T-GT Failure

  • Thread starter thefraggle
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I'm having problems shifting with the paddles on my T-GT. It started slow with an occasional mis-shifting on the left downshift paddle. Then it became worse where it mostly doesn't shift at all. Sometimes it shifts all by itself, even shifting to an upper gear sometimes. Now the right paddle has the same problem. In trying to solve the problem, I removed USB cable and air cleaned out the ports and replugged it back in, to no avail.

I want to remove the cover of the T-GT to see if lint or something is blocking a sensor, but I don't know how to remove the cover. Can anyone help me?

I'm running a T-GT with T500 RS Pedals.

Pedals and wheel are working fine, but there is an issue with the shift paddles that is bugging me.

For each shift the paddles make two clicks, one when you pull, and another when you release. It's a nice loud precise good quality click.

My right paddle is fine - two nice clicks, each one the same.

My left paddle is different, the first click is good, the same as the other side but the second 'release' click is different, its very feint, much quieter.

I am already on my second rim, the first had the same problem but much worse, the second 'release' click on the left paddle had virtually no click at all. After sending a short movie in to Thrustmaster support they swapped it.

It's not a massive problem, the shifting works fine - at the moment, but it doesn't fill me with confidence. Such an expensive wheel should be flawless, with consistent clicks across both shifter's.

Has anyone else noticed inconsistent clicking?

Interestingly(?) My T500 RS had exactly the same problem. Right hand shifter 2 nice clicks, left hand shifter 'Pull' click very feint and 'Release' click virtually non existent. As I couldn't provide a receipt for the wheel there was no warranty so I took it apart and re-assembled it which fixed the problem for a while but it didn't last for long.
 
I'm running a T-GT with T500 RS Pedals.

For each shift the paddles make two clicks, one when you pull, and another when you release. It's a nice loud precise good quality click.

My right paddle is fine - two nice clicks, each one the same.

My left paddle is different, the first click is good, the same as the other side but the second 'release' click is different, its very feint, much quieter.

I am already on my second rim, the first had the same problem but much worse, the second 'release' click on the left paddle had virtually no click at all. After sending a short movie in to Thrustmaster support they swapped it.

I had the exact same problem with my paddles except that it was the right paddle that had no click (or very low volume click). After I air cleaned out the slots where the paddles enter the wheel, I again had two solid clicks. I suspect that they are using snap-action microswitches and it's possible that lint collected between the microswitch arm and whatever is pushing it. (I'd open up the wheel to inspect exactly what's going on but it would violate my warranty.)

I also suspect that pulling of a paddle after many gear changes might bend the arm slightly out of alignment. Pushing the paddle may bend it back into alignment.
 
Hi all, i have this same problem on my new t gt wheel. Received yesterday from Amazon and after 5 minutes of using it, I discovered the issue on the left shift paddle. Sometimes it click with good sound, sometimes it doesn’t click and doesn’t work at all or change 2 gear.. very very bad news. Now I will return it to Amazon and hope to have another wheel with any issue but it seems that others people have the same problem. Do anybody let me me know if I can do something by myself without opening it and have problem in warranty time?
I’m reading something related to push air between paddle and wheel.
Does this solution fix it on long time or not?

Thank you.
Antonio
 
Hi all, i have this same problem on my new t gt wheel. Received yesterday from Amazon and after 5 minutes of using it, I discovered the issue on the left shift paddle. Sometimes it click with good sound, sometimes it doesn’t click and doesn’t work at all or change 2 gear.. very very bad news. Now I will return it to Amazon and hope to have another wheel with any issue but it seems that others people have the same problem. Do anybody let me me know if I can do something by myself without opening it and have problem in warranty time?
I’m reading something related to push air between paddle and wheel.
Does this solution fix it on long time or not?

Thank you.
Antonio
Since my issues when I first got the wheel it has been spot on. Replaced the pedals for the T3PA pro and in my opinion is now the setup it should have been out of the box.

It's a brilliant wheel.
 
Since my issues when I first got the wheel it has been spot on. Replaced the pedals for the T3PA pro and in my opinion is now the setup it should have been out of the box.

