The Thrustmaster T500RS Thread

  • Thread starter TomN
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Yes, the latest TM drivers have a problem with the TH8RS shifter and rFactor 2. How are you unable to revert? I just downloaded the 2013_TTRS_4 drivers and installed them.

I eventually managed to revert to 4.1, everything works as it should now. Thrustmaster sent me new drivers to try out (2014_TTRS_2_RC2), I probably will not until next week.
 
Yes, the latest TM drivers have a problem with the TH8RS shifter and rFactor 2. How are you unable to revert? I just downloaded the 2013_TTRS_4 drivers and installed them.

OK, that might explain why the newest build of rFactor 2 is crawling for me as well in the Controls menu. I am using a T500 and two THR8S shifters.
 
OK, that might explain why the newest build of rFactor 2 is crawling for me as well in the Controls menu. I am using a T500 and two THR8S shifters.

That's exactly it. I've found that as long as you avoid the controls menu, rF2 should work ok, but as soon as you enter that menu with the TH8RS connected, it starts stuttering and almost completely freezes. It seems to be only related to this one game too which is even more puzzling. I don't know if its rF2 build related or not, I only noticed it with the 770 build but the 789 build is out now. I didn't bother going back to the older builds to see if the problem still remained. I do know that rolling back to a previous TM wheel driver fixes the problem even with the new rF2 builds.
 
That's exactly it. I've found that as long as you avoid the controls menu, rF2 should work ok, but as soon as you enter that menu with the TH8RS connected, it starts stuttering and almost completely freezes. It seems to be only related to this one game too which is even more puzzling. I don't know if its rF2 build related or not, I only noticed it with the 770 build but the 789 build is out now. I didn't bother going back to the older builds to see if the problem still remained. I do know that rolling back to a previous TM wheel driver fixes the problem even with the new rF2 builds.

After the TM update, anyone with the TH8 attached will have the issue with rF2. TM is aware of the problem and will probably have a fix. The best option for now is to revert to 4.1, that fixed all the issues for all rF2 versions.
 
Firmware “V43” (T500RS)

http://ts.thrustmaster.com/eng/index.php?pg=view_files&gid=1&fid=2&pid=316&cid=15

T500_CPL_FW_V43.jpg
 
I guess unless you have a new T300RS rim or new Ferrari GTE and / or the rFactor problem there's no need to update to these newer firmwares. Mine is still on V41 -- anyone notice any improvements on V43?
 
I guess unless you have a new T300RS rim or new Ferrari GTE and / or the rFactor problem there's no need to update to these newer firmwares. Mine is still on V41 -- anyone notice any improvements on V43?

I think the firmware only adds new rim compatibility as you stated. You can still install the newer drivers but I can't tell any difference.
 
I have problem, I got my Momo wheel now but as I am about to scew it on the DSD adapter I found out the scews that come with it the DSD adapter seem way too small and there are no screw grooves inside the holes of the DSD adapter.
 
I have problem, I got my Momo wheel now but as I am about to scew it on the DSD adapter I found out the scews that come with it the DSD adapter seem way too small and there are no screw grooves inside the holes of the DSD adapter.

Should have come with self-tapping screws. Wonder if there was a mix-up. If you received the self-tapping screws, you've got to put some elbow grease into it, but the screws should create grooves as you screw it in.
 
Should have come with self-tapping screws. Wonder if there was a mix-up. If you received the self-tapping screws, you've got to put some elbow grease into it, but the screws should create grooves as you screw it in.

I succeded altough it was a bit of a struggle to force in the screws wish there were already screw groves inside, anyways I have my momo wheel mounted now and it feels incredible.
 
Hmm ok... i have had my T500RS for just under 2 months now and after having to deal with the 3 weeks it took to get a replacement brake potentiometer (during which time i had to use my G27 pedals.....) I now have a new problem which h as me scared as hell...

OK so last night I turned on my PC which my T500RS is connected to, it did its usual calibration routine, spun left, spun right, returned to center, no issues there but then literally a couple of seconds later, without touching the wheel or anything I hear from inside it "PZZHHZHZHHVHCHHCHHCHH!!!" and a bigass puff of smoke blows out of the top right air vent, so naturally, as you do, I jumped to pull the plug and instantly sent a email to customer support to get some help..

