Problem with Nascar Pro wheel -- help!

Well I got the Nascar Pro Wheel & am having a few problems. 1. When I flip the switch in the pedal unit to COMBINED, the Thrustmaster ProPanel software doesn't even recognize that the unit is plugged in and gives the message "unplugged..." Also, when in COMBINED, Win95 games don't see the wheel at all. hmmm? 2. When I flip the swtich in the pedal unit to SEPERATE, the Thrustmaster ProPanel software recognizes everything and calibrates fine. It sees BOTH pedals and all swtiches. But Win95 games see the buttons, steering wheel and gas pedal but NOT the brake. (I tested it with MS:Cart, NFS2/SE and MTM). 3. When in DOS and running the original Need For Speed, NFS recognized Brake worked, Gas worked, Steering was great. So ... I don't think the unit is busted, or NFS wouldn't have recognized it. But something else is going on. 4. The TOCA demo (the original version, never downloaded the "new" version) doesn't work at all -- the game constantly scrolls through the menus and doesn't see the wheel at all. No idea on this one. Anyone have any clues? Thanks, Doug

Have ya tried Thrustmaster's web site.

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>Well I got the Nascar Pro Wheel & am having a few problems. >1. When I flip the switch in the pedal unit to COMBINED, the >Thrustmaster ProPanel software doesn't even recognize that the unit is >plugged in and gives the message "unplugged..." >Also, when in COMBINED, Win95 games don't see the wheel at all. hmmm? >2. When I flip the swtich in the pedal unit to SEPERATE, the >Thrustmaster ProPanel software recognizes everything and calibrates >fine. It sees BOTH pedals and all swtiches. >But Win95 games see the buttons, steering wheel and gas pedal but NOT >the brake. (I tested it with MS:Cart, NFS2/SE and MTM). >3. When in DOS and running the original Need For Speed, NFS recognized >Brake worked, Gas worked, Steering was great. >So ... I don't think the unit is busted, or NFS wouldn't have recognized >it. But something else is going on. >4. The TOCA demo (the original version, never downloaded the "new" >version) doesn't work at all -- the game constantly scrolls through the >menus and doesn't see the wheel at all. No idea on this one. >Anyone have any clues? >Thanks, >Doug

> Have ya tried Thrustmaster's web site. I did look around -- is there something there that I missed?

% Well I got the Nascar Pro Wheel & am having a few problems. % 1. When I flip the switch in the pedal unit to COMBINED, the % Thrustmaster ProPanel software doesn't even recognize that the unit is % plugged in and gives the message "unplugged..." % Also, when in COMBINED, Win95 games don't see the wheel at all. hmmm? Double check the position of the switch. The switch is a three way switch. When the switch is in the middle, the ProPanel program will report the unit as unplugged. The middle position basically turns off the unit so you can plug a joystick into the plug usually plugged into the wheel base. This way you don't have to crawl around the back of your computer to use a joystick. <snip> -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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> % Well I got the Nascar Pro Wheel & am having a few problems. > % 1. When I flip the switch in the pedal unit to COMBINED, the > % Thrustmaster ProPanel software doesn't even recognize that the unit is > % plugged in and gives the message "unplugged..." > % Also, when in COMBINED, Win95 games don't see the wheel at all. hmmm? > Double check the position of the switch. The switch is a three way > switch. When the switch is in the middle, the ProPanel program will > report the unit as unplugged. The middle position basically turns off > the unit so you can plug a joystick into the plug usually plugged into > the wheel base. This way you don't have to crawl around the back of > your computer to use a joystick. > <snip>

Thanks Michael, Good tip, but this is not the problem.... I actually put the pedal unit suggested. Just retested it ... the unit definitely works in COMBINED mode in DOS with NFS-1 .. and beautifully I might add ... but in Win95, the unit is not recognized when in the same mode. I dunno if this is indicative of a hardware problem or a Win95 conflict. I have pretty much narrowed down the non-working brake pedal: To get SEPERATE mode ... and the Win95 games I tried (NFS2/SE, MTM and MS:Cart) probably don't support seperate joystick axises... And I loaned my GP2 cd to someone, so can't confirm w/that either. Oh well... Are there any Win95 games that support Seperate joystick axises ? Any suggestions? Thanks, Doug

>Well I got the Nascar Pro Wheel & am having a few problems. >1. When I flip the switch in the pedal unit to COMBINED, the >Thrustmaster ProPanel software doesn't even recognize that the unit is >plugged in and gives the message "unplugged..." Mine does this also. You need to click on the properties icon (next to the device selection icon) and uncheck the rudder box. It should see the controller after this. MS Cart doesn't support the separate mode. You must set the controller to combined. I'm not sure about the other games. -- Kevin (Remove the "x-" prefix from my address in order to reply via email)

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>Well I got the Nascar Pro Wheel & am having a few problems. >1. When I flip the switch in the pedal unit to COMBINED, the >Thrustmaster ProPanel software doesn't even recognize that the unit is >plugged in and gives the message "unplugged..." >Also, when in COMBINED, Win95 games don't see the wheel at all. hmmm? >2. When I flip the swtich in the pedal unit to SEPERATE, the >Thrustmaster ProPanel software recognizes everything and calibrates >fine. It sees BOTH pedals and all swtiches. >But Win95 games see the buttons, steering wheel and gas pedal but NOT >the brake. (I tested it with MS:Cart, NFS2/SE and MTM). >3. When in DOS and running the original Need For Speed, NFS recognized >Brake worked, Gas worked, Steering was great. >So ... I don't think the unit is busted, or NFS wouldn't have recognized >it. But something else is going on. >4. The TOCA demo (the original version, never downloaded the "new" >version) doesn't work at all -- the game constantly scrolls through the >menus and doesn't see the wheel at all. No idea on this one. >Anyone have any clues? >Thanks, >Doug

There should be a program on your installation disk called TMSCOPE or something like that. Run that (I think it's DOS based) and it will tell you if the wheel or Windows (or perhaps Propanel) is the problem. I have a similar problem. Propanel doesn't see the wheel at all in combined mode. Windows Game Controllers (the one that comes with DirectX 5) see the wheel, but spits out an error message that it isn't properly connected when I try to calibrate it. Everything seems to work fine in separate mode though. If I install the wheel as a Formula Pro with combined pedals, everything seems to work with Propanel and Windows, so give that a try. I don't know what the difference between the two wheels is, but judging by the looks of the pictures on the Thrustmaster site, I'm thinking maybe the box.

