The Thrustmaster T500RS Thread

  • Thread starter TomN
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Hi,
I have my T500RS for about 4 weeks. Las couple of days, I was on iRacing and all of a sudden the wheel just lost power. The blue light of the power adapter was turned off. I had to disconnect the power supply for 1 minute and then put it back on for the wheel to work. When I enter the game again, I play for a few minutes and the problem arises again, power supply just turns off again.
Is the power supply not working? Are my USB ports causing this? I've tried 2.0 and 3.1 USB ports.
The PC is new, i7 4790k, Z97-A MoBo, 16GB RAM, Seasonic SS-850KM3 PSU.
Any ideas??
 
Hi,
I have my T500RS for about 4 weeks. Las couple of days, I was on iRacing and all of a sudden the wheel just lost power. The blue light of the power adapter was turned off. I had to disconnect the power supply for 1 minute and then put it back on for the wheel to work. When I enter the game again, I play for a few minutes and the problem arises again, power supply just turns off again.
Is the power supply not working? Are my USB ports causing this? I've tried 2.0 and 3.1 USB ports.
The PC is new, i7 4790k, Z97-A MoBo, 16GB RAM, Seasonic SS-850KM3 PSU.
Any ideas??
Yes, probably your power supply is defective. I would suggest you find another with the same specs and try it to see how it behaves.
 
Hi All

Having issues with my T500RS. A few couple of months back it stopped working. What was strange was that the power pack was clearly working as it's light would always turn on. So I contacted TM Customer support and suggested that the lead that goes from the power pack to the wheel base could be damaged. I suggested this because the actual socket that went into the base looked a little damaged.

Anyway, TM got back to me and suggested I get a new power pack. They wanted around 90 euros for it. I thought sod that and got a new power pack myself (the same power pack used by TM directly from the producer/supplier). The pack arrived today!

I've connected it to the base and the wheel still refuses to startup!

I've emailed TM and am now awaiting a response.

Have any of you experienced similar?
Thanks
 
Send the link and I'll check it out.

However, even if the USB connection was bad. The wheel should still startup after being connected to the powerpack.

If the USB connection is bad, the wheel does nothing--no lights, no nothing. There is no link; check your USB connection.
 
I can't get my T500RS to work with AC or Pcars on an Alienware Alpha. I'm brand new to PC gaming so I hope this is something simple. I've downloaded and installed drivers from Thrustmaster to no avail. Wheel red light shines briefly and wheel does a partial spin and that's it. Still works fine with GT6 on PS3. War Thunder works great with mouse and keyboard so Steam seems to work OK.
 
I can't get my T500RS to work with AC or Pcars on an Alienware Alpha. I'm brand new to PC gaming so I hope this is something simple. I've downloaded and installed drivers from Thrustmaster to no avail. Wheel red light shines briefly and wheel does a partial spin and that's it. Still works fine with GT6 on PS3. War Thunder works great with mouse and keyboard so Steam seems to work OK.
First step is to plug the wheel into a USB 2.0 port on the back of your Alienware PC, rather than a USB 3.0 port (consult the manual for which is which).

The driver installation also HAS to happen in the correct order. Don't plug the wheel in until the driver installation tells you to do so, otherwise Windows might install wrong drivers (generic FFB controller) and they could conflict with the Thrustmaster ones.

If you plugged the wheel in and saw Windows try to install drivers, before having installed the thrustmaster ones, then you might well have to follow instructions around the internet on how to force remove those wrong drivers in order to get the right ones working. Are you familar enough with PCs to open "computer management" and check the device screen, figure out how the wheel is currently seen?
 
So I've been noticing some slop in the wheel, not sure why its starting to bug me now but maybe with playing more pCARS there is just more fidelity in terms of force level and detail, you can feel it more in force reversal as like a click. Its more like a bit of play in the shaft/hub area and it doesn't seem to be from the normal "tighten the 4 bolts" thing(I've done that for a while and checked it again yesterday and it didn't seem to be loose):



I mean this is pretty well used at this point(60k miles in-game in GT6 plus other games).

I don't know if there are something else to check/tighten. Or how much would TM charge to refurbish the unit(if they do at all). Doesn't seem like they sell the servo unit for T500RS neither. Worse comes to worse if it were to die I guess I'd buy a T300 servo and reuse everything else I have.
 