I tried plugging it in again once, it went through calibration with no problems and the initial force the drivers put on when you first plug the wheel in seem to be as strong as normal, but im scared to actually do anything so that test i only did for 30-60 seconds... I recall seeing someone mentioned a few pages ago that they had smoke from their wheel too but then theres nothing else about it, what happened next?

EDIT: I tried plugging the wheel in again and tested with the demos in the drivers and noticed that after a few minutes the fan didn't turn on like usual so im pretty sure the fan is what exploded so... yeah... im gonna hope they offer to send me a new wheel... i dont want to wait 1 or 2 months it takes to send it to france, wait for them to repair it and send it back again because at that point i will have spent more time waiting on repairs than time actually owning the wheel...
 
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If it´s just the fan you don´t need to replace the whole wheel. There is instructions on how to open it. The smoke could be from the vibration dampening material. Mine had melted a bit on mine if it wasn´t from the actual fan itself. But yes I would not run it until I replaced the fan.

The process of removing the cover is not that bad if you follow the manual and keep track on what screws whent where the support will probably give it to you.
 
If it´s just the fan you don´t need to replace the whole wheel. There is instructions on how to open it. The smoke could be from the vibration dampening material. Mine had melted a bit on mine if it wasn´t from the actual fan itself. But yes I would not run it until I replaced the fan.

The process of removing the cover is not that bad if you follow the manual and keep track on what screws whent where the support will probably give it to you.

yeah i had to take apart my pedals to fit a new potentiometer they sent but thats easy the pedals are just passive components which are extremely cheap and simple (designwise, not materialwise) but to have something melt inside the wheel which has a high power motor, gearing and pulleys isn't something i think i want to put my trust into lasting the 4+ years minimum I want out of this... i mean the sound it made was like the sound of the damn thing nearly catching fire... and it happened after the wheel stopped moving not during movement either... it wasnt under any load at all, just sitting there...

oh yeah you know what's funny... since my T500RS is out of commission for the time being, I got my G27 out of the cupboard and holy hell... it feels horrifically bad after spending a month playing with the T500RS, its funny because when i went from the G27 to the T500 i thought "OMG this is a hundred times better!" but now going back to the G27 i realise, the T500 is more like a THOUSAND times better xD although... the G27 was more reliable, lasts 2 years rather than 2 months xD
 
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The good thing is you aren´t voiding the warranty opening up the T500RS. Would you rather have the hassle of RMA send it across the globe when there is a easy and fast fix :)

Was the fan running when it happened? If it´s not yes then it should be something else obviously.
 
The good thing is you aren´t voiding the warranty opening up the T500RS. Would you rather have the hassle of RMA send it across the globe when there is a easy and fast fix :)

Was the fan running when it happened? If it´s not yes then it should be something else obviously.

well as i said, it happened just a second after the wheel did its calibration procedure so the fan can't have been spinning, the wheel had been turned off for about 12 hours before it so it wasn't warm in any way.
 
Yeah. Fan really shouldn't have kicked in when you turned the wheel on. The only thing that's really on the right side of the T500 is the motor.

One thing I noticed when researching the differences between brushless motors (like the T300 or TX) and traditional motors is I got the impression non-brushed motors wore down over time. And during that process have little shavings that shed (this info could all be wrong BTW). It's possible one of these little metal shavings just ignited upon start-up. Sounds like it did come from the motor. And if it still works, it may have been harmless.
 
Yeah. Fan really shouldn't have kicked in when you turned the wheel on. The only thing that's really on the right side of the T500 is the motor.

One thing I noticed when researching the differences between brushless motors (like the T300 or TX) and traditional motors is I got the impression non-brushed motors wore down over time. And during that process have little shavings that shed (this info could all be wrong BTW). It's possible one of these little metal shavings just ignited upon start-up. Sounds like it did come from the motor. And if it still works, it may have been harmless.

yeah motors with brushes do tend to wear down over time as the brushes create shavings like you said, although i think it probably was something to do with the fan that caused this because the fan doesn't turn on if i turn the wheel back on now and it goes into thermal protection mode, (really weak and slow force feedback) after a few minutes messing with the force feedback demos.
 
Did your fan always turn on immediately? My old stock fan never wanted to shut down, but it always took a good 10 - 20 minutes before it kicked in.

Although it definitely sounds like something significant happened if things are messed up like that.
 
My December 2013 T500RS (with the revised fan and airflow design, no vents on the top anymore) often goes 20-30 minutes or more before the fan turns on.... Even at 25C ambient temperature in the room here in summer.
 
