I got the same issue and I resolved this way: 1) start calibration 2) place in neutral and move the level left and right then OK 3) place in reverse and the OK 4) place in neutral and then left and right the press OK 5) place in first gear then OK 6) you got the point. Once in neutral i move the shifter left and right before click OK. Tried several time and only with this procedure I have no error and no wrong shift Ciao
WOW! This finally happened to me. I realigned my shifter to my rig, went on forums, eventually found this video, and your theory seems dead on. It has been good for the past couple of hours of constantly avoiding money shifts. Thank you.
Excellent advice & makes sense - I'm a field tech for an i.t company & I routinely service postage meters, inserters, copiers etc & I know for a fact that the buildup of static can absolutely effect pcb's and sensors etc, especially low voltage components. I would imagine a few things could potentially cause or resolve static such as how its mounted and also the environment the rig is in (I just ordered this shifter so I'll update if I notice anything useful) Great video!
FASTER SOLUTION!!!! undo the 4 screws and touch the 2 contact points on the board (no need to unplug!) with your finger. Worked immediately. Thanks for sharing this info!!
Thank you very much man! It worked perfectly. My CS Sq shifter had been already sent to Fanatec 3 years ago to fix that issue and has worked flawlessly since then... the problem came back yesterday but today i've solved it in literally 3 minutes thanks to your advice. Great one!
I definitely think this problem is due to static build up. With my shifter I got the mis-shifts when engaging 4th gear (and getting 2nd gear instead). At first I tried aligning the magnets, which seemed to help (for a month or two). At the next instance I tried the electrical tape fix. That also helped at the time, but the problem kept coming back in a short time. Then I figured out there could be another suspect for the static build up: The ball joint under the H-pattern (where the shifter rod enters the housing). Probably from the friction during shifts. I lubricated the ball joint (with sowing machine oil) and the problem disappeared. It only came back 7 or 8 months later and when I checked, I saw that the ball joint was dry/not lubricated again. Re-lubricating made the problem go away again for an extended period. I guess that I at least found the source for the static build up and that lubricating that ball joint is worth a shot for lack of a permanent fix. 😉
so technically the static buildup isnt a problem if danatec just added like 1 wire to the housing or the shifter rod to get rid of the static every time you touch it. Shame on you fanatec and your shady stuff just because there is barely any competition.
I saw the same comment of yours, on ıther videos. It seems like you're spot on mate 👍 I'm gonna mix sowing machine oil with antistatic sprey, if I can find.. Did you lubricate the ball joint from top? Just around the rod, and dropped oil inside?
I lubricated the ball joint from the top. In the meantime, even with this 'fix', the problem came back eventually. The problem stayed away much longer though. I think this problem is due to a design flaw where the Hal effect sensor can pick up static over time. Maybe the mechanism isn't grounded properly so this problem can occur. Maybe I'll try to ground it properly on the inside somehow (no idea how though).
Just wanted to share, this fix worked for me as well. So strange that static charge could be the issue causing mid shifts but makes sense. Thank you for posting this Carl!
Buy a "contact leaner" with lubricant. Open the shifter and spray the cleaner on the electronics. Take the shifter box and wipe it down with a dry dryer pad. Wipe the entire casing inside to reduce static. Put the shifter back together and try that. Safe alternative I used this method on PCB boards before when this was an issue. You can also take a wire and attach it to a screw and ground it to a known grounding point.
Have been reluctant to buy their v1.5 shifter as I had the version 1.0 years ago and this problem was driving me nuts. But I do like the shifting feel of the fanatec. Thanks for this video I now feel more comfortable in considering getting one again knowing what the issue is.
I have the same issue, mentioning static is interesting as I do have some EMI issues with one of my USB wheel rims, I found that grounding my rig sorted that out I will have to see if that will help with the Fanatec shifter, have not used it for ages will look into this, great video as always mate
Greetinfs from Brazil! Just got this error in my shifter, found your tip, did it and it worked ! Thanks you so much! Didn't even cleaned it. Just popped it out and mounted again.
Thanks for the tips dude. This shifter is so notorious for having these issues I’m shocked (but not surprised) Fanatec hasn’t redesigned it like they did with the McLaren wheel. Pull it from the market, fix it and rerelease it. I personally went through two of these shifters. One had to be repaired twice and the other once. Finally I just saved up and got a Pro Sim. H pattern racing is so important to me I felt a $1800 investment and two month wait would be worth it. I’ve had the Pro sim since summer 2020 and I use it almost daily. Not a single issue.
I'm also surprised, it must just be a static or earthing issue, surely it can be easily solved from a design standpoint?! Yeah thats a great shifter! :)
Thanks for the tip. That helped me a lot. The simple remove and reinsert has unfortunately only helped at the beginning. The error then came again. Only after I have disconnected the plug of the 2-wire cable and reconnected the problem is solved.
If you ground the rig frame and there's continuity to the shifter, you'll never have a static build up. If you have AASD15 motor drivers, it's probably EMI from those. Fit an EMI filter and ground everything.
Things to do to avoid static and EMI on an AASD15 motion rig: Install EMI filter on power line of servo drivers. Fit ferrites on power cables coming out of drivers (go crazy here) Link grounds of all power strips if you're using multiple wall outlets. Ground all of your rig. Use a continuity tester to make sure you covered all sections. Fit USB isolators on sensitive USB items like DDUs. Re-route VR cables away from all other cables. Up and over is best. Pray. 🙏🏻
Karl- this is a timely video. I didn't have the issue at the time- or at least I didn't believe I did. I recently got back into racing some H pattern cars (Shelby Cobra) and immediately noticed that all the sudden when I would attempt to go into 3rd, I was getting reverse or sometimes 5th. A long story short I contacted Fanatec and after trying their suggestions (complete removal of drivers and reinstallation) the issue persists. It's odd that even with the updated version of the shifter that these issues persist. I tried what you had suggested and unfortunately there's something more serious at hand. I hate to think I need to buy the Quaife setup, but we'll see what happens. As always- thanks for being such a great content creator. You're a real asset to the racing sim community and have helped me a lot get started.
