Sorry if this has been previously addressed (it’s a long thread…), but I have this problem as well, except my SE is already fully modded with Sanwas (and yes, I keep the slider on DP at all times).
Sorry to bump my post, but i felt i didn’t get a good answer.
I haven’t had any luck finding the hori ones and the only one that does has it, its bundled with Tekken 6. Although i like Tekken, i feel its not necessary just because all i want is a functional stick. With the quality of the SE stick, i refuse to spend over $100 for the TE one, even if everyone is saying it is good. I refuse to give anymore money to Madcatz.
Posting in this thread as well to try to get some ideas:
A different stick (TE-S), but what you are seeing in the Test tab is what mine looked like with the Microsoft drivers.
…strange. What would make everything work fine on PC but not the 360?
It is possible that the xbox 360 security chip is busted. Is there any evidence of sloppy solder work? Also try unplugging your xbox for about 3 minutes. Maybe it is having trouble with the syncing.
it may be the security chip then, because it was mentioned to me that the stick had sync problems before i bought it, and i’ve been trying constantly throughout the day.
also, solder joints look fine to me.
anyway to fix it or should i just go ahead and replace the PCB?
seems like a sad defect. probably end up replacing the pcb
damn. I resoldered the 360 security chip to double check and no dice. I guess I will just put a gamestop 360 PCB in there then (unless i can find something cheaper)
Too bad nobody sells SE/TE 360 PCBs though.
Thanks for Not answering my questions, i’ll just buy the Hori EX2 stick.
well i pretty much ruined my fightpad, but at least i determined that it’s not the security chip that was defective (i soldered the fightpad’s security chip onto the stick, same issue)
it was actually an interesting experiment though, on PC the stick is now recognized as a fightpad (and the turbo works the same way too, with 1 led indicating turbo)
edit
scratch the “ruined my fightpad” part, i thought for sure it was gone for good (ripped the contact off when i took the chip off) but managed to solder a single fiber of wire to a trace i managed to scratch off.
I’m breathing a HUGE sigh of relief right now, but still not sure what to do with this damn stick.
edit #2
You can replace the stock microswitches with the ones from the JLF right? Instead of replacing the entire stick.
bumping because i think it may be helpful for anyone who still has this and wants to use the stock joystick for whatever reason (i don’t have the money for a JLF right now)
I found that instead of removing or gluing the washer (it seemed strange that you would even have to do that in the first place; the JLF that it’s a clone of doesn’t have to) you can just instead protect the PCB from getting scratched/restrict the area where the washer can move around in.
What i did was take a gluegun and apply a thin layer of hot glue around the ring part of the pcb, right near the edge, then let it dry. My reasoning on doing this instead of gluing the washer is that if you glue it the washer will become uneven, but if you do it like that the washer can’t move onto the PCB (the hardened glue will block it) and even if it somehow does it can’t scratch the PCB due to the glue being a protective layer.
I also was thinking of alternate solutions, some of which include gluing a thin larger plastic washer (with the diameter the same as the ring of the PCB) to the underside of the PCB for the same effect.
Also, considering that the JLF uses a washer that isn’t glued, maybe its the washer itself? Maybe the edges are too sharp on the stock washer? Probably just getting a JLF washer and sticking it in there may solve that problem.
I am just trying to provide some solutions, because examining the stock stick parts and JLF parts they are almost identical, with a little bit of swapping/DIY mods i don’t see why the stick should be completely dismissed as junk. Probably just the microswitches and spring if anything.
…but if there is a detailed comparison i would love to see it, the “just get a JLF it’s better but i don’t know why” isn’t really too helpful.
These were my thoughts exactly - I happen to have a spare stock SE joystick, and everything but the microswitches feel fine, lol. Anyone know where you can get some Omrons by themselves?
Are these problems still found in recently produced Madcatz SE sticks? seeing as i just got mine today I’d like to make sure there’s nothing wrong with it before a problem actually occurs.
D1zard:
I just bought a PS3 SE stick from Amazon a few weeks ago, although I have no idea what the manufacturing date was. After using it for a day I opened it up to swap to a