Arctic Thunder steering help needed... HELP!

GuidoTorpedo

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So I got this Arctic thunder in. Worked when I picked it up, worked when I tested it at the shop prior to delivering it. Get it to the location, and it lasted a day before the steering started having issues. Initially, the force feedback was blowing the 2 fuses on the steering board. Brought out another steering board, and same thing. Changed the feedback motor, and the fuses don't blow, but the steering will not calibrate in the test mode. Because the steering will not calibrate, the game will not go into game over mode.

When I go through the calibration steps, the wheel will go hard right when prompted. It stays locked hard right, and fails the calibration mode. It does not center or left. The only way to stop the force from going to the right at this point is to either turn the game off or go into steering test, and prompt a controller left. It will stop, and actually go 'faintly' left as forced by the motor, but nowhere near as hard as the turn to the right. A center controls test also jerks the steering wheel right hard.

So... does anyone here know what the hell I'm dealing with? I've changed the motor steering board and the feedback motor with little change, and it still does not work. The only things I can think of at this point are: 1. THe HD took a poo, 2. Bad data cable between motor steering board and magic bus board, or 3. Bad steering pot. The weird thing here is when you go to controls test, the only values I'm getting for the throttle (which is also a pot) are 0 and 1, and the only values I'm getting for the steering are 0 (left), 1 (center), and 2 (right). After tearing apart the steering wheel a couple of times, I did notice a skinned wire coming from the throttle pot that may have come in contact with the steering case, which is field grounded.

That's all I can think of. Can anyone help? I'd hate to ahve to move this beast again.

-Mike
 
To that end, is there any way to 'fake out' the calibration mode, say if I disconnect the feedback motor?
 
evening bump. any help would be greatly appreciated. it seems there was a bulletin on this posted in star tech journal back in 2005, but i cant access it on the net. anyone happen to have that info?

-mike
 
Well, one other thing you can check. I've been doing a bunch of research on force feedback with my California Speeds and have found out that the transformer that power the wheel board and subsequently, the feedback motor (at least in CS and a few others that are similar..which I think Arctic Thunder was one of them), is a 36VCT (volt center tapped) transformer.

You may want to test the transformer to make sure you're getting correct voltage. If it's similar to the CSpeed transformer, the leads are light blue and you should get 36vac when testing across the outer terminals/leads and if you test across each one of the outer leads with the center lead (one at a time), you should get 18vac each time. From what I understand, this is used to allow the system to separate voltage and send a +dc or -dc current whenever it's called for. (from what i've read, it'll turn the wheel one way with positive voltage, and use negative voltage to spin it the other way)

I'm no guru by any means so if someone knows more about this, please chime in, but I have verified voltages on my transformer and it is correct to the above information.

-tom

Also, when you're running the feedback test, disconnect the feedback motor and check voltage during the test coming from the board to make sure it's proper (again, if it's like CS, it'll be around 22vdc and then jump to -22vdc when it reverses direction)
 
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Thanks for the reply...

I actually went to another location today for service that had a different Arctic that happens to now have a computer problem. There were 2 of them there, so I went into controls test to see the parameters of the pots on the working one, and they are way different than the one that is giving me the control problem. I think what happend was the wiring on the one with the bad controls was skinned at one point, and it rubbed on the metal case of the steering, which shorted the 5k to ground, and probably boogered both of the pots.

I'm taking the one with the bad computer to the location with the one with the bad controls, and I'm just going to swap parts off of it until I get the one with the bad controller working.

I'm never buying another Arctic thunder again. F-ck this game.

-Mike
 
did u ever fix it? mine is doing similar problem. when i try to calibrate, it says it failed, then wont go into boot up mode cuz it says it needs be calibrated. it did work.
the gas throttle wasnt going as fast as it should, so i went to test the controls and calibrate and now it wont calibrate...
 
I did fix it, but I cannabilized another Arctic at the shop to do it. Go to Happ. Shotgun it.. replace the pots for the steering and the throttle, and replace the throttle cable harness, especially if it has any exposed wires. There is an updated wiring assembly for this. Also check and see if there are any exposed ground wires in the steering assembly, and reinsulate them. If you're planning to do this at a location, be warned, it is a pain in the dick to do all of this stuff on location.

I hate Arctic Thunder.

-Mike
 
I'm working On an Artic thunder as we speak. I had a problem with the calibration as well but my case was the bolt that holds down the steering assymbly wasn't tighting down enough causing the shaft to slip . After I fixed all of this now the throttle won't work in game mode? It works fIne in test but won't respond in the game . I'm lost. If anyone has a idea I would appreciate it . Thanks
 
Try re-calibrating the controls in test mode. There should be a throttle calibration.
 
Ive tried that. When I try to calibrate it doesn't recognize it but when I go into control status and push the throttle it shows it working. Very confused. Kind of at a loss
 
Figured it out!!!! It was a broken ground wire , go figure? Didn't see it because it was in the middle of the harness . I cut it open to expose the wires to trace them and that's when I found it. Everything works great! Thanks guys
 
Sorry guys I just seen this post. I had all of these problems with 2 games I sold back in the start of the year. What a pain in the fucking ass, I will never sell these games again.

Glad you guys got all your problems worked out.
 
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