Like many, the mis-shifting has become a thorn in my sides. Had tried the tape on the board and it didn't help long term. Maybe failure came about due to magnetic fields from 43" triple monitors? Nope. And of course the magnet under the board we added tape to has always remained in place. Recent rig rebuild invigorated me to find the answer and this video was enlightening... if merely popping the top off, replacing it, and then recalibrating is adequate, then what if I just recalibrate without opening it up? But I notice my mis-shifts start with second gear and that got me to thinking maybe there's a bit of sloppiness in the shifter. I do have the 5mm haptic adjuster very much on the soft side, so this time I am tightening it up about 1/2 to 3/4 turn before recalibrating. Have not opened it up this time and the recalibration went smoothly, so we'll see how long it lasts.
Thanks for the video. My shifter started doing the same thing. I just disconnected the cable just like you said for a few minutes and then recalibrated once everything was screwed on and it started working.
Well I don't know. My shifter is properly grounded, there are half a dozen ferrite cores on the rj12 and the DD power cable, I've done the PCB insulation trick, my magnet is properly centered, I took it out to remove static... nothing has worked and I've just had to live with this horrible shifter for 18 months... finally took it out and cleaned the horizontal pickup PCB as you said in your last video and... SUCCESS! Finally, played for several hours without hitting R instead of 3!. Before it was missing every 5-10 shifts. Thank you Karl! :D
Yeah. Had the same Fanatec shifter for a couple of years. Same issues. I have settled into an unhappy routine of taking it apart and putting it back together once for about every two months of daily h pattern use. This routine involves removing and wiping the back of the circuit board that governs lateral gear selection. Also... Having long postulated that it's a cumulative deterioration of the hall sensors controlling lateral movement, I'd mucked around with trying to reset the magnetic fields by moving a strong magnet across the outside rear of the shifter. This actually changed the gears! However this didn't clear the static. So I'm stuck with the rebuild every few months of regular use. It's a dreary chore.
@@KarlGosling But when it's starts playing up during quals for a League race, it's just infuriating. Fanatec have chosen to ignore this issue. It's a black mark against them and it would be hard to recommend their shifter to anyone in good faith.
Hey, I am troubled by the same problem and today after watching the video I startet fumbling with the RJ12 cable. And voila! By bending the cable around the power cable of the power suply I could shift from 1 to 3 to 5 gear! I'm going to order a new one but not from fanatec and try to replicate the effect. Until then I try to avoid the problem by laying the cable as far as possible from any other cable.
Update: From a RMA about one year ago I had still a new RJ12 cable flying around because I tought that the problem was solved anyway. But at the end of the old one that was conected with the DD1 the conectors or cabels where faulty. When I whiggeld there the gears where shifting like bonkers even with the lightest of touching. So the new flat RJ12 cabele from Fanatec works like a charm in this regard. I will put everything to test in Dirt 2.0 now.
Update: So after tree hours of Dirt I can say the misshifts are gone. Ok, not all. I still realy misshift sometime. But it feels so much more immersive, if I don't have to constantly worry about if it is just me or my gear. I also cleand everything like in the video today. But before I started to look at the cable. I recomend to everyone to check on that, If you also have the problem.
Undoing it and put it back in only last about 2 days to 1 week. Update: Send the Shifter back to Fanatec for repair. Comes back with a extra RJ 12 cable with ferrite core to both ends which I use. No problem since then. See how long it will last.
Seems like it’s worked for me! Also did some driver updates, but again, I’ve put electrical tape on it about a year ago, and the issue appeared again now. Just one trial run, was working nicely
I’ve only had mine for a few months and don’t use it often and this has already happened. Went to shift from 2 to 1 on the rolling start and went into R and it gave me 2x for “loss of control” haha all I could do was laugh haha
You need to ground your rig, during the winter months the humidity drops and if you have carpeted floors static electricity will build up. I do not know what country you are in but here in the US all our outlets are grounded. You can take and attach a 10 gauge wire shielded or not and drill a hole anywhere on the aluminum Rig and attach the wire. This will ground you Rig. Aluminum is a highly conductive metal for electricity. Hope this helps.
Well the calibration of the shifter seems to bug too if you have the shifter connected to a rig that the base is connected to. So static.... They might want to look more into it. I think mine did some gears wrong last time I used it so this fix will come in handy. Thanks for the video! Good one Karl!
I was shocked I had to "unground the base" to calibrate the shifter. I thought I was getting trolled when I was told to unbolt my base so I could calibrate my shifter, but it worked.
@@Thisonegoestoeleven666 $400 USD or $550 AUD (no shipping). But you might have to pay import tax etc. Its second best H shifter you can get, and does not cost $2,000 like the Sim Pro one.
@@reprobite Its also $800 pounds, which is $1,600 AUD without import duties. My FreX was $ about $700 AUD and the Frex is probably on par with the BDH, in a much smaller form factor.
I had the exact same issue with mine, i reseated the magnets, cleaned everything, tried insulating the board, grounding the shifter and the rig and non of these fixes worked. Lifting the mechanism out, putting it back in and recalibrating did work but for my shifter this fix only lasted a matter of hours. In the end I was so fed up with it I just got the Frex shifter.
@@KarlGosling It is. It worked fine for the first 3 or 4 years, and then slowly started to mis-shift and it only got worse from then on. Makes me wonder if its an issue with the board itself. Ive seen countless threads of people complaining about it, but not seen any solid fixes
I did the tape fix well over a year ago as mine was mis-shifting more or less from the moment i had it. I have had not a problem with it since, it`s been opened up once to do the fix, maybe i got lucky.
Good to know, thank you Karl. my 2 ct to this: you got a nice carpet there and a moving sim-rig as well (you still do, right?). the next time when it starts mis-shifting make a contact to your heater to get a ground connection. You might as well try to ground your whole rig. Kind regards and thanks for your videos. keep them coming.
