Hardware & Technical When the Hotas give up ... it should be a Thrustmaster

Neokortex

Neokortex
I am using the Thrustmaster Warthog with Throttle, to play ED since more than 3 years. After 800hrs usage I got the defect that the joystick fire buttons didn’t worked any more. ...

Thats the moment you never like to have on such expensive toys - and after guarantee is expired >.<

...ok, I thought it have bolts - so lets open it! Maybe I can repair it? I dissembled it and checked the wires. But any try to repair it failed.
I thought that’s it. The 500 Bucks I paid for the Hotas are gone and sure, I will not rebuy such stick (to get it defect again after a while).

I checked the current price in the shop dealer, and I searched ebay & Co. No alternative to buy it again or just parts.

After a few days without ED I thought maybe - just a little maybe... I can get a new Circuit Board that is placed in the stick. I thought it might had an short-circuit fault and the reason why my joystick is defect. I saw that the European location from thrustmaster is placed in france and I went to the webpage to send them a request.

Just at the very next day... I got an answer from them - wow! They asked me to make a picture from the connector inside (the stick them self can be unfasten and have a plug inside). I thought, ok thats easy and made a picture + some more from the PCB inside, which I thought I need to renewal.

Just a few minutes later, they send me a PDF with a long (and good) description to change the plug inside from the wires. I thought, oh... Maybe there is something wrong with that one and checked it. YES, there was a single wire detached in the lower part of the joystick, that I just connected again with a soldering iron.

DANG - it worked all again!

ofc, I am happy to be able to continue playing ED but I am also very impressed of the support from thrustmaster!

We all know, that the stick cost more than most others. But hey, its not just that the stick himself have a very solid/good quality. Its also that within the 40 years I play with computer (games), I never ever had such good and fast support!!!

It need to be mentioned and if you think about to buy a flight-stick. You know what I would suggest you... ;)
 
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BlackSpaceCowboy

BlackSpaceCowboy
Did you have a soldering iron lying around? Glad to hear your stick was saved. It feels good when you fix something yourself. I still remember years ago fixing my broken TV by replacing a few capacitors.

YouTube always has someone posting a video on how to fix whatever you have that's broken.
 

Deep Thought 42

D
Sweet glad ya fixed it ! Thrustmaster are quite good with out of waranty support fo there products

I am on my second Warthog as after nacking my right wrist i could not tell how much presure i was putting on the buttons & For want of better words I CRUSHED both Trigger buttons LOL it had served me well for 4-5years
 

Crimson Kaim

Crimson Kaim
Meanwhile at Saitek/Logitech: Still waiting for my customer support reply from 2016. And even bought a second unit of this X52 pro ... and guess what, I had it to get replaced after the first two weeks (fire trigger didn't work weheeeey). Next time it will definately be a thrusmaster.
 

Neokortex

Neokortex
Yes I have have a soldering iron lying around. Some years ago I had the hobby to make my own robots but just as hobby. I never learned much about electronic (and I noticed, any mistake is very expensive :D )

Thrustmasters support with out of warranty is just impressive. They didn’t even asked me about where and when I bought it, nor if I have registered it or what SN I have. Just "what plug do you use" (might be different one they sold) and swap, here is the manual that will help you. Plus the fact, that I was on the wrong path to find the defect. Sure, they know it much better what could be defect when things happened like to me.

Logitech I never bought again after many years of suffering being a customer from them. Like all customers, I hate the Obsolescence many products have nowadays. I prefer to pay (a bit) more but get good quality. If it ever break (and it can happen) then I demand good support like it was.
 

Drazkul

Drazkul
Glad your Hotas is working again.

Good to know about thrustmaster being good with customer service as I've just this evening bought myself the T16000 Hotas
 

Morbad

Morbad
Took a solid 4000-5000 hours of use before the first issue that wasn't present with the brand new part cropped up in my first piece of CH Products gear, which was fixed by cleaning it and tightening a loose crimp on a wire. Not as confident with their support, but mostly because I've never had a good reason to contact them.

I do have a T16000M FCS as a backup set of controls and if something ever goes wrong with it, I'm pleased to have reason to think the support will be solid.
 

Sir.Tj

The Moderator who shall not be Blamed....
Volunteer Moderator
Sir.Tj
Popped into Hardware section. :)

Glad you got it fixed.
 

TorTorden_VR

T
Sounds like you where the exception to the rule.

The usual with thrustmaster is to wait three weeks and four days for a firstline response.
Then you have to ask for escalation.
Which is another four weeks.

And if you need a new part, prepare to wait another six weeks for shipping and delivery.
 
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