etc. on and on. People are probably mistaking that to mean 550 full stop. Fanatec aren't very clear about what they mean/vague, but technically their site is not inaccurate.
 
eKretz
It says "Dual Mabuchi 550 Series." This is a general statement which in effect means the motors could be any motor from the 550 series; I.E. 550, 551, 552, 553, etc. on and on. People are probably mistaking that to mean 550 full stop. Fanatec aren't very clear about what they mean/vague, but technically their site is not inaccurate.
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Yes, they are infamous for mixed messages and communication. I replied with that post because the gentleman I quoted (Marko) was somewhat infatic that they were NOT 550's, and you are saying that the 550's are part of this series.

I have some 550's a friend ordered from Mabuchi and he spoke to the rep for quite awhile and the rep finally came "clean" and hooked him up with "I guarantee these are the right ones." I don't know anymore than that, so I will bow out, and just" listen." You fellows are doing some very interesting mods which are way beyond my technical knowledge. Have a nice day.:)
 
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Well, I agree that Fanatec are not too clear sometimes, so I can easily see the confusion. I think Marko merely was a little confounded by the fact that people always automagically assume that "550 Series" means a 550 motor, when in fact all it really means is a 55X motor. The specs between all the different 55X motors are widely varying, so basically Fanatec are only saying that the motor has a ~40mm can and is made by Mabuchi. To be clear: the stock Fanatec motors are not 550 motors, they are 555 motors. Both of these motors are part of the "550 series" which might more properly and less confusingly be called "55X series."
 
I didn't intend to offend anyone with my post. I just wanted to make clear that the motors are not Mabuchi 550 Motors as some people in the past in another forum kept asking me if the "Mabuchi 550" is the correct motor to replace it. I'm just a little bit pissed that Fanatec really isn't clear about some things and tend to hold information back for some reason.

Btw. turned out it wasn't the power supply after all that failed, but one of the motors was bad. Just got a new batch (v2) and kindly requested that the send me a new replacement PCB also, because I had the feeling that it was faulty too..

Guess what: I replaced my motors today and it immediately got clear: one motor was faulty for sure BUT the PCB is done also... When I turn on the wheel it magically pulls all the way to the left and stays there under full torque, with the LCD and "Tuning" menu not working and not beeing able to shut it down gently by pressing the power button..

Next round to the support..

-> It's not ;)
 
MarkoSteinetti
I didn't intend to offend anyone with my post. I just wanted to make clear that the motors are not Mabuchi 550 Motors as some people in the past in another forum kept asking me if the "Mabuchi 550" is the correct motor to replace it. I'm just a little bit pissed that Fanatec really isn't clear about some things and tend to hold information back for some reason.

Btw. turned out it wasn't the power supply after all that failed, but one of the motors was bad. Just got a new batch (v2) and kindly requested that the send me a new replacement PCB also, because I had the feeling that it was faulty too..

Guess what: I replaced my motors today and it immediately got clear: one motor was faulty for sure BUT the PCB is done also... When I turn on the wheel it magically pulls all the way to the left and stays there under full torque, with the LCD and "Tuning" menu not working and not beeing able to shut it down gently by pressing the power button..

Next round to the support..

-> It's not ;)
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So did they send you the new PCB or did they make you replace the motors first and see if that worked? If you were closer I might ask for your PCB after they sent your replacement to see if I could find the fault, but shipping from DE to US would probably be crazy.
 

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