I have already tried grounding everything I can think of mate, the problem actually arose long before I had any motion at all back at my old house using my GT Omega ART cockpit.
I think its in the cable connection. When its not fully plugged in I get problems. Just a bit of rumbling the connectors and push them fully in is fixing it for me directly. Try it!
@@KarlGosling Has anyone tried an earth link to the shifter? That would be a nice test. About the cable, When I say not fully pushed in I mean its properly in, but just not pushed until the end. When it "clicks" in there is still a lot of play in the terminal. When I pull it as far most out within the play of the locking its giving me instant problems, when I push it back in its gone.
I've always wondered why just taking it apart and putting it back together again worked. I've tried everything but what's funny is I only watched the isopropyl video last week. Would grounding the shifter (P1-X) work? Possible future video.
@@KarlGosling if your rig ain't grounded, it might just take more time for the same amount of static to build up. Especially if you're on carpet like you seem to be. It might be a good idea to get an ESD grounding strap and connect it to your rig
If it happens again, I'd be curious if simply removing the screws, lifting it up but NOT disconnecting the plug would work, could save us having to remove the hot glue
Tried everything and couldnt get it to work, until I realised that i hadnt tried unplugging the larger of those two plugs. Problem gone. So happy to have my shifter back. Where abouts in the uk you from if you don’t mind me asking? You’re clearly a northerner…
Nice video, I have problems with the shifter going out of gear or not completely in 1. 3. and 5. Have to try this fix before I do the big dismount and fix. Have you contacted Fanatec about this? Maybe they can find a good spot to mount a ground that we can buy and mount or get a new cable with an extra ground or something...
My Fanatec gearbox worked without a problem, a few days ago it started to fail, when I engage gear 1 it enters R, if I engage gear 2 it flashes between 1 and 2 constantly. I have tried everything I have seen on RUclips: 1: open the gearbox, clean the two plates with isoprolytic alcohol. 2: put insulating tape behind the plates. 3: check that the magnet is centered. 4: change the rj12 cable. 5: isolate chais with ground connection. Well today I realized what caused my error in the change. This is simply when starting the EA WRC game, then even if you close the game it is already uncalibrated and with false positives. If I do not start this game, the change does not cause false positives, verified with a fanatec program on another monitor. I have updated the program to its latest version 4.55 the firmware of the change is 1.12 From what I deduce that many users do not know why the change fails over time, in my case it has been this and I don't know how to solve it, I already deleted everything related to this game and I have reinstalled having the same problem.
I'm pretty sure its dust (which could also cause static I suppose). If you spray an air duster in the shifter every now and then it gets rid of the problem. I have also put a little gear shifter boot on to try and reduce the amount of dust that can get into the mechanism.
Thanks Karl. I've bought my shifter in February and a week ago it started miss shifting. I thought about sending it back, but someone suggested this (funny thing is, I watched the video when it was uploaded, just forgot about it lol), and it's solved the issue. I disconnected and reconnected the cable too, but now I've read your comment and is it not needed at all? Only unscrew the 4 screws, lift it up then put it back? Strange issue. Anyway, finally I could drive H pattern in DR 2.0 without annoying misshifts. :D
@@KarlGosling They should really release another revision to fix this issue, because other than that it's a very good shifter! And they should release another revision of their handbrake, because as I read there are numerous issues with that. I would buy it, because the price is fine, but not with those issues.
If you drill a hole through the housing and put an earthing wire into it just connected to your floor or to a radiator or something, I wonder if that would solve the static buildup problem.
add a ground wire in side the shifter. under the board if it screws down to the metal case. also get a high-quality RJ connector and throw away the one that came with the unit.
I was thinking of this solution as well. Did it work? Did you add the ground wire to one of the screws on one of the PCB boards? Which one? And you just grounded the board to the metal shifter casing inside? Let me know if this in fact worked. It was my next move.
Too much plastic and improper grounding? Two synthetic (non conductive) materials constantly touching and then being pulled apart developing static potential with no path to ground?
@@KarlGosling I don't own that shifter so I assumed the housing and some of the other parts were plastic like so many other things are these days. If everything is metal (with the exception of PCBs) though I'm not sure where the static is being developed.
I keep hearing about all these issues with Fanatec shifters. I want to get one to use with my CSL DD but... my Thrustmaster TH8RS is about 9 years old and I haven't done a damn thing to it, lol.
My TM TH8A used to spark when I put a screwdriver in to adjust the stiffness, I also had to isolate it from my rig with rubbers or it would stop my pedals working properly! lol This was on a GT Omega ART cockpit.
Karl - I strongly suspect that your {temporary) cures have less to do with static and more to do with cleaning its electrical contacts by disconnecting and reconnecting. DeoxIT gold or similar contact cleaner on those pins could be a more permanent fix. It can also improve audio (e.g. RCA) connections.
UPDATE FIXED THE ISSUE. With latest Fanatec update shifter H pattern goes back to normal. My specific shifter was worst I tried everything and H pattern was misshifting never went to the game misshifting happened after test's in fanatec APP. Since latest update for last few months no probs whats so ever. I think at the end Fanatec kept it silent and all it was a problematic software not the Hardware. So if you have you shifter on sale try it!!!! I doubt it should work if its not then shifter is faulty 100% As I said I did tested it now heavily for the last few months no probs at all. And my shifter was used always since 2022 November only on sequencial mode. Note my shifter haven't been opened or cleaned since 2022 December after I gave up trying.
This could never happen to me. (I can't work out how a racing clutch works and always wreck the gearbox on the first corner, so my shifter is just there to hold one of my gloves. :))
Karl, I just seen this video, So how is the shifter doing now? I going to take mine apart again and not do any thing except what you did in this video. Thanks for the post! Ok here is an update as of 12-28-2022 Since my last post on the issue, it has surfaced again! How long has it been? About a month! I will post after fix again and see how long it last this time.
