Pedal problem - Please help!....... The sequel

Hi, Firstly, many thanks to everyone who helped me out on my pedal problem that I posted earlier in the week. Anyhow, today I finally managed to get some electronics cleaner (compressed air) but I'm not sure how I go about cleaning the insides of my TM NASCAR Pro / Formula 1 setup. Does the bottom come completely off? I had a go earlier and couldn't see any way for it to come off. If so, is there a really specific way for getting to the pedals? I've actually had a couple of trouble free days but today my problem has come back. The brake pedal has developed a life of its own and obviously needs some cleaning. Very grateful for any help, Graeme Nash http://www.karisma1.demon.co.uk ICQ# 11257824 1998 Xoom GP2 League Champion

Graeme Nash Sorry, but compressed air won't do it! You need "electronic contact cleaner". Once you get the your Thrustmaster apart (sorry but I can't help there - don't own one), you need to spray the contact cleaner directly inside the potentiometers for the brake, gas, etc. and then immediately press the gas, brake, etc. to their extents several times. This will clean the wiper inside the pots and should remove any dirt or oxidation build up. Doug

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>Hi, >Firstly, many thanks to everyone who helped me out on my pedal problem >that I posted earlier in the week. >Anyhow, today I finally managed to get some electronics cleaner >(compressed air) but I'm not sure how I go about cleaning the insides of >my TM NASCAR Pro / Formula 1 setup. >Does the bottom come completely off? I had a go earlier and couldn't see >any way for it to come off. If so, is there a really specific way for >getting to the pedals? >I've actually had a couple of trouble free days but today my problem has >come back. The brake pedal has developed a life of its own and obviously >needs some cleaning. >Very grateful for any help, >Graeme Nash >http://www.karisma1.demon.co.uk >ICQ# 11257824 >1998 Xoom GP2 League Champion

First unscrew the pedal pads off (two screws each, and be careful not to strip the heads), than undo the 7 phillips-head screws underside the pedal base. When putting it back make sure the separate-combined switch is seated correctly, and that the wire harness coming out the back is not squashed between the edges. Nafi Coker

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>Hi, >Does the bottom come completely off? I had a go earlier and couldn't see >any way for it to come off. If so, is there a really specific way for >getting to the pedals? >Very grateful for any help, >Graeme Nash

Yes the bottom of the pedal base does come off (6 or so screws) - you should have sufficient access without remove the pedals themselves (2 screws per pedal) - as I have been able to change the springs without removing the pedals. Whether compressed air is sufficient is open for debate - it may shift the dirt, but electrical spray may be needed. I have successfully used WD40 for other devices in the past, but I think this may cause dirt to cling due to its lubricant properties - no doubt someone on this group will know the facts. Cheers Tony

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>Hi, >Firstly, many thanks to everyone who helped me out on my pedal problem >that I posted earlier in the week. >Anyhow, today I finally managed to get some electronics cleaner >(compressed air) but I'm not sure how I go about cleaning the insides of >my TM NASCAR Pro / Formula 1 setup. >Does the bottom come completely off? I had a go earlier and couldn't see >any way for it to come off. If so, is there a really specific way for >getting to the pedals? >I've actually had a couple of trouble free days but today my problem has >come back. The brake pedal has developed a life of its own and obviously >needs some cleaning. >Very grateful for any help, >Graeme Nash >http://www.karisma1.demon.co.uk >ICQ# 11257824 >1998 Xoom GP2 League Champion