So I've been noticing some slop in the wheel, not sure why its starting to bug me now but maybe with playing more pCARS there is just more fidelity in terms of force level and detail, you can feel it more in force reversal as like a click. Its more like a bit of play in the shaft/hub area and it doesn't seem to be from the normal "tighten the 4 bolts" thing(I've done that for a while and checked it again yesterday and it didn't seem to be loose):



I mean this is pretty well used at this point(60k miles in-game in GT6 plus other games).

I don't know if there are something else to check/tighten. Or how much would TM charge to refurbish the unit(if they do at all). Doesn't seem like they sell the servo unit for T500RS neither. Worse comes to worse if it were to die I guess I'd buy a T300 servo and reuse everything else I have.

The other option is that you need to tighten the belts. Apparently doing so can solve slop in the wheel, which sounds strange but seems to actually be true.

There is an awesome write-up on how to do that on the AC forums: http://www.assettocorsa.net/forum/i...n-adjustment-guide-and-fan-replacement.25131/
 
Posted by: Atle Dreier

Ok, so my wheel is getting old and it started to rattle slightly, and I could feel some play in the mechanism. I read somewhere that this wheel has belt tension adjustments, but google failed to give me a guide. So I set off into uncharted territory, and I photographed as I went along.

Before I started. Wheel in my simpit, a little tired and unhappy.
_MG_2932.jpg


Took it off the rig and into better light. Make sure you have ample space to move around and place parts and screws. Always put screws near the part they came off so you remember where everything goes when you are putting it back.

Flip the wheel over, and remove the seven screws in the underside. 5 black screws and two bare steel screws need to come off. Be careful when removing the back plate so you don't rip any cables (USB and pedals notably, the power cable is screwed to the chassis.
_MG_2933.jpg


_MG_2934.jpg


There are five steel screws in the plate that needs to come off to remove the top cover . Two underneath the large circuit board (no need to remove the board, they are easily accessible) and three on the opposite side.

Note this grounding cable and remember to put it back when reassembling. Remove this and the opposite screw.
_MG_2935.jpg


Now remove the two little screws behind the paddles.
_MG_2936.jpg


Flip the wheel over and remove the cover on top. It should come off with a little bit of force. Remove the screw that becomes visible. BEWARE! There is a tiny nut that this screw goes into, and it WILL come loose when you remove this screw. You'll see what I mean when you look in there, just make sure you don't lose this nut.
_MG_2939.jpg


You can now remove the top cover and have access to the fan. If you are going to replace it it's straight forward, unplug, unscrew, replace, and put everything back together.
However, I noticed my fan was fastened with only three screws, and the fan is mounted plastic on plastic. It doesn't take a genious to imagine that this will cause unnesessary noise, so I decided to try a little trick. Just put some material between the fancase and the top cover to damp out any vibration from the fan. Worth a try, right?

_MG_2944.jpg


_MG_2949.jpg


_MG_2951.jpg


_MG_2952.jpg


_MG_2954.jpg


Reassemble the fan to the top cover at this point.

Now for the belt tension:

You need to remove the rim of the wheel. Six hex screws around the GT logo in the center of the wheel.
_MG_2955.jpg


Remove the rim, be careful when disconnecting the plugs for the buttons. I used a snall flathead screwdriver to avoid pulling the cables.
_MG_2956.jpg


Next it's the paddles that need to come off. Six steel screws for the cover first. This cover is clipped on in addition to the screws,and require a firm hand to come off.
_MG_2958.jpg


Four steel screws hold the paddles in place. Unscrew and remove the paddles. Note the plugs, be careful when unplugging!
_MG_2959.jpg


The front plate should now come off.
_MG_2960.jpg


And finally we're at the core of the wheel! The two screws that can slide are the tensioners. The bottom one for the belt on the motor to the reduction gear, the top one for the second belt that goes from the reduction gear to the wheel hub. Note which detent they are on and don't overtighten. I moved the tensioners two clicks since my wheel is fairly old. make sure the screws are noce and tight, but remember it's only plastic, so don't shred the threads!