Mine started acting up around a year in. I dont think it happens to everyone, but it seems some are worse than others. Agree with Karl, just pulling it out and putting it back in again, for some reasons, seems to reset the clock on the thing going bonkers. It feels like I get a little less time every time I do it, now, but it's still usually good for at least 3 months of regular use between "resets".
Hi Karl. On Your Aluminium Rig. Im looking for a measurement and i hope you can help me. What is the height of the two side stems where the wheel in mounted on. the two vertical 40x120mm profiles. Hope you can tell me that :) I build one by myself and im not sure what hight i should order.
Electrostatics or connectors issue, because, after all, you disconnect them during repairs. They are constantly under variable load due to gear shifting
Thanks for the info, mate. Would it be possible to run a thin wire from one of the top screws on top of the shifter and grounding it out on the rig somewhere? Might save you the hassle of taking it apart.
@@KarlGosling yeah I see your point. In that case it might be worth scratching the rig, say underneath the bolt so it doesn't show. As the rig and shifter have painted coatings on them. The grounding between the two will be very minimal if any at all. I'm probably thinking too much on it to be honest but I guess it doesn't hurt to look at it from all angles. In any case at least it can be sorted with minimal effort. Keep up the great work, Karl. Have a great Bank Holiday weekend!
7 months later. I just went from an Iracing P1 with a 6 second lead and 3 laps remaining. My freshly reassembled Fanatec shift did it again and I got a DNF and lost a ton of points. Fuck this shifter.
All I did was disconnect the wire that holding the shifter and reconnect. Should work. I think this issue how something to do with the wheel base fuking with the shifter
Just GROUND your rig. You can buy plugs that fit into you socket and just connect to the ground wire. It takes away all static issues and the shifter works flawlessly.
It's funny that Hall sensors are considered a premium feature because they promise to be reliable. Seems like overengineering to me, at least for this application. I think I'd rather have simple microswitches. Not much voodoo with switches. If they fail they're simple to test and replace, or fix whatever misalignment has occurred. Mechanical keyboards use them. Mice use them. Millions of arcade cabs used them. If they broke, any operator could fix them. Using Hall sensors to replace a switch seems like something the Germans would do.
You honestly think that wasn't the first thing myself and every other person with the problem hadn't already tried?... If only it was that simple mate.
Just had this happen today and wanted to mention, all I did was unscrew and lift up the shifter, did not remove the hot glue or disconnect anything, let it "air out" I guess... And put it back on... Works just fine again 🤷 no recalibration or anything..
I got the same issue and I resolved this way:
1) start calibration
2) place in neutral and move the level left and right then OK
3) place in reverse and the OK
4) place in neutral and then left and right the press OK
5) place in first gear then OK
6) you got the point. Once in neutral i move the shifter left and right before click OK.
Tried several time and only with this procedure I have no error and no wrong shift
Ciao
I will be damned. This worked for me for a full lap around the Nordschleif.
WOW! This finally happened to me. I realigned my shifter to my rig, went on forums, eventually found this video, and your theory seems dead on. It has been good for the past couple of hours of constantly avoiding money shifts. Thank you.
Glad it helped mate!
Excellent advice & makes sense - I'm a field tech for an i.t company & I routinely service postage meters, inserters, copiers etc & I know for a fact that the buildup of static can absolutely effect pcb's and sensors etc, especially low voltage components. I would imagine a few things could potentially cause or resolve static such as how its mounted and also the environment the rig is in (I just ordered this shifter so I'll update if I notice anything useful) Great video!
Yeah please do mate, seems to take a few months or more for mine to build up.
FASTER SOLUTION!!!!
undo the 4 screws and touch the 2 contact points on the board (no need to unplug!) with your finger. Worked immediately. Thanks for sharing this info!!
Sweet!
Tried it, and it worked like charm! Cheers!
Just tried that, but no luck. 2nd. race after touchig, it went to 2nd instead of 4th gear. I'll try removing the connectors next.
Thank you very much man! It worked perfectly. My CS Sq shifter had been already sent to Fanatec 3 years ago to fix that issue and has worked flawlessly since then... the problem came back yesterday but today i've solved it in literally 3 minutes thanks to your advice. Great one!
Glad it helped
Mine has been doing it for months. I just tried this and it worked immediately. Thank you!! Wish I could upvote this one 100 times!
Glad it helped!
I definitely think this problem is due to static build up. With my shifter I got the mis-shifts when engaging 4th gear (and getting 2nd gear instead). At first I tried aligning the magnets, which seemed to help (for a month or two). At the next instance I tried the electrical tape fix. That also helped at the time, but the problem kept coming back in a short time.
Then I figured out there could be another suspect for the static build up: The ball joint under the H-pattern (where the shifter rod enters the housing). Probably from the friction during shifts.
I lubricated the ball joint (with sowing machine oil) and the problem disappeared. It only came back 7 or 8 months later and when I checked, I saw that the ball joint was dry/not lubricated again.
Re-lubricating made the problem go away again for an extended period.
I guess that I at least found the source for the static build up and that lubricating that ball joint is worth a shot for lack of a permanent fix. 😉
so technically the static buildup isnt a problem if danatec just added like 1 wire to the housing or the shifter rod to get rid of the static every time you touch it. Shame on you fanatec and your shady stuff just because there is barely any competition.
I saw the same comment of yours, on ıther videos. It seems like you're spot on mate 👍 I'm gonna mix sowing machine oil with antistatic sprey, if I can find.. Did you lubricate the ball joint from top? Just around the rod, and dropped oil inside?
I lubricated the ball joint from the top.
In the meantime, even with this 'fix', the problem came back eventually. The problem stayed away much longer though. I think this problem is due to a design flaw where the Hal effect sensor can pick up static over time. Maybe the mechanism isn't grounded properly so this problem can occur.
Maybe I'll try to ground it properly on the inside somehow (no idea how though).
Thanks for the call out in the video and for making the video for us Karl. You’re a champ.
Just wanted to share, this fix worked for me as well. So strange that static charge could be the issue causing mid shifts but makes sense. Thank you for posting this Carl!
