Runaway throttle CH Throttle Quadrant

[skylinemdw]

I recently installed FSX on a Windows 7 machine.  I installed the FSX Software Developer Kit and FSUIPC4.934 so that I could modify AFCAD files and use other programs for making scenery for FSX.  After installing FSUIPC I'm unable to control thrust in FSX as the engines (1 & 2) keep resetting to about 51% thrust.  I also found that I now had a similar problem with FS9 which resets the thrust above 60% unless setting the auto thrust speed control during flight.  On landing in FS9 the throttles reset to the max even with speed control set.  In both FS versions I've made sure that Take Off and Go Around is off.  I've tried recalibrating the CH throttle quadrant.  I've removed the SDK program.  I've renamed the FSUIPC4 dll file.  I tried inactivating controllers in FSX so that only the keypad is controlling the aircraft.  This stopped the runaway thrust but FS is broken to me if I can't use my controllers.  Nothing I've tried is helping.  Neither FS program is workable now - so no joy here.  It would be great to get both simulators working well but I'd like to at least get back to where I was before installing FSX.  Help appreciated.

[Pete Dowson]

After installing FSUIPC I'm unable to control thrust in FSX as the engines (1 & 2) keep resetting to about 51% thrust.  

 

Just installing FSUIPC does nothing except provide an interface for other applications to read and write FS data. Folks always want to blame FSUIPC for everythnig, but, sorry, you need to look elsewhere.

 

I also found that I now had a similar problem with FS9 which resets the thrust above 60% unless setting the auto thrust speed control during flight.  On landing in FS9 the throttles reset to the max even with speed control set.  In both FS versions I've made sure that Take Off and Go Around is off.  I've tried recalibrating the CH throttle quadrant.  I've removed the SDK program.  I've renamed the FSUIPC4 dll file.  I tried inactivating controllers in FSX so that only the keypad is controlling the aircraft.  This stopped the runaway thrust but FS is broken to me if I can't use my controllers.  Nothing I've tried is helping.  Neither FS program is workable now - so no joy here.  It would be great to get both simulators working well but I'd like to at least get back to where I was before installing FSX.  Help appreciated.

 

There's no relationship between FSX and FS9 at all, so whatever you do to one cannot possibly affect the other. And if FSUIPC isn't loading then it isn't doing anything at all. There are absolutely no changes made by FSUIPC which last beyond closing FS.

 

Sorry, but there's no help here for your woes. It mainly sounds like you have a broken controller.

 

Pete

[skylinemdw]

Thanks for looking at my situation so quickly.  I don't think the controller is broken.  When I go into calibrate I can see that the throttles are responding smoothly and correctly.  I don't think a broken controller would cause FS9 to throttle up to full power on touch down on the runway.  (It does this consistently.)  Because the change came suddenly after installing the SDK and FSUIPC4, is it possible that some driver or config file was changed for the controller(s).  I just don't have the knowledge to track that down.  I recall that during the install of either SDK or FSUIPC4, I was asked something about if I wanted the settings for the PMDG 737.  Even though I don't have the PMDG 737, I think I answered yes figuring I might want to install it someday and thought it would .  Maybe that's relevant.

[Pete Dowson]

Thanks for looking at my situation so quickly.  I don't think the controller is broken.  When I go into calibrate I can see that the throttles are responding smoothly and correctly.  I don't think a broken controller would cause FS9 to throttle up to full power on touch down on the runway.  (It does this consistently.)  Because the change came suddenly after installing the SDK and FSUIPC4, is it possible that some driver or config file was changed for the controller(s).  I just don't have the knowledge to track that down.  I recall that during the install of either SDK or FSUIPC4, I was asked something about if I wanted the settings for the PMDG 737.  Even though I don't have the PMDG 737, I think I answered yes figuring I might want to install it someday and thought it would .  Maybe that's relevant.

 

I am sure the Microsoft SDK doesn't know or care about PMDG (how would it, and why?), and most certainly there is nothing at all in the FSUIPC install which offers any such options. In fact there is nothing remotely connected with anything PMDG in the FSUIPC3 installer, which is the one for FS9. For FSUIPC4 and FSX one document is installed which provides offset references for the 737NGX. That's the total extent of its PMDG involvement, and it isn't an option, just an installed document.

 

Also neither the Microsoft SDK nor anything to do with FSUIPC installs changes any drivers whatsoever. The Microsoft one doesn't enable anything unless you configure it to, and FSUIPC's total content, apart from documentation and examples, is just the DLL itself. There is NOTHING ELSE AT ALL WHICH WILL RUN WHEN YOU LOAD FS!!!

 

Furthermore, there is absolutely no way anything you do to FSX can ever affect anything in FS9.

 

From what you say you have evidently installed something entirely different from what you are describing. You will need to review exactly what you have done, because you are certainly looking in the wrong direction at present.

