Random wheel disconnects (CSW v2.5, McLaren V2 w/ QR1 + locking screw, Windows 10, iRacing)

Michael Marlow

I want to begin by saying this issue never happened to me before the last 2 - 3 weeks. Never.

Issue Description: Driving GT3 car in iRacing - wheel will randomly lose connection to the base, usually during or immediately after a right turn. All FFB drops out, shifters do not function, and wheel screen is black/off, wheelbase DOES still recognize steering input as expected since that isn't directly tied to the wheel. So all this drops with no warning ...only for it all to return a few moments later (usually). Last night I had a new experience where this all happened AND the game lost or reset my clutch and so in-game my clutch was half engaged and FFB did not return until I towed and powered the base off/on. Strangely, a close friend using the IDENTICAL hardware as me is also experiencing this issue and also says this never happened prior to the last few weeks.

Concerns: We both have a league race (12 hr endurance) to compete in this Saturday (Jan 7th) and we are both quite worried. I am fairly skilled at troubleshooting, debugging, and otherwise methodically isolating and/or solving hardware issues - but this issue escapes me and apparently hundreds if not thousands of others. What is even happening right now? Is there an official response from Fanatec? Is there any resolution that isn't just brute force trying every hack known or suggested? I am flat out astonished and devastated (for my team) because I cannot even commit to the event this weekend and our lead in the championship might as well just be thrown in the garbage (and perhaps some sim racing gear not far behind it).

FANATEC - please help. Please address this issue publicly. Please leverage your community to work with you on this. Please.

Gavin Thomson

I am having the same issue. During a turn my wheel will lose FFB, my shifter paddles stop working, and the little LED screen on my McLaren GT3 rim goes blank. Wheel inputs (left/right) are still detected and there is no windows disconnect noise.

After a few seconds everything returns to normal (until it does it agan a few laps later)

This only started happening a few days ago. It has already crashed me out of one iracing race as losing FFB mid-corner isn't ideal.

I have taken a look at the pins in my rim and everything seems fine, nothing is loose.

I am running a CSL Elite Steering Wheel McLaren GT3 V2 (Firmware 45) on a CSW v2.5 base.

PC Driver 447.

CSW Wheelbase Firmware 691.

CSW Motor Firmware 22.

I am at a complete loss as to why this is happening suddenly.

Alessandro Gortan

It could, but I can't assure that it is, whether it's EMI issues.

I have had numerous EMI problems on my Fanatec CSL DD rig including no pedal input for about 2 or 3 seconds while gaming.

To solve them, I grounded my cockpit, in the points close to the peripherals, i.e. the metal plates of the wheelbase, pedals and gearbox.

It involves taking a detachable electrical plug, the ones with the DIY screw, and connecting a single wire to the ground pin, which is usually the central one. If you use a ready-made cable, such as an extension cord, for international standards, the earth wire is yellow with green lines.

Then identify a free hole in the cockpit, near the wheelbase, strip the end of the wire, and wrap it around a screw that tightens in the hole. They sell custom rings if you want to do a permanent job.

For grounding to work, the hole in the cockpit must be bare, i.e. you need to scrape off the paint all around the hole so that the screw, nut and washer are touching the metal surface as much as possible.

Norbert Leitner

I had the same problem until I started to check everything. What I found out you need to check the clamp. You need to tighten the clamp in a certain position, not too tight but not too loose (I guess with 15nm, but I don't have the tools to check how much torque I use), you need to found out yourself and test if it's good or not. What I can say you need to tight it until the screw on the bottom is like flat or a little bit over with the bottom of the clamp.

I have the CSL DD.