Glad it helps you too mate.
Buy a "contact leaner" with lubricant. Open the shifter and spray the cleaner on the electronics. Take the shifter box and wipe it down with a dry dryer pad. Wipe the entire casing inside to reduce static. Put the shifter back together and try that. Safe alternative I used this method on PCB boards before when this was an issue. You can also take a wire and attach it to a screw and ground it to a known grounding point.
Have been reluctant to buy their v1.5 shifter as I had the version 1.0 years ago and this problem was driving me nuts. But I do like the shifting feel of the fanatec. Thanks for this video I now feel more comfortable in considering getting one again knowing what the issue is.
I have the same issue, mentioning static is interesting as I do have some EMI issues with one of my USB wheel rims, I found that grounding my rig sorted that out I will have to see if that will help with the Fanatec shifter, have not used it for ages will look into this, great video as always mate
Greetinfs from Brazil! Just got this error in my shifter, found your tip, did it and it worked ! Thanks you so much!
Didn't even cleaned it. Just popped it out and mounted again.
Yeah I'm 99% sure it's clearing static build up.
This is the one. This is the first fix I tried, due to simplicity, and it solved my issue. Thank you Karl G!
You're welcome!
Thanks for the tips dude. This shifter is so notorious for having these issues I’m shocked (but not surprised) Fanatec hasn’t redesigned it like they did with the McLaren wheel. Pull it from the market, fix it and rerelease it.
I personally went through two of these shifters. One had to be repaired twice and the other once. Finally I just saved up and got a Pro Sim. H pattern racing is so important to me I felt a $1800 investment and two month wait would be worth it. I’ve had the Pro sim since summer 2020 and I use it almost daily. Not a single issue.
I'm also surprised, it must just be a static or earthing issue, surely it can be easily solved from a design standpoint?!
Yeah thats a great shifter! :)
GREAT, thank you for this easy trick! I was just looking around for a new shifter. 3 min work, and it is working perfectly again. ❤❤
You're welcome!
Thanks for the tip. That helped me a lot. The simple remove and reinsert has unfortunately only helped at the beginning. The error then came again. Only after I have disconnected the plug of the 2-wire cable and reconnected the problem is solved.
This worked for me. I actually unplugged the other cable though, because I watched this several days ago and remembered it incorrectly.
If you ground the rig frame and there's continuity to the shifter, you'll never have a static build up. If you have AASD15 motor drivers, it's probably EMI from those. Fit an EMI filter and ground everything.
Tried it all mate.
Have you checked for continuity between your ground loop and the set screws on the top of the shifter?
Things to do to avoid static and EMI on an AASD15 motion rig:
Install EMI filter on power line of servo drivers.
Fit ferrites on power cables coming out of drivers (go crazy here)
Link grounds of all power strips if you're using multiple wall outlets.
Ground all of your rig. Use a continuity tester to make sure you covered all sections.
Fit USB isolators on sensitive USB items like DDUs.
Re-route VR cables away from all other cables. Up and over is best.
Pray. 🙏🏻
I was having this problem I saw your clip and did the same thing without cleaning and it worked perfectly
Thnx ❤️
Glad it helped
Karl- this is a timely video. I didn't have the issue at the time- or at least I didn't believe I did. I recently got back into racing some H pattern cars (Shelby Cobra) and immediately noticed that all the sudden when I would attempt to go into 3rd, I was getting reverse or sometimes 5th. A long story short I contacted Fanatec and after trying their suggestions (complete removal of drivers and reinstallation) the issue persists. It's odd that even with the updated version of the shifter that these issues persist. I tried what you had suggested and unfortunately there's something more serious at hand. I hate to think I need to buy the Quaife setup, but we'll see what happens. As always- thanks for being such a great content creator. You're a real asset to the racing sim community and have helped me a lot get started.
Ah I'm sorry it didn't help you though mate, but thanks for the kind words.
This worked. Totally worth sharing. Thank you!
You're welcome!
Like many, the mis-shifting has become a thorn in my sides. Had tried the tape on the board and it didn't help long term. Maybe failure came about due to magnetic fields from 43" triple monitors? Nope. And of course the magnet under the board we added tape to has always remained in place. Recent rig rebuild invigorated me to find the answer and this video was enlightening... if merely popping the top off, replacing it, and then recalibrating is adequate, then what if I just recalibrate without opening it up?
But I notice my mis-shifts start with second gear and that got me to thinking maybe there's a bit of sloppiness in the shifter. I do have the 5mm haptic adjuster very much on the soft side, so this time I am tightening it up about 1/2 to 3/4 turn before recalibrating. Have not opened it up this time and the recalibration went smoothly, so we'll see how long it lasts.
Thanks for the video. My shifter started doing the same thing. I just disconnected the cable just like you said for a few minutes and then recalibrated once everything was screwed on and it started working.
Well I don't know. My shifter is properly grounded, there are half a dozen ferrite cores on the rj12 and the DD power cable, I've done the PCB insulation trick, my magnet is properly centered, I took it out to remove static... nothing has worked and I've just had to live with this horrible shifter for 18 months... finally took it out and cleaned the horizontal pickup PCB as you said in your last video and... SUCCESS! Finally, played for several hours without hitting R instead of 3!. Before it was missing every 5-10 shifts. Thank you Karl! :D
Well at least something has worked mate! lol To this day I still have no positive confirmation of what the problem really is.
Great follow up and possibly finding the over all problem/solution to this wanky shifter mystery. Job well done Watson. Jolly good.
Yeah. Had the same Fanatec shifter for a couple of years. Same issues. I have settled into an unhappy routine of taking it apart and putting it back together once for about every two months of daily h pattern use. This routine involves removing and wiping the back of the circuit board that governs lateral gear selection. Also... Having long postulated that it's a cumulative deterioration of the hall sensors controlling lateral movement, I'd mucked around with trying to reset the magnetic fields by moving a strong magnet across the outside rear of the shifter. This actually changed the gears! However this didn't clear the static. So I'm stuck with the rebuild every few months of regular use. It's a dreary chore.