It's a brilliant wheel.
Thank you thefraggle but I’m talking about the post of zardoz9 for shift paddle, not pedals. For pedals At the moment no problems
@zardoz9
 
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Hi all, i have this same problem on my new t gt wheel. Received yesterday from Amazon and after 5 minutes of using it, I discovered the issue on the left shift paddle. Sometimes it click with good sound, sometimes it doesn’t click and doesn’t work at all or change 2 gear.. very very bad news. Now I will return it to Amazon and hope to have another wheel with any issue but it seems that others people have the same problem. Do anybody let me me know if I can do something by myself without opening it and have problem in warranty time?
I’m reading something related to push air between paddle and wheel.
Does this solution fix it on long time or not?

Thank you.
Antonio

After cleaning out my wheel with air, I have not had the issue reappear. Both paddles have distinct clicking and everything is good. I suggest that you try air cleaning your wheel before returning it to Amazon.
 
If I get another wheel I'll spend money on a Fanatec not this plastic trash, a cautionary tale indeed.
You are entitled to your opinion. So please clarify "trash". People seem to forget Fanatec also had a bad history of QC and CS problems a few years ago. Just google "Fanatec issue or fail". Every manufacturer has had a case of fails, but calling it trash?
 
Here is a possible long term solution to prevent dust, bugs, and lint from entering the wheel. I bought some elastic bands from Walmart that are used for young girl's pony tails (I think). I put two bands each on each paddle to help cover the slots to act as dust barriers:

ElasticRings.jpg

These elastic bands measure approximately 0.60 inch inside diameter.

RingsOnWheel.jpg

I placed two bands on each paddle shaft.

Note, I don't know how long these bands will last and they may deteriorate and cause the very problem it's trying to solve, so I would recommend replacing them every year or so, just in case.
 
Here is a possible long term solution to prevent dust, bugs, and lint from entering the wheel. I bought some elastic bands from Walmart that are used for young girl's pony tails (I think). I put two bands each on each paddle to help cover the slots to act as dust barriers:

View attachment 734928

These elastic bands measure approximately 0.60 inch inside diameter.

View attachment 734929

I placed two bands on each paddle shaft.

Note, I don't know how long these bands will last and they may deteriorate and cause the very problem it's trying to solve, so I would recommend replacing them every year or so, just in case.

Having some canned air around seems to be the best solution. I recon these bands might attract fibres and dust. Personally My rims have worked without problems since I bought them.
 
I recon these bands might attract fibres and dust.

Actually I observe that the metal paddles attract far more dust. I suspect this is because of it's static electrical properties. Similar to spinning metal overhead fan blades that attract lots of dust, the wheel also spins every time the PS4 is started. Note, it doesn't matter how much dust is on the bands as long as they prevent the dust from entering the wheel. That's the point of putting on the bands.

Personally My rims have worked without problems since I bought them

I suspect the problem may originate from Thrustmaster's packaging method. Raghinen gave us a clue to that, since his wheel had this problem right out of the box. Perhaps packaging material or something entered the wheel before shipping. This might explain why you and others have not had this problem.
 
Actually I observe that the metal paddles attract far more dust. I suspect this is because of it's static electrical properties. Similar to spinning metal overhead fan blades that attract lots of dust, the wheel also spins every time the PS4 is started. Note, it doesn't matter how much dust is on the bands as long as they prevent the dust from entering the wheel. That's the point of putting on the bands.



I suspect the problem may originate from Thrustmaster's packaging method. Raghinen gave us a clue to that, since his wheel had this problem right out of the box. Perhaps packaging material or something entered the wheel before shipping. This might explain why you and others have not had this problem.
Perhaps I should have been clearer...these bands are made from synthetic material (static) and attract dust. My daughter has lots of these and always collect lots of dust when not in use for while and not properly stored. You might have the risk for the dust falling from the band into the openings.
 
Perhaps I should have been clearer...these bands are made from synthetic material (static) and attract dust. My daughter has lots of these and always collect lots of dust when not in use for while and not properly stored. You might have the risk for the dust falling from the band into the openings.