 

So, sorry, there's no way I can help you. Nothing you describe can possibly be from either FSUIPC or the Microsoft SDK.

 

Pete

[skylinemdw]

Thanks for eliminating SDK and FSUIPC4 as something that might affect the throttle quadrant.  I'm trying to again retrace everything I've done re FSX installation.  I installed FSX Gold package and then Traffic 360.  My recollection is that I then flew FS simulations with no problem.  Some days later I installed SDK & sp1A, FSUIPC, and an airport editor called ADE 150.  In retrospect I can't be sure in what order I installed those programs.  Looking again at the ADE 150 documentation it mentions that it works with both FS9 and FSX.  Having eliminated SDK and FSUIPC as suspects, I'll concentrate on ADE 150.  Windows control panel doesn't list ADE 150 as a program to be removed, so I'll try to find and remove any ADE 150 files before starting over to build an FSX suite.

 

 

After many years of using FS9 and add-on's (including FSUIPC), FSX has been extremely vexing - due to my own lack of knowledge and understanding I'm sure.  This is my third try at FSX.  Twice before I gave up and it was probably a couple years between each before trying to install it again.  I'd appreciate your comment on the best sequence for installing the following:  FSX, the SDK and SDK service pack, FSUIPC4, FSX enhancement programs for AFCAD and scenery design, Traffic 360, traffic modifying programs, add-on aircraft.  (I think I'll keep a log of the next installation sequence.)  Your help has been much appreciated.

[Thomas Richter]

Hi,

 

I remember I had the problem years ago and the error was that simple that for the throttle in FSX setup for controller the effectiveness for throttle was set to default like other axes, that means set to half. And so the throttle will also only give you half power.

Make sure for throttle the effectiveness is set to max (full right) and its zero zone (null zone) is set to min (full left).

[Pete Dowson]

Some days later I installed SDK & sp1A, FSUIPC, and an airport editor called ADE 150.  In retrospect I can't be sure in what order I installed those programs.  Looking again at the ADE 150 documentation it mentions that it works with both FS9 and FSX.  Having eliminated SDK and FSUIPC as suspects, I'll concentrate on ADE 150.  Windows control panel doesn't list ADE 150 as a program to be removed, so I'll try to find and remove any ADE 150 files before starting over to build an FSX suite.

 

None of those things would affect anything as they only do anything when used. Certainly it makes no sense removing ADE which if you don't run it is only occupying a little disk space and doing nothing else.

 

I'd appreciate your comment on the best sequence for installing the following:  FSX, the SDK and SDK service pack, FSUIPC4, FSX enhancement programs for AFCAD and scenery design, Traffic 360, traffic modifying programs, add-on aircraft.

 

It really doesn't matter about the order of those, except of course FSX first -- and probably the SDK before ADE as the latter will want to use its BGL compiler. The only thing to check after installing ADE is that its installer hasn't overwritten a recent copy of FSUIPC with an older one. I don't think it does -- in fact I don't think it installs FSUIPC in any case, expecting you to do that.

 

I see Thomas has suggested things to check regarding your throttle settings.

 

The reason I suspected your actual controller or its driver rather than anything to do with the FSX installation was that you clearly said "I also found that I now had a similar problem with FS9", and the only thing in common between your FSX and FS9 installation is surely just the controller itself!

 

Pete

[skylinemdw]

After Pete eliminated FSUIPC and the SDK as potential causes of the problem with the CH Throttle Quadrant I, left the problem alone for awhile.  I had a Eureka moment (actually more of a Homer Simson "Doh!" moment) and the problem was resolved.  A few months ago, well before installing FSX, I installed a WWII simulation called Pacific Storm Allies.  I use a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro joy stick as a flight controller for Pacific Storm.  Because my CH controllers do not effect Pacific Storm, it didn't occur to me that the Logitech joy stick would effect FSX or FS9.  It did.  Having left the throttle control on the Logitech joy stick about half way open, no matter what I did, it kept FSX aircraft at half throttle unless the autopilot autothrust was engaged.  When I got frustrated with FSX, I apparently loaded Pacific Storm (got to fly something) and when I finished left the Logitech throttle almost full open.  When I later went back to FS9 and loaded a saved approach, the autopilot autothrust was engaged until just before touchdown when I turned it off.  The FS9 aircraft responded to the Logitech throttle and went to almost full thrust.  Bottom line - when I turn the Logitech throttle to fully closed, my CH Throttle Quadrant works fine in both FSX and FS9.

 

Thanks to Pete for his quick responses.  Otherwise I would have uninstalled FSX and done who knows what with FS9 believing it was a software issue.

 

Thanks also to everyone who offered help with my problem.  Steve B.

Edited July 17, 2014 by skylinemdw