Yeah it's a pain but thankfully only takes 5 mins.
@@KarlGosling But when it's starts playing up during quals for a League race, it's just infuriating. Fanatec have chosen to ignore this issue. It's a black mark against them and it would be hard to recommend their shifter to anyone in good faith.
Hey, I am troubled by the same problem and today after watching the video I startet fumbling with the RJ12 cable. And voila! By bending the cable around the power cable of the power suply I could shift from 1 to 3 to 5 gear! I'm going to order a new one but not from fanatec and try to replicate the effect. Until then I try to avoid the problem by laying the cable as far as possible from any other cable.
Update: From a RMA about one year ago I had still a new RJ12 cable flying around because I tought that the problem was solved anyway. But at the end of the old one that was conected with the DD1 the conectors or cabels where faulty. When I whiggeld there the gears where shifting like bonkers even with the lightest of touching. So the new flat RJ12 cabele from Fanatec works like a charm in this regard. I will put everything to test in Dirt 2.0 now.
Update: So after tree hours of Dirt I can say the misshifts are gone. Ok, not all. I still realy misshift sometime. But it feels so much more immersive, if I don't have to constantly worry about if it is just me or my gear. I also cleand everything like in the video today. But before I started to look at the cable. I recomend to everyone to check on that, If you also have the problem.
Undoing it and put it back in only last about 2 days to 1 week.
Update: Send the Shifter back to Fanatec for repair. Comes back with a extra RJ 12 cable with ferrite core to both ends which I use. No problem since then. See how long it will last.
Hi, any problem yet with the new cable?
Seems like it’s worked for me! Also did some driver updates, but again, I’ve put electrical tape on it about a year ago, and the issue appeared again now. Just one trial run, was working nicely
I’ve only had mine for a few months and don’t use it often and this has already happened. Went to shift from 2 to 1 on the rolling start and went into R and it gave me 2x for “loss of control” haha all I could do was laugh haha
You need to ground your rig, during the winter months the humidity drops and if you have carpeted floors static electricity will build up. I do not know what country you are in but here in the US all our outlets are grounded. You can take and attach a 10 gauge wire shielded or not and drill a hole anywhere on the aluminum Rig and attach the wire. This will ground you Rig. Aluminum is a highly conductive metal for electricity. Hope this helps.
UK all outlets are also grounded and this is something I have tried (I have a video on earthing issues) but to no avail.
Thank for the video sir ! I tried the your tip and it seemed too have fixed my mis- shift problem
Excellent!
Well the calibration of the shifter seems to bug too if you have the shifter connected to a rig that the base is connected to. So static.... They might want to look more into it. I think mine did some gears wrong last time I used it so this fix will come in handy. Thanks for the video! Good one Karl!
I was shocked I had to "unground the base" to calibrate the shifter. I thought I was getting trolled when I was told to unbolt my base so I could calibrate my shifter, but it worked.
Thank Karl great vid it cured my shifter now works like a dream 👍🏻🇬🇧🏎 Glad I subscribed a while ago!
The sole reason why I avoided the shifter. Went with Frex H Shifter from Japan. Completely flawless..
How much is the Frex H?
@@Thisonegoestoeleven666 $400 USD or $550 AUD (no shipping). But you might have to pay import tax etc. Its second best H shifter you can get, and does not cost $2,000 like the Sim Pro one.
@@StatsGam4er What about the BDH shifter? I thought that was the best after Pro-Sim ?
@@reprobite Its also $800 pounds, which is $1,600 AUD without import duties. My FreX was $ about $700 AUD and the Frex is probably on par with the BDH, in a much smaller form factor.
Thank you so much for this. 5min and fixed
No worries!
Heusinkveld used silicone conformal coating on the board of the sprints to sort out the earthing problem!
I had the exact same issue with mine, i reseated the magnets, cleaned everything, tried insulating the board, grounding the shifter and the rig and non of these fixes worked. Lifting the mechanism out, putting it back in and recalibrating did work but for my shifter this fix only lasted a matter of hours. In the end I was so fed up with it I just got the Frex shifter.
Yeah it's so strange?!
@@KarlGosling It is. It worked fine for the first 3 or 4 years, and then slowly started to mis-shift and it only got worse from then on. Makes me wonder if its an issue with the board itself. Ive seen countless threads of people complaining about it, but not seen any solid fixes
I can confirm I've had the exact same experience
I did the tape fix well over a year ago as mine was mis-shifting more or less from the moment i had it. I have had not a problem with it since, it`s been opened up once to do the fix, maybe i got lucky.
Opening it up is all thats needed so it seems.
Good to know, thank you Karl.
my 2 ct to this: you got a nice carpet there and a moving sim-rig as well (you still do, right?). the next time when it starts mis-shifting make a contact to your heater to get a ground connection. You might as well try to ground your whole rig.
Kind regards and thanks for your videos. keep them coming.
I have already tried grounding everything I can think of mate, the problem actually arose long before I had any motion at all back at my old house using my GT Omega ART cockpit.
@@KarlGosling I was afraid of that. still thumbs up! ;)
Thanks for the great info Karl. Ive got one now, if this issue comes up, ill know what to do.
Thanks a lot. That solved my problem!
I think its in the cable connection. When its not fully plugged in I get problems. Just a bit of rumbling the connectors and push them fully in is fixing it for me directly.
Try it!
That was tried and cleaned immediately, it's most likely static build up.
But of course if your cable is not fully plugged in you will get problems.
@@KarlGosling Has anyone tried an earth link to the shifter? That would be a nice test.
About the cable, When I say not fully pushed in I mean its properly in, but just not pushed until the end. When it "clicks" in there is still a lot of play in the terminal. When I pull it as far most out within the play of the locking its giving me instant problems, when I push it back in its gone.
I've always wondered why just taking it apart and putting it back together again worked. I've tried everything but what's funny is I only watched the isopropyl video last week.