Hi Graeme, Don't use WD40 - it conducts electricity ever so slightly and is really a lubricant and not a cleaner. Compressed air won't removed those tricky ground in stains (Arial Automatic is no good either <g> ) and I suggest a hydrocarbon based or equivalent contact cleaner. I use Radio Shack's Electronic Contact Cleaner (Cat No. 64-7026A) available at Tandy - Maplin's do the same kind of stuff - I can't remember where in the UK you live but you must have one or other near you. Your computer should be turned off. Now you've got the bottom off (see previous replies) look for the pots (potentiometers) - the three quarter inch brass circular things with a metal rod coming out of the middle. The rod is turned as you depress the pedals. The contact cleaner should come with a thin plastic tube that you attach to the nozzle of the spray cannister. Stick the tube into the potentiometer and shoot 2 or three squirts inside each pot. Depress the each pedal several times and then wait 5 minutes. Repeat. Don't reassembe the pedal unit just yet, but ensure that the connections to the Thrustmaster are all in place. Now switch on the computer and check in the control panel calibration or better still with the TMS utility that everything is working properly. You may want to put a few more squirt in before closing up if you still have problems. It may be that your pots have become pushed off the end by constant racing, as someone suggested in answer to your last post. The pots should allow you to rotate the base setting further back to prevent this. I can't remember how the TM F1's pots are anchored - so this maybe harder than it should be. The metal rod is usually tightened against the turning mechanism by a very small screw. Loosen this adjust the base position ever so slightly and then tighten again. Now recalibrate and test. I'll open up my TM F1 later and confirm the attachment details. Bear in mind that different production runs may use different parts. Some pots have cubic bases and some have plastic rods. There is a user maintained TM maintenance web guide somewhere - I'll find this out for you as well. Btw if you bought it in PC World or certain other stores, they have I one year one for one return policy so you may be able to swap out for a brand new one for no money at all. If they don't have another F1 you may find that you can upgrade to a FF TM sprint for an extra 25.00. But also bear in mind that TM have "Friday afternoon" units and if yours works well except for the pots, I suggest*** onto it and simply cleaning the pots. I've been running a TM GP1 as a third wheel on my LAN racing system for quite a while now and due to the hand operated Y-axes the pots get dirty regularly. Contact cleaner fixes this very simply and effectively.

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> Hi, > Firstly, many thanks to everyone who helped me out on my pedal problem > that I posted earlier in the week. > Anyhow, today I finally managed to get some electronics cleaner > (compressed air) but I'm not sure how I go about cleaning the insides of > my TM NASCAR Pro / Formula 1 setup. > Does the bottom come completely off? I had a go earlier and couldn't see > any way for it to come off. If so, is there a really specific way for > getting to the pedals? > I've actually had a couple of trouble free days but today my problem has > come back. The brake pedal has developed a life of its own and obviously > needs some cleaning. > Very grateful for any help, > Graeme Nash > [link lost in import] > ICQ# 11257824 > 1998 Xoom GP2 League Champion

Many many many thanks for all your help Paul but I think it must actually be the pot dying itself as nothing worked. I'll try again with some proper contact cleaner but I thought compressed air might just do it. Although since I can't even get into Thrustmaster's customer support database, I think a new wheel is on the cards :-) Cheers! Graeme Nash http://www.karisma1.demon.co.uk ICQ# 11257824 1998 Xoom GP2 League Champion

Hi Graeme, So now I've reminded myself of the TM F1 and see that it'll be very hard to adjust base position of the pots given that they are secured via a slice taken off the rod which slots into the white cog and not by a tiny***as I thought. If a clean doesn't work and the plastic on the cog isn't deformed then replacing the pots would seem to be the best solution. Ring up Thrusty's UK service help line which you can get from [link lost in import] site. They will probably send you replacement pots and even cogs, but will certainly tell you the part number. Actually the exact part number only really matters because of the bend metal overlaps and sliced off rod and you can really use any old 50K or 100K pot that you can get to fit. Conductive plastic pots are better than the ones Thrusty use, but given the lack of precision in the F1, I doubt that you'll notice the difference. You may be able to frig the pot position by loosening the attaching nuts and the bent metal pins and then tightening up the nut again, but I make no guarantees. The Thrustmaster user help page is in fact for the T2 - doh! - but you may find something useful there if you can connect to it which I couldn't just now but could about a week ago - http://huizen.dds.nl/~jjcox/home.htm [address restored] - and it's back up again now! Good luck and let us know how it all goes, Cheers, Paul

> Anyhow, today I finally managed to get some electronics cleaner > (compressed air) but I'm not sure how I go about cleaning the insides of Graeme, they don't mean compresses air, they mean electric contact cleaner, such as WD40? This will clean up and improve the electric contacts in the pots (for a while anyway?) 8-) Peter G #:-)