Fanatec CSR firmware updater not responding

[Heggen]

This is probably not the first time you've read about this error. But please bear with me as I have done my fair share of Googling to no avail.

I received my Fanatec CSR yesterday. It was used by someone else earlier, so I don't know if a firmware upgrade was necessary, but I decided to do one just to make sure.

First I install the driver (v226). From the instruction manual that came with the wheel, I'm told to open the driver dialog to change the functionality of the wheel and test the buttons. I open the driver dialog, but am not able to click any of the buttons nor drag the sliders in the function test tab. Throttle is showing ~50% intensity by default although I'm not pushing down the pedal. However I may change wheel angle and dampening strenght in the settings tab. The third tab shows that I am using driver v226 and firmware v0, which I suppose is correct.

I go on to install the firmware. Extract the folder to my desktop, start the wheel in bootloader mode, click the executable file to start the firmware updater. PW1, PW2 and PW3 files are immediately found. I mess around with the date to make the driver file valid, and click "start". The updater stops responding the second I enter flash phase 1.

This is a common error. I have read a lot about it. Some people try different USBs until it works, others only need to start the updater as administrator. I have tried three different USBs on my PC. I also tried one on my laptop. I have turned off most programs, deactivated the firewall, antimalware and network.

What on Earth am I doing wrong? I have never owned a simulator wheel before, but I am quite certain I have connected the shifter and pedals correctly to my wheel base, and I have the wheel base connected to the wall and the USB on my PC. Do I have to do some manual calibrating on the actual wheel beforehand that's not mentioned in the instructions?

[Wintec]

Did you have the wheel turned on when installing the driver?...delete everything and start over.
If the throttle is showing 50% and you are not pushing any pedal, try pushing all the pedals to see if they go to zero when you are not pushing them.

Try installing a previous driver before v226 and see if that works.

[Heggen]

Originally posted by Wintec:

Did you have the wheel turned on when installing the driver?...delete everything and start over.
If the throttle is showing 50% and you are not pushing any pedal, try pushing all the pedals to see if they go to zero when you are not pushing them.

Try installing a previous driver before v226 and see if that works.

Hi.

It looks like the error was with the actual wheel not working. Earlier I could not even get the driver dialog to work, it did not register the wheel or pedals. I got the wheel working simply by choosing another FIFTH USB port (you'd think four was enough...). Now the driver dialog works, and the rotation of the wheel and the pressure on the pedals corresponds with my actions. The only thing that does not show up is the shifter's gear. It does to some extent work when I have tried it in Project CARS, but I have to hold the shifter in place or else it will glide to another gear. Even when using manual clutching, I can gear without clutching. I don't get that.

I have not updated the firmware yet, but the driver dialog says the firmware version I am using now is 12816. What kind of number is that? A factory firmware of some sort? All firmware versions seem to be of three digits (i.e. 706, 750B, 756).

[Wintec]

I don't understand that "12816" number, so update the firmware and see what happens.

By aware that someone used this wheel before, so it maybe defective.

[bobradar]

One thing about the shifter (I'm assuming you have the CSR shifter... H- pattern?). You will have to calibrate it manually before it works right. If you've changed the firmware, this is most likely the issue.

The steps took me a long time to find. (Fanatec's documentation isn't the best...) Fortunately I took a picture of the steps that worked for me. I'll type them here:

"Let's start from the beginning.
Plug USB cable into PC from wheel.
1. Put shifter in NEUTRAL
2. Power on the wheel. Let it do its self calibrating thing by spinning back and forth.
3. Put the wheel in PC mode by pressing and releasing BACK button. Bring up the Fanatec Properties Page (optional)
4. Press START and TUNING button at the same time (let go quickly). The LED screen will show G_n
5. Have the shifter in NEUTRAL and press the START button
6. Enter REVERSE and press START button
7. Enter FIRST and press START button

Continue this for gears 2, 3, 4, 5, then entering SIXTH and press START button... Finished"


Hope this helps you or someone else out.

[Heggen]

Originally posted by Wintec:

I don't understand that "12816" number, so update the firmware and see what happens.

By aware that someone used this wheel before, so it maybe defective.

The person that used this before me had only used it on a console. He never plugged it into his computer nor did he touch anything firmware wise. So I doubt it can be defective, can it?

Originally posted by bobradar:

One thing about the shifter (I'm assuming you have the CSR shifter... H- pattern?). You will have to calibrate it manually before it works right. If you've changed the firmware, this is most likely the issue.

The steps took me a long time to find. (Fanatec's documentation isn't the best...) Fortunately I took a picture of the steps that worked for me. I'll type them here:

"Let's start from the beginning.
Plug USB cable into PC from wheel.
1. Put shifter in NEUTRAL
2. Power on the wheel. Let it do its self calibrating thing by spinning back and forth.
3. Put the wheel in PC mode by pressing and releasing BACK button. Bring up the Fanatec Properties Page (optional)
4. Press START and TUNING button at the same time (let go quickly). The LED screen will show G_n
5. Have the shifter in NEUTRAL and press the START button
6. Enter REVERSE and press START button
7. Enter FIRST and press START button

Continue this for gears 2, 3, 4, 5, then entering SIXTH and press START button... Finished"


Hope this helps you or someone else out.

I have calibrated the shifter, and it seems to respond in-game. But the actual gear of the shifter is not displayed in the driver dialog. I'll try a firmware update and calibrate it again.

[Heggen]

I had to install the driver again after the major Windows 10 update. Now I received another firmware number, 12800. Will see if a firmware update does the trick.

[Heggen]

The firmware updater still freezes...

[bobradar]

Originally posted by Eirik Heggelund:

The firmware updater still freezes...

windows 10 issue maybe? I'm running windows 7 with mine. Do you have a console you can test it on?

[Heggen]

Originally posted by bobradar:

Originally posted by Eirik Heggelund:

The firmware updater still freezes...

windows 10 issue maybe? I'm running windows 7 with mine. Do you have a console you can test it on?

Nope, unfortunately I have no console. It works as it is although I experience issues with shifting. Now that I tried to run the firmware updater, I'm back to the beginning where the actual driver dialog does not work. Now it won't recognize when I move the wheel or push the pedals. Guess I'll try again. I prefer working with outdated firmware than not working at all.