Would grounding the shifter (P1-X) work? Possible future video.
It's all speculation so I have no idea mate, mine is bolted to my rig so you can't get more grounded than that! lol
@@KarlGosling if your rig ain't grounded, it might just take more time for the same amount of static to build up. Especially if you're on carpet like you seem to be. It might be a good idea to get an ESD grounding strap and connect it to your rig
@@wagneralmeida5150 do you know anyone that tried this, seems like a good idea I might go for it
If it happens again, I'd be curious if simply removing the screws, lifting it up but NOT disconnecting the plug would work, could save us having to remove the hot glue
THANK YOU!!! shifter fixed! Very poor from Fanatec but THanks again.
Glad it helped!
tried taking it apart with bare feet outside touched the circuit boards to ground them from static and no luck
Tried everything and couldnt get it to work, until I realised that i hadnt tried unplugging the larger of those two plugs. Problem gone. So happy to have my shifter back. Where abouts in the uk you from if you don’t mind me asking? You’re clearly a northerner…
A northerner? I have a London accent but am from the Suffolk/Essex border! lol
@@KarlGosling sounds like Yorkshire or Lancashire to my ears…. Oh well. Thanks for the videos. Really helpful
Nice video, I have problems with the shifter going out of gear or not completely in 1. 3. and 5. Have to try this fix before I do the big dismount and fix.
Have you contacted Fanatec about this? Maybe they can find a good spot to mount a ground that we can buy and mount or get a new cable with an extra ground or something...
Forgot to write my fix. I have v1 with the microswitches. Just adjusted them as far away from the stick I could. Working perfect now. 👍
6 months of very light use and now I'm in the same boat
Thank you. It works, but why. I already grounded shifter and wheelbase because I live in a desert. Just can't make sense.
Static discharge is my guess.
I have a similar thing but with my pedal shifter, any clues what I could do here? (fanatec csl dd 8nm)
My Fanatec gearbox worked without a problem, a few days ago it started to fail, when I engage gear 1 it enters R, if I engage gear 2 it flashes between 1 and 2 constantly.
I have tried everything I have seen on RUclips:
1: open the gearbox, clean the two plates with isoprolytic alcohol.
2: put insulating tape behind the plates.
3: check that the magnet is centered.
4: change the rj12 cable.
5: isolate chais with ground connection.
Well today I realized what caused my error in the change.
This is simply when starting the EA WRC game, then even if you close the game it is already uncalibrated and with false positives. If I do not start this game, the change does not cause false positives, verified with a fanatec program on another monitor.
I have updated the program to its latest version 4.55
the firmware of the change is 1.12
From what I deduce that many users do not know why the change fails over time, in my case it has been this and I don't know how to solve it, I already deleted everything related to this game and I have reinstalled having the same problem.
Wow that worked ! thanks so much!
You're welcome!
Maybe anti-static spray, the same used in vinil records, can be even better then isopropanol. At least its easyer to apply. Open, spray, close, done !
Yes could be!
I'm pretty sure its dust (which could also cause static I suppose). If you spray an air duster in the shifter every now and then it gets rid of the problem. I have also put a little gear shifter boot on to try and reduce the amount of dust that can get into the mechanism.
No dust at all inside mine, it pretty much looks brand new in there... but I'm pretty sure it's static build up yes.
Thanks Karl. I've bought my shifter in February and a week ago it started miss shifting. I thought about sending it back, but someone suggested this (funny thing is, I watched the video when it was uploaded, just forgot about it lol), and it's solved the issue. I disconnected and reconnected the cable too, but now I've read your comment and is it not needed at all? Only unscrew the 4 screws, lift it up then put it back? Strange issue. Anyway, finally I could drive H pattern in DR 2.0 without annoying misshifts. :D
Yeah it's a weird one that's for sure and the problem has been around for years!
@@KarlGosling They should really release another revision to fix this issue, because other than that it's a very good shifter!
And they should release another revision of their handbrake, because as I read there are numerous issues with that. I would buy it, because the price is fine, but not with those issues.
That worked for me!
If you drill a hole through the housing and put an earthing wire into it just connected to your floor or to a radiator or something, I wonder if that would solve the static buildup problem.
I did try all sorts of earthing solutions but nothing has worked so far.
add a ground wire in side the shifter. under the board if it screws down to the metal case. also get a high-quality RJ connector and throw away the one that came with the unit.
I was thinking of this solution as well. Did it work? Did you add the ground wire to one of the screws on one of the PCB boards? Which one? And you just grounded the board to the metal shifter casing inside? Let me know if this in fact worked. It was my next move.
Yeah!!! this shifter is so lucky that I find your video... it was going to get the hammer and to the trash! lol
Glad I could help! lol
Might seem daft, is there room to stick a ferrite core inside it, just a small one. They help with static interference
Might be, I do have some here.
Too much plastic and improper grounding? Two synthetic (non conductive) materials constantly touching and then being pulled apart developing static potential with no path to ground?
There's no plastic from what I remember? But I like the theory, something is causing the issue thats for sure!
@@KarlGosling I don't own that shifter so I assumed the housing and some of the other parts were plastic like so many other things are these days. If everything is metal (with the exception of PCBs) though I'm not sure where the static is being developed.
Do the pre 1.5 versions have the same static buildup issues ?
Any updates a month later?
worked for me!
I keep hearing about all these issues with Fanatec shifters. I want to get one to use with my CSL DD but... my Thrustmaster TH8RS is about 9 years old and I haven't done a damn thing to it, lol.
My TM TH8A used to spark when I put a screwdriver in to adjust the stiffness, I also had to isolate it from my rig with rubbers or it would stop my pedals working properly! lol This was on a GT Omega ART cockpit.
@@KarlGosling dam that's weird. Might wanna get your house electricity looked at. Sounds like you have major grounding issues.
It's a shame because it's built like a tank and feels quite nice. But I dont feel like I can recommend anyone buy it anymore.
