Is this Reality?
Very disappointed
I bought a CSL F1 boundle with a CSL load cell. Overall 1000 Euro. Only to play with a PS4 and Gran Turismo ("as professionals do")
Before buying the selling team granted that the system will run from scratch with PS4. (I have no PC, only MACs)
After installing everything Wheel Basel work, the pedals do not.
Then:
- Sending a ticket and getting an answer after 2 days with: "Install the new driver" connecting a PC
- I installed a Window Simuator on my MAC only for this (even my printer for 100 Euro has a Wifi connection updating via App automatically... a Wheel base not?)
- Driver installed for the bundle CSL. Pedals do not work. Rewrite a ticket.
- The support is not answering
- I test the pedal only connecting them directly to the pc: they work. So is not a RJ12 problem
- Installing again the pedals normally via Wheel base: they do not work
- Support tells via email that "due to so many inquiries" (scaring if it's the case) the average response time is 3 days
After reading a lot of other messages on the net I am wondering: Is this really state of the art?
I feel myself time transported into my 80ties when we had to run bug fixing every second day and we called the products Banana Software, maturing at the client side.
Is this really the cutting edge of Sim-Technology? Please tell me that is not the case. We have the year 2020
But if yes: Then I want my old Thrustmaster back: plastic but working immediately
Comments
Hi Clino,
It looks like you are back in touch with support. I'm sure the technical team will resolve this for you as soon as possible.
[Fanatec Community Manager]
Just a note here.
You say that: 5. I test the pedal only connecting them directly to the pc: they work. So is not a RJ12 problem
RJ12 and USB cable are 2 different ports with 2 different cables (never to be connected both at the same time). So how come you came into conclusion that is not an RJ12 cable fault if you tried on the PC?
I can be sure that the RJ12 cable between Pedals and electronic entity are good. So not "squeezed" due to what in the manual are explained to avoid. The functionality of the RJ12 cable between wheel base and pedals is on the other side not granted.
And I can find similar cable here where I am. Seems those RJ12 6pins are not so often used and what I find on the internet have a reverse order of pins then the one you sent me with the budle
Well I didnt sent you anything. Just trying to help you by understanding what you did with the connectivity. Also there is a difference with the RJ12 cables in the market and the ones Fanatec provides.
anyway... will leave it to support to help you. Since I cannot understand what you might did or didnt do.
Sorry,,,, was addressed to the support (dominic) .
Clino. I have a feeling your issue will get resolved in communication with technical support. Probably something minor like a cable connection.
Have you double-checked to make sure the gas, brake and whatever cables are in the correct ports?
Have to double-checked in the in-game settings that the pedals are selected to be used for accelerator and brakes and not the dual-shock pad controller?
Also try this (perhaps you do but I don't know). This is my start up procedure to ensure the game knows the wheel and pedals are the chosen peripherals for control:
.......With the console now launched then select the user with "X" button on the wheel. (The wheel is now the selected controller for racing).
All the best. Let us know how things pan out.
David: Maybe was a cable issue, but also in that case I cannot solve it here, due to the lack of RJ12 6pin cable for data transfer needing a crimping of the "normal" RJ12 cable on the market (also those are no more very frenquent due to 4 or 8 pins cables). But anyway... how can it be that at the end such a really solid infrastructure does not run because a cable that is worth some Euro Cents?
Of course I selected the right ports and tested the pedals directly with the PC and they were detected. So in case only the RJ12 cable connecting the Base with the pedals could be the "guilty" one.
But in the meanwhile because of the advice of the support I installed the driver 373 on the wheel. They did not solve the problem but created some more. With the driver installed by Fanatec at the company side the wheel was recognized by the PS4 and also the games (F1 and Gran Turismo) automatically. I could use all the buttons properly.
Now with 373 everything is a mess. I can't even reach the games itself because the buttons on the wheel do not work anymore and the display after calibration is giving many different letters that I can't really understand (and - to be honest - after 3 days I also do not want to).
So I tried to reinstall the 328 drivers after deinstalling the 373, but now the drivers cannot be installed anymore because the installation procedure freeze itself after few second. Also trying to "repair" the installation does not work because the Windows system tells that an installation is "running" ... yes... since 24 hours :-))) Also tried to deinstall even my Windows Simulator on my MAC but the result remains the same.
Finanally a "maybe" RJ12 wrong cable is bringing me to send everything back. I already spoke with the support. It's a pity because the overall system had a really solid feeling but I need something that is "plug in and play"... and with an automatic update of software (why not via bluetooth and app on the smartphone? this is today low end tech).