Did your fan always turn on immediately? My old stock fan never wanted to shut down, but it always took a good 10 - 20 minutes before it kicked in.

Although it definitely sounds like something significant happened if things are messed up like that.

no it never turns on until after 10 or 20 minutes like you said, it didnt turn on when it blew up either it just puffed out a lot of smoke for seemingly no reason
 
TM has replied to my email faster than i expected :embarrassed:, they've started the RMA process straight away :)

EDIT: 7 Days later the UPS tracking page says the wheel has been delivered to Thrustmaster in france, hopefully ill receive an email soon confirming that they will send a replacement item, I really don't trust something that spewed out smoke to repair and last 4 years after that...
 
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Guys hope someone can help with this as I don't want to make a balls of it. Just bought a Noctua NF-A6x25 FLX fan to replace the noisy original. Can anyone tell me am I meant to mount it with airflow pushed towards the motor heatsink or pulled away from it? Cheers.

Over on the RD forum user Remik has it pictured with the label out to pull air away from the heatsink. Is this right?

http://www.racedepartment.com/threads/show-your-cockpit.19/page-117
 
/\

I had the air blowing over the heatsink.

I guess you can approach it from either way. Pulling away means air gets pushed over the circuit board (although it might be hot air).

Blowing across the heatsink means you keep the hot air away from the circuit board and the hot air goes out the right side. Although that might mean the circuit board heats up from having still air.

I'm pretty sure Thrustmaster officially blows air across the heat sink. Could always choose the path I did: One fan blows across the heat sink and a second fan is jerry-rigged to blow into the circuit board.
 
Thanks for the help. I got it fitted but sadly when everything was put back together there was no fan spin-up after about 30mins racing. The heatsink was making the upper casing warm and I would have expected spin-up by then. Nothing. FFB, buttons everything else working perfectly.

I'm a moron when it comes to fan connections. I haven't played with one in about 10yrs. As the Noctua is a 3 pin and the T500rs has a 2 pin connector I bought the adapter below. I didn't know when I bought it that the 2-pin head is not the same type as the connector on the T500rs but I 'made it fit' with a bit of filing of the T500rs socket (nothing too destructive it is still connected to the mobo.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003D6O53Q/?tag=gtplanetuk-20

As you can see it has black and yellow wires as opposed to the black and red on the original T500 fan but when the Noctua is connected to the adapter it connects
Noctua black - adapter black
Noctua red - adapter yellow


2014-08-12 03.09.55.jpg


When the adapter connects to the T500 its black wire is where the red is on the original fan cable and the yellow is where the black would be on the original fan. Is the reason its not spinning up a polarity issue or has anyone any ideas.

Really appreciate any help. Thanks.
 
Thanks for the help. I got it fitted but sadly when everything was put back together there was no fan spin-up after about 30mins racing. The heatsink was making the upper casing warm and I would have expected spin-up by then. Nothing. FFB, buttons everything else working perfectly.

I'm a moron when it comes to fan connections. I haven't played with one in about 10yrs. As the Noctua is a 3 pin and the T500rs has a 2 pin connector I bought the adapter below. I didn't know when I bought it that the 2-pin head is not the same type as the connector on the T500rs but I 'made it fit' with a bit of filing of the T500rs socket (nothing too destructive it is still connected to the mobo.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003D6O53Q/?tag=gtplanetuk-20

As you can see it has black and yellow wires as opposed to the black and red on the original T500 fan but when the Noctua is connected to the adapter it connects
Noctua black - adapter black
Noctua red - adapter yellow


View attachment 202863

When the adapter connects to the T500 its black wire is where the red is on the original fan cable and the yellow is where the black would be on the original fan. Is the reason its not spinning up a polarity issue or has anyone any ideas.

Really appreciate any help. Thanks.
I would think if it was a polarity issue the fan would just spin backwards, but other than that I cant help. Sorry.
 
Yeah. I think there are like 4 different types for those connector pins. I did quite a bit of research to make sure I ordered the right converter when I did mine. Don't remember what type it was called.

I have connected a three pin fan to a wall wart plug before (it's actually how I run my 120mm fan on my T500 now). And finding the right combo can be a real pain. But at least with a wall wart, you can quickly keep trying the combos, plug it into the wall, and when the fan finally comes to life, you've found the proper combination to permanently afix.
 
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