Before I dusted off the wheel before I took the photo, I observed the dust around and on the bands. There was absolutely NO dust under the bands, and little if any dust on the bands themselves. However, there was fine dust on the paddle stems. When I first had this problem I saw lots of fine dust right at the paddle entrances (which led me to this present solution). My wheel is also in a relatively clean air conditioned environment. The bands work, and I have not had a problem since.
 
If Thrustmaster haven’t changed the design for this wheel, the metal paddle is attached to a plastic hinge.

There should be very little vertical movement in the paddle, if you can move it up and down it is very likely the plastic hinge has broken and needs to be replaced.

I took my original T300RS wheel to pieces and glued them back together...
 
You are entitled to your opinion. So please clarify "trash". People seem to forget Fanatec also had a bad history of QC and CS problems a few years ago. Just google "Fanatec issue or fail". Every manufacturer has had a case of fails, but calling it trash?

Before I bought my Fanatec in Feb 2018 I was going to buy the T-GT. I knew nothing about racing wheels for video games. I liked the idea of having a wheel made specifically for GT Sport. But then I "Googled" steering wheel set ups and discovered many other options. One thing I really did not like about the T-GT was the all plastic assembly and the tiny steering wheel. For the T-GT price point they really could have made the wheel a little more realistically bigger. For $50 more than the T-GT I bought the Fanatec CSL wheel and the all aluminum load cell brake Clubsport V3 pedal set, I am glad I did not not spend all that money on the T-GT. It just seems to me the T-GT should be priced in the $350-$450 range to be comparable to Fanatec.
P.S. I can also use my Fanatec on my X-Box and PC
 
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I picked up a TGT from an ebay auction, new in the box but not from a retailer, for under $450 shipped. I had posted about the wheel in a couple other threads. I love the wheel....but the pedals had problems I didn't notice until a couple weeks in, which is probably why it was on ebay in the first place.

I pulled the pedals apart, and think the problem is entirely related to the castings for the pedal arms, not the pots themselves. The arms and pots are mounted on a metal bracket that's secured by 6 screws. The pot has plastic gears pressed on the shaft. The arm has cast aluminum gears, and the surface finish on the cast aluminum arms is pretty rough. I work with castings all the time doing 2-cycle engine porting and other manufacturing, the shop I work for gets raw castings from foundry and we take it from there, so I'm familiar with the process.

Essentially, space between the two sets of gears is too great, and they do not mate well or tightly enough. The pot is aligned by a slot to keep the body from rotating, and a hole in the bracket for the pivot shaft to pass through. The shaft has 2 nuts on each side of the metal frame to hold it in place. The pedal arm is located by a pin that passes through the bracket and the arm, and it cannot be adjusted. The pot in mine couldn't be adjusted either, because the slot in the frame stops, and you can't move it closer to the arm gears. The space between the gears is what causes poor throttle response, and if it's loose enough, the gear can fall and you end up with no throttle or partial throttle issues like people have reported. How they expected to maintain the correct tolerance between a fairly crude aluminum gear and a plastic one with this assembly technique is beyond me.

Because I'm an idiot who fixes things myself instead of complaining to the people that make them, I cut a washer in half, loosened the pot, slid the half washer under the nut in a position that would force the gear on the pot closer to the gear on the arm, and retightend the pot. Now my pot sits at a very slight angle, but the teeth are making perfect contact, just touching and not bound together. I got lucky and had just the thickness shim I needed, and did both the throttle and the brake.

Unfortunately I spend too much time fixing all kinds of things, so I haven't had a chance to test it much, but the throttle reacts instantly now and the brake is perfect, I'm not expecting any more problems.

I'm pretty lenient in my expectations of products, and corporations. I really, really appreciate the effort Thrustmaster put into the TGT wheel itself, it's brilliant. I could stand cheapish pedals if they functioned well. The pedal experience is critical-they can lack the right feel, but they have to work right to control the car on the edge. These pedals are not made well. Maybe they spent so much money and time on the wheel they pedals became an afterthought. That's what my set looked like anyway.