Karl - I strongly suspect that your {temporary) cures have less to do with static and more to do with cleaning its electrical contacts by disconnecting and reconnecting.
DeoxIT gold or similar contact cleaner on those pins could be a more permanent fix. It can also improve audio (e.g. RCA) connections.
I didn't disconnect anything mate, just lifted it up and then put it straight back down again.
The clip you see is from my first video.
In my case the short 4pin cable was broken between the 2 PCBs.
Yeah thats not going to help is it! lol I wonder how it got broken?
@@KarlGosling Have no idea, it was hardly noticable, but looking closer the wires were broken at the tiny pin inserts of the plugs. Both sides.
Mateeeeeeeee, thank you so much!
Nevermind, still broken.
UPDATE FIXED THE ISSUE. With latest Fanatec update shifter H pattern goes back to normal. My specific shifter was worst I tried everything and H pattern was misshifting never went to the game misshifting happened after test's in fanatec APP. Since latest update for last few months no probs whats so ever. I think at the end Fanatec kept it silent and all it was a problematic software not the Hardware. So if you have you shifter on sale try it!!!! I doubt it should work if its not then shifter is faulty 100% As I said I did tested it now heavily for the last few months no probs at all. And my shifter was used always since 2022 November only on sequencial mode. Note my shifter haven't been opened or cleaned since 2022 December after I gave up trying.
This could never happen to me. (I can't work out how a racing clutch works and always wreck the gearbox on the first corner, so my shifter is just there to hold one of my gloves. :))
😆
Karl, I just seen this video, So how is the shifter doing now? I going to take mine apart again and not do any thing except what you did in this video. Thanks for the post!
Ok here is an update as of 12-28-2022 Since my last post on the issue, it has surfaced again! How long has it been? About a month! I will post after fix again and see how long it last this time.
Yeah it's still fine mate!
I’ve never had this issue. Does it happen with age? I’ve only owned it for about a year and a half, maybe two.
Mine started acting up around a year in. I dont think it happens to everyone, but it seems some are worse than others. Agree with Karl, just pulling it out and putting it back in again, for some reasons, seems to reset the clock on the thing going bonkers. It feels like I get a little less time every time I do it, now, but it's still usually good for at least 3 months of regular use between "resets".
Hi Karl. On Your Aluminium Rig. Im looking for a measurement and i hope you can help me. What is the height of the two side stems where the wheel in mounted on. the two vertical 40x120mm profiles. Hope you can tell me that :) I build one by myself and im not sure what hight i should order.
Thanks for the tip…
No problem!
Electrostatics or connectors issue, because, after all, you disconnect them during repairs. They are constantly under variable load due to gear shifting
Nothing is disconnected now, just undo the four bolts, lift up then replace.
@@KarlGosling So what remains is electrostatics.
I played with the one I bought for about an hour and a half and 6th and 7th gear wont register. Lol
Thanks for the info, mate. Would it be possible to run a thin wire from one of the top screws on top of the shifter and grounding it out on the rig somewhere? Might save you the hassle of taking it apart.
It's bolted to the rig, metal to metal so should be grounded out anyway mate.
@@KarlGosling yeah I see your point. In that case it might be worth scratching the rig, say underneath the bolt so it doesn't show. As the rig and shifter have painted coatings on them. The grounding between the two will be very minimal if any at all. I'm probably thinking too much on it to be honest but I guess it doesn't hurt to look at it from all angles. In any case at least it can be sorted with minimal effort. Keep up the great work, Karl. Have a great Bank Holiday weekend!
So what your saying is go with the moza shifter?
I've not tried one mate sorry.
So how long did it last?
I wonder if the static build up is from the shifter being that close to the monitors
The previous two times I as running just a single screen no where near the shifter so probably not mate.
Is the case of the shifter internally grounded?
7 months later. I just went from an Iracing P1 with a 6 second lead and 3 laps remaining. My freshly reassembled Fanatec shift did it again and I got a DNF and lost a ton of points. Fuck this shifter.
if you are looking to buy this shifter dont
I have nothing else to get because I’m on console
I'm on console too, although I'm using one. It's a shame. Not a cheap unit @@Cyan._.gt.
Yep definitely going to buy this
All I did was disconnect the wire that holding the shifter and reconnect. Should work. I think this issue how something to do with the wheel base fuking with the shifter
Different problem, that and cleaning the contacts was the first thing I tried.
Just GROUND your rig. You can buy plugs that fit into you socket and just connect to the ground wire. It takes away all static issues and the shifter works flawlessly.
Sadly no it doesn't, i tried every possible grounding option I could think of and covered this in another video, nothing worked.
It's funny that Hall sensors are considered a premium feature because they promise to be reliable. Seems like overengineering to me, at least for this application.
I think I'd rather have simple microswitches. Not much voodoo with switches. If they fail they're simple to test and replace, or fix whatever misalignment has occurred. Mechanical keyboards use them. Mice use them. Millions of arcade cabs used them. If they broke, any operator could fix them.
Using Hall sensors to replace a switch seems like something the Germans would do.
This is a very good point and I agree mate!
seems it work for me. thanks!!! (btw fanatec sucks)
So this shifter is expensive and misshift on his own. Thats not cool fanatec.
yessssssssssssssir
You making a mistake. You don’t have to open it. Just manually calibrate using steering wheel.
You honestly think that wasn't the first thing myself and every other person with the problem hadn't already tried?... If only it was that simple mate.
@@KarlGosling okay mate you the best hahahaha
This thing is great until it starts mis shifting and it gets super super annoying.
Yes, hence the fix.
Recap this garbage, happened to me.
Just had this happen today and wanted to mention, all I did was unscrew and lift up the shifter, did not remove the hot glue or disconnect anything, let it "air out" I guess... And put it back on... Works just fine again 🤷 no recalibration or anything..
Yeah thats all I did, got to be static discharge as nothing else changes?!
@@KarlGosling really appreciate the video man, simple fix to an annoying problem! ✌️