The red steering dot.

  • Thread starter Hallitrd
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Hallitrd

Hallitrd

435
Iceland
Iceland
Hello everybody.

I'm thinking if someone could explain to me the function of the red steering dot.
Here are some pictures, and I will try to explain to my best. I use Fanatec csl elite, set to sensitivity of 450 deg.

#1
Here the wheel is at central position, as seen on the red dot.
P4030012.jpg

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#2
At this picture, the wheel had been turned until red dot softly touches the right side of the steering-bar. The wheel seems to be in 80-85 deg rotation, and the car is turning very well.
P4030013.jpg

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#3
As can been seen here, I've turned the wheel more. The red dot does not move any more and the wheel is fully locked
at 220 deg rotation.

Although I've turned the wheel from 85 deg rotation, with the red dot softly touching the right side of the steering-bar, to the full wheel lock (220 deg), I noticed that the car did turned a little more from the 80 deg > 220 deg rotation, with the red dot still locked in place at the right side of the wheel-bar.
P4030014.jpg


I also tested it on my DS4, and it's the same thing. I let the red dot softly touch the right side of the steering-bar, but I can still move the stick a little bit more to the right, without the red dot moving, but still I'm able to turn the car a little more with the thumbstick, without the red dot moving.

My simple mind thought that if the red dot is shown at the right or left side of the steering bar, I meant that the wheel is at maximum turning.
I know my equipment is working fine, and this post is just made for trying to understand the red dot function.

Hopefully this post is understandable :)
 
Maybe the red dot is for G-Force and only moves when a certain amount of G-Force is being simulated in the car? To show the driver what side of the car is taking the weight transfer through a high speed bend? not really sure tbh.. but it sort of makes sense for me that way :P:tup:

I haven't really noticed this red dot before your post highlighting it! but will pay more attention to it from now on just to be sure myself :cheers:
 
Last edited:
From the online manual:

Steering Angle/Gear Change Indicator
The red dot moves left and right to indicate how much you're steering in that direction. The shift indicator is shown below. This will light up when the engine revolution nears the red zone, letting you know when it's time to shift gears.

As far as function, I could only think of a couple things:
-Make sure wheel is calibrated to center
-Helpful when watching streams/replays
 
I think the red dot represents the grip limit. Go beyond this and you get the steering wheel vibration. But the wheels continue to turn more.

The red dot I think changes depending on your speed so you reach the edge / grip limit at high speed with less steering angle than at low speed.
 
Last edited:
It’s an indicator for your steering lock! If the red dot is in the middle then your wheel is calibrated on point. You’re using fanatec wheel which recently got support for the game, maybe is not full optimized for that”feature”!
 
John G
I think the red dot represents the grip limit. Go beyond this and you get the steering wheel vibration. But the wheels continue to turn more.

The red dot I think changes depending on your speed so you reach the edge / grip limit at high speed with less steering angle than low speed.
Click to expand...

I was goofing around in Campaign mode and realized this exact same thing. I was going to come here and post my "findings." Ha!

The dot does seem to move toward center if you are trail braking into a corner, without moving the steering wheel, which seems to confirm that is dependent on both the steering angle and the speed.
 
DriftMethod
From the online manual:

Steering Angle/Gear Change Indicator
The red dot moves left and right to indicate how much you're steering in that direction. The shift indicator is shown below. This will light up when the engine revolution nears the red zone, letting you know when it's time to shift gears.

As far as function, I could only think of a couple things:
-Make sure wheel is calibrated to center
-Helpful when watching streams/replays
Click to expand...

I also use it judge how tight the elastic bands on my left stick are while the ol' N100 SF-R is grinding against Gr1 cars at BMB! You want 'em tight enough to keep it against the wall, but not so much that your lap times are so slow.
 
This is normal. At racing speed, no additional steering is gained by turning your wheel past the red dot. That said, I'm not sure if that is entirely true when coasting through a slow turn.
 
I use the mysterious red dot to ensure my wheel isn't 360 off of centre at the start of a race. Yeah.. . I need all the help I can get.
 
DAMMIT!!!!! All I do is watch that stupid red dot now!!!!! The last 2 dailys I have had a combined total of 45 penalty minutes and I went from SR/S to SR/D, thank you!!!!!!:irked::irked::irked::irked::irked::irked::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::cheers:
 
The only purpose that red dot has, is to show you in replays when the guy that ran you off the track was doing it deliberately or not.

If there is anyone who is needing to be looking at that red dot when they could be looking at the road and the radar and the mirror and the time gaps?
 