I was a nerd in my 20ties, had a IBM with an 8086 Prozessor, also the first Apple II with software like Multiplan :-), assembling graphic cards to get better speed for the first version of DOOM...
I can't accept that after 40 years we are here speaking about drivers and bug fixing made and resetting by the client and so on. Come on... give me a break... If FANATEC is offering a bundle for the PS4 (what is a standard and clear defined system) then it should work from scratch just after plugging one single cable in to the console. And to be honest is should come already assembled and only if I want to change should be possible to adapt.
All the different level of sophistication may be interesting for 10% of the users. The majority in a "working" age have also other things to do.
Hi Clino,
Our RJ12 cables are standard. We can send you one for free, or you can purchase one from Amazon or similar if it is faster. It is a standard RJ12 6P/6C 'straight' cable.
It is not clear what you mean by 'Windows Simulator'. While a native Windows environment on Mac (Boot Camp) is fine, it is not recommended to use any kind of emulation or virtual machine when updating firmware. We cannot guarantee successful firmware updates nor proper function of the device in this kind of virtual environment.
Generally the product does work out of the box with a single cable on PS4 with the preinstalled firmware. However you have run into some issues that may be hardware related (possibly the cable or something else), and the recommendation from the technical team to update the firmware is a standard (and normally straightforward) step in troubleshooting. Our support agents will of course do everything they can to help you.
It's also not clear what you mean by 'many different letters that I can't understand'. Perhaps it is just showing 'CAL' because it requires new centre calibration after the firmware update?
[Fanatec Community Manager]
Clino, without wanting to be disrespectful since you are an IT nerd, is there any possibility even one in a million to have conected either side of the RJ12 cable to the handbrake port. Has happened to a few of us a bit more "matured" based in the Passport age (especially when not using our glasses). 😇
Dominic, I suspect his description of "Windows Simulator" is such as Mac's own Bootcamp or Virtual Machine (both Windows simulators) such as via VMware Fusion or Parallels apps. Actually for Mac users VMware Fusion or Parallels apps are much better than running Bootcamp.
I use VMware Fusion since that was recommended when I was doing the research and it works fine.
:-))) that's cute
I would be so happy would be like that... then i like the solidity of the wheel and the pedals but no... I even tried with the electronic entity delivered with the bundle and not with the load cell but no changes at all.
I was so happy at the beginning that the wheel worked perfectly that I fixed everything included the pedals on my new Sparco Rig. All that with the same emotions as a 15 years old guy finally knowing that this wheel base and this pedals will allow me to beat Hamilton on the PS4 challenge, from whom I am only 0.9 Sec away but with a low end plastic wheel....
My race was 300 meter long... waiting for the car to stop and then go back because of the circuit slope... no gas no brakes....
15 minutes of pure consternation .... :-(
and if this all would only be because of a defect cable is even worse :-)
But thank you for your support ... at least the spiritual one...
I am using Parallels Desktop to run Windows on my Mac... the program works fine but if you say that your firmware could have some problems I can't do anything ... I do not know anyone of my friends having a PC... we are all part of the "don't want to set up, only to use it" Apple community.
Regarding the RJ12 6 pin cable I saw in amazon but finding out that the pins are inverse, therefore i did not want to risk to buy, wait and then does not work. Due now to even bigger problems (not possible to install or deinstall) then the cable alone I will send the bundle back to Fanatec.
Anyway... I thank you all and you can if you like cancel this discussion thread.
Have all a good day.
Yes.... I installed "Parallels" only to implement the Fanatec new drivers
Yeah it's a bitch they don't have a Mac compatible version of the drivers available for us Mac users to simply download, connect the Fanatec hardware to the Mac's USB to install the firmware updates etc ain't it? One would think with how popular the Mac is now they should have available.
I remember when I first got my wheel (CSL Elite PS4 Starter Kit Bundle) since the recommendation was to ensure the firmware was up to date was to have it down via a Windows-based PC. I had to end up begging someone with a PC to bring my set up for him to do. That in itself was quite a chore since he was not familiar with how to do. Then later on I had to do again and everyone was too busy.
I ended up installing VMware Fusion and installing Windows 10 to do it myself which is what I always wanted to do as I could take the time to do whatever properly with someone else trying to rush through. I'm glad I did that in the end because now I have the experience to do it again if or when necessary.