These pedals, both in reputation and execution, are holding this wheel back! I hope it's been fixed with what they are currently selling, or they have something in the pipeline.
 
Does anybody cover their wheel and pedals when not in use?

I cover the pedals but not the wheel because it's protected by the elastic bands (described above) and because the wheel moves back and forth every time the PS4 is started that would throw off a cover.
 
I am having a different kind of problem with mine. Recently it started to get "stuck at the left" when calibrating.
i.e. I turn on the PS4, the wheel tries to calibrate, rotates fully to the left, but then instead of rotating fully to the right and then returning to the center it just gets "stuck" at the left and doesn't move anymore. At this time it starts the rotation to the right when I "help" it a bit, but not sure if this will always work and/or get worse.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Maybe I should return the wheel to Amazon...
 
I am having a different kind of problem with mine. Recently it started to get "stuck at the left" when calibrating.
i.e. I turn on the PS4, the wheel tries to calibrate, rotates fully to the left, but then instead of rotating fully to the right and then returning to the center it just gets "stuck" at the left and doesn't move anymore. At this time it starts the rotation to the right when I "help" it a bit, but not sure if this will always work and/or get worse.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Maybe I should return the wheel to Amazon...

That sounds like a bad sensor. You should be able to get the wheel replaced under warranty through Thrustmaster. Not sure if Amazon will replace it or just accept it as a return.
 
Unfortunately I'm having the same problem of not working the brake pedals and acceleration. They only come back to work when I turn the steering wheel from side to side, it seems that there is some non-contact, or I turn off and on the power. It is extremely frustrating to have such a problem with less than a month of use on a steering wheel that cost so dearly. TM support has no respect with its consumers, my luck is that Amazon will return the money. The doubt now is in choosing the next steering wheel.
 
sorry for my English..
Unfortunately, I also have problems with my steering wheel thrustmaster t-gt .. the gearshift pads do not respond to the commands .. rather they climb and increase the gear alone .. I have already replaced the first t-gt warranty for this, but also what I received as a replacement .. brand new .. has the same problem.
I updated the firmware, I checked the usb socket of the playstation and I verified that the drawback is present in all the driving games I have (trim Corsa, Project Cars and Gt Sport) ..
does any of you have any suggestions to remedy the problem?
Thanks in advance for the help.
 
Unfortunately I'm having the same problem of not working the brake pedals and acceleration. They only come back to work when I turn the steering wheel from side to side, it seems that there is some non-contact, or I turn off and on the power. It is extremely frustrating to have such a problem with less than a month of use on a steering wheel that cost so dearly. TM support has no respect with its consumers, my luck is that Amazon will return the money. The doubt now is in choosing the next steering wheel.
My T300rs has been working flawlessly for about 2 1/2 years with no issues. Never even updated the firmware. The pedal set had a defective plug out of the box but Thrustmaster sent me an new pedal set right away with no issues. Great customer support for me. If it broke today I would by another one.
 
TM always made good looking, nice feeling peripherals, but it was never known for quality. That's why the prices were low and they could grow from it.

Now that they grew, they still produce nice feeling, good looking peripherals, still not known for high quality.
Sadly, those, once budget, peripherals are now sold for premium price, yet quality is equally bad.

I used to have T150 that basically barely worked properly, left it when I moved out and never looked back.

I'd still buy TM, just not the wheels and joysticks, the prices they put on them now are a joke.
 
Good evening from Greece..
Did enyone ever issued a problem with the T-dfb functionality? I am playing solo GT Sport,for about 8 months with the wheel and recently something sounds broken in it.
I put it out to ensure that the noise is coming from that part of the wheel end i concuded that there was the problem! what should i do?
 
Good evening from Greece..
Did enyone ever issued a problem with the T-dfb functionality? I am playing solo GT Sport,for about 8 months with the wheel and recently something sounds broken in it.
I put it out to ensure that the noise is coming from that part of the wheel end i concuded that there was the problem! what should i do?
Make a video of the problem and contact with Thrustmaster.
 
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