You are now done, and "all" you have to do is reassemble everything. A few notes on that process:

While you have the rim off the hub, make sure you go over the three screws that hold the cable cover on the back of the wheel.
_MG_2963.jpg


When putting the front cover back on make sure you note the plugs for the paddles, they can easily slide away and become inaccessible for reconnecting.
_MG_2962.jpg


When you replace the wheel to the hub, not the different length of the screws. Only three long screws actually fasten the rim to the hub, the other three are merely holding the logo cover on and making the wheel look cooler.
_MG_2964.jpg


Also make sure you remember to reconnect the fan!
_MG_2965.jpg


Getting the covers back on and aligned can be a bit of a pain. It's easier with another set of hands and eyes to help align everything. It should click into place and look nice and snug when everything is aligned. Use a little bit of force on the bottom cover in particular, it should snap into place with a satisfying click.
When replacing the top cover make sure you don't pinch any wires around the plugs, the all need to go in their apropriate place and alignment for the cover to snap into place. It's helpful with some pictures to help remember how everything was before you fiddled with it.

That's it! Enjoy the as-new feel and hopefully less noisy T500RS wheel! :)
 
fatkrakr.

Good write up. Well done.
MyT500 is still in good shape but ill be back here in the future in sure to review.

:)
 
So I've been noticing some slop in the wheel, not sure why its starting to bug me now but maybe with playing more pCARS there is just more fidelity in terms of force level and detail, you can feel it more in force reversal as like a click. Its more like a bit of play in the shaft/hub area and it doesn't seem to be from the normal "tighten the 4 bolts" thing(I've done that for a while and checked it again yesterday and it didn't seem to be loose):



I mean this is pretty well used at this point(60k miles in-game in GT6 plus other games).

I don't know if there are something else to check/tighten. Or how much would TM charge to refurbish the unit(if they do at all). Doesn't seem like they sell the servo unit for T500RS neither. Worse comes to worse if it were to die I guess I'd buy a T300 servo and reuse everything else I have.


Check out the picture in this post:

Link: http://www.isrtv.com/forums/topic/2...lsteering-shaft/?do=findComment&comment=59170

Those bolts tend to need tightening from time to time.

This video should cover what is needed for a true, permanent fix so they won't come loose:

 
It's worth pointing out that Thrustmaster themselves starting selling new T500s with longer screws in the shaft from about mid 2013. If you have a GT6 branded T500 it should definitely have longer screws than the early versions being discussed in John's linked thread.
 
I'm seriously considering purchasing a bundle with the T3PA Pro Pedals, TH8A Shifter and the T500RS. Couple of things are holding me back and I'm curious to hear anyone's feedback, especially those that have or came from a G27.
Was adapting to the static shift paddles difficult and does it present any downside?
It's my impression that while the G27 is pretty free wheeling, the T500 comes with a small amount of resistance to rotation, in the absence of FFB. Is this true and if so, does it affect how you feel the really fine forces? What are the known issues with any of these three components?
 
I'm seriously considering purchasing a bundle with the T3PA Pro Pedals, TH8A Shifter and the T500RS. Couple of things are holding me back and I'm curious to hear anyone's feedback, especially those that have or came from a G27.
Was adapting to the static shift paddles difficult and does it present any downside?
It's my impression that while the G27 is pretty free wheeling, the T500 comes with a small amount of resistance to rotation, in the absence of FFB. Is this true and if so, does it affect how you feel the really fine forces? What are the known issues with any of these three components?
Why would you get the T3PA pedals when buying a T500? They got the same pedals.
And adapting to static paddles is easy, also I actually feel more with the T500 than I did with the G27.
 
Why would you get the T3PA pedals when buying a T500? They got the same pedals.
And adapting to static paddles is easy, also I actually feel more with the T500 than I did with the G27.
Maybe I misworded, sorry. The pedals + shifter + wheel is the entire package.
 
I love the static position paddle shifters. Many supercars have them IRL. You always know where they are, even if you change hand position in a curve. Never had the others though, so can't compare.
 
Guys,

I'm having an issue with my T500, I have put the F1 rim on it and it seems that on either PS3 and PS4 it feels the need to randomly change views, cycle HUD, look left or right, and in some instances pressed the PS button, is this common?
 
Guys,

I'm having an issue with my T500, I have put the F1 rim on it and it seems that on either PS3 and PS4 it feels the need to randomly change views, cycle HUD, look left or right, and in some instances pressed the PS button, is this common?
Two options: (1) bad F1 rim (2) very old firmware on the T500 which doesn't fully support that rim and should be updated (for which you require a PC).

I hope it's the latter.
 
Two options: (1) bad F1 rim (2) very old firmware on the T500 which doesn't fully support that rim and should be updated (for which you require a PC).

I hope it's the latter.

The firmware is up to date, I've connected the wheel to the PC to check all is functioning and it appears to be reading everything properly
 
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