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>Well I got the Nascar Pro Wheel & am having a few problems. >1. When I flip the switch in the pedal unit to COMBINED, the >Thrustmaster ProPanel software doesn't even recognize that the unit is >plugged in and gives the message "unplugged..." >Also, when in COMBINED, Win95 games don't see the wheel at all. hmmm? >2. When I flip the swtich in the pedal unit to SEPERATE, the >Thrustmaster ProPanel software recognizes everything and calibrates >fine. It sees BOTH pedals and all swtiches. >But Win95 games see the buttons, steering wheel and gas pedal but NOT >the brake. (I tested it with MS:Cart, NFS2/SE and MTM). >3. When in DOS and running the original Need For Speed, NFS recognized >Brake worked, Gas worked, Steering was great. >So ... I don't think the unit is busted, or NFS wouldn't have recognized >it. But something else is going on. >4. The TOCA demo (the original version, never downloaded the "new" >version) doesn't work at all -- the game constantly scrolls through the >menus and doesn't see the wheel at all. No idea on this one. >Anyone have any clues?

After more research .... Go to propanel. Hilight your Nascar Pro (with combined pedals) Right click on it. From the pull down menu, select properties. Remove the check mark from the rudder box. After that, everything worked fine for me. Hope it helps.

I also had the same problem... once you uncheck the rudder box... everything went on without a problem. Scott B. Husted http://home.ptd.net/~sbhuted

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> >Well I got the Nascar Pro Wheel & am having a few problems. > >1. When I flip the switch in the pedal unit to COMBINED, the > >Thrustmaster ProPanel software doesn't even recognize that the unit is > >plugged in and gives the message "unplugged..." > Mine does this also. You need to click on the properties icon (next to the > device selection icon) and uncheck the rudder box. It should see the > controller after this. > >2. When I flip the swtich in the pedal unit to SEPERATE, the > >Thrustmaster ProPanel software recognizes everything and calibrates > >fine. It sees BOTH pedals and all swtiches. > >But Win95 games see the buttons, steering wheel and gas pedal but NOT > >the brake. (I tested it with MS:Cart, NFS2/SE and MTM). > MS Cart doesn't support the separate mode. You must set the controller to > combined. I'm not sure about the other games. > -- > Kevin > (Remove the "x-" prefix from my address in order to reply via email)

Hi Doug, I've never reported this b4, thinking it was just a quirk on my end (still prob is ;-)), but I can ONLY get W95/ProPanel to recognize [read: not give me a "not connected" error] if my pedals are set to SEPERATE, but I define it as TMNPW Combined. I calibrate, and it treats my brake as a rudder. Haven't tried to do anything DOS related lately, so I dunno if it will work for you ?:-\. I did have too numerous probs with CPR demo controls, maybe due to screwy way I have defined ??:-?. Any works great in N2 & SODA. Maybe it'll help... Happy Lappin' Wade Tschida

Thanks for the tip Kevin, per my previous post, I'll have to see if this is snafu-ing mine too. Happy Lappin' Wade Tschida

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> > % Well I got the Nascar Pro Wheel & am having a few problems. > > % 1. When I flip the switch in the pedal unit to COMBINED, the > > % Thrustmaster ProPanel software doesn't even recognize that the unit is > > % plugged in and gives the message "unplugged..." > > % Also, when in COMBINED, Win95 games don't see the wheel at all. hmmm? > > Double check the position of the switch. The switch is a three way > > switch. When the switch is in the middle, the ProPanel program will > > report the unit as unplugged. The middle position basically turns off > > the unit so you can plug a joystick into the plug usually plugged into > > the wheel base. This way you don't have to crawl around the back of > > your computer to use a joystick. > > <snip> > Thanks Michael, > Good tip, but this is not the problem.... I actually put the pedal unit > suggested. > Just retested it ... the unit definitely works in COMBINED mode in DOS > with NFS-1 .. and beautifully I might add ... but in Win95, the unit is > not recognized when in the same mode. I dunno if this is indicative of > a hardware problem or a Win95 conflict. > I have pretty much narrowed down the non-working brake pedal: To get > SEPERATE mode ... and the Win95 games I tried (NFS2/SE, MTM and MS:Cart) > probably don't support seperate joystick axises... And I loaned my GP2 > cd to someone, so can't confirm w/that either. Oh well... Are there > any Win95 games that support Seperate joystick axises ? > Any suggestions? > Thanks, > Doug

I had the same problem - where status showed as "unplugged". Fixed by going into Control Panel -> Thrustmaster ProPanel, then click on steering wheel icon, if [ ] Rudder is checked, uncheck it... Good luck, Mike PS. I just bought Test Drive 4 and find it to be pretty useless with my TM Nascar pro wheel under W95 - steering is way too sensitive. Does anyone know of a good driving game that, well, drives like a car ? Ideally, one that allows you to configure the steering sensitivity ...