The dot displays the TRUE steering angle of the actual car. Exactly the same as the steering wheel does in Cockpit View.
Unlike the steering wheel, it is, however, limited to the range -90...+90 degrees.

With unmodified lock settings the simulated car wheel (and the dot) will match your real-world wheel.
If you modify the lock settings, this will no longer be the case.
If you go from 900 down to 450 you have to turn only 45 to make the car's wheel turn 90.
 
JacksHerer
The only purpose that red dot has, is to show you in replays when the guy that ran you off the track was doing it deliberately or not.

If there is anyone who is needing to be looking at that red dot when they could be looking at the road and the radar and the mirror and the time gaps?
Click to expand...
Well the point is that we want to know where full lock is. At low speeds, full lock is past the point where the red dot stops moving. The dot is very useful when you get a new wheel or use motion control and want to know how far you need to turn.
 
Hallitrd
Hello everybody.

I'm thinking if someone could explain to me the function of the red steering dot.
Here are some pictures, and I will try to explain to my best. I use Fanatec csl elite, set to sensitivity of 450 deg.

#1
Here the wheel is at central position, as seen on the red dot.
P4030012.jpg

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#2
At this picture, the wheel had been turned until red dot softly touches the right side of the steering-bar. The wheel seems to be in 80-85 deg rotation, and the car is turning very well.
P4030013.jpg

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#3
As can been seen here, I've turned the wheel more. The red dot does not move any more and the wheel is fully locked
at 220 deg rotation.

Although I've turned the wheel from 85 deg rotation, with the red dot softly touching the right side of the steering-bar, to the full wheel lock (220 deg), I noticed that the car did turned a little more from the 80 deg > 220 deg rotation, with the red dot still locked in place at the right side of the wheel-bar.
P4030014.jpg


I also tested it on my DS4, and it's the same thing. I let the red dot softly touch the right side of the steering-bar, but I can still move the stick a little bit more to the right, without the red dot moving, but still I'm able to turn the car a little more with the thumbstick, without the red dot moving.

My simple mind thought that if the red dot is shown at the right or left side of the steering bar, I meant that the wheel is at maximum turning.
I know my equipment is working fine, and this post is just made for trying to understand the red dot function.

Hopefully this post is understandable :)
Click to expand...
Hallitrd
Hello everybody.

I'm thinking if someone could explain to me the function of the red steering dot.
Here are some pictures, and I will try to explain to my best. I use Fanatec csl elite, set to sensitivity of 450 deg.

#1
Here the wheel is at central position, as seen on the red dot.
P4030012.jpg

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#2
At this picture, the wheel had been turned until red dot softly touches the right side of the steering-bar. The wheel seems to be in 80-85 deg rotation, and the car is turning very well.
P4030013.jpg

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#3
As can been seen here, I've turned the wheel more. The red dot does not move any more and the wheel is fully locked
at 220 deg rotation.

Although I've turned the wheel from 85 deg rotation, with the red dot softly touching the right side of the steering-bar, to the full wheel lock (220 deg), I noticed that the car did turned a little more from the 80 deg > 220 deg rotation, with the red dot still locked in place at the right side of the wheel-bar.
P4030014.jpg


I also tested it on my DS4, and it's the same thing. I let the red dot softly touch the right side of the steering-bar, but I can still move the stick a little bit more to the right, without the red dot moving, but still I'm able to turn the car a little more with the thumbstick, without the red dot moving.

My simple mind thought that if the red dot is shown at the right or left side of the steering bar, I meant that the wheel is at maximum turning.
I know my equipment is working fine, and this post is just made for trying to understand the red dot function.

Hopefully this post is understandable :)
Click to expand...

On Ds4 the red dot doesn't move exactly in sync with the cars movements which means the front wheels look lazy when transitioning from hard left to hard right and vice versa. If you try driving slowly in first gear and go from lock to lock the car car will move as instructed although the front wheels will look delayed in the replays. It's also really noticeable coming out of a tight corner where the cars movement goes quickly between tight turn and straight. You'll see on the replays that there is a lag with the front wheels in that they don't reset to centre quick enough. Really bugs me and few people seem to have noticed it so unlikely to get fixed, sadly.
 
Ok, short and simple : the red dot thing indicator doesn't show full range of steering. If you give your wheel 90° or 360° of angle, the dot will be at the same place, but your steering angle will definitely be more. Just try this with a road car on a flat area from a slow standing start.

It makes sense for the steering indicator to be like this because in racing conditions you very rearely exceed that 90° angle of steering input. It only happens in tight haripins / very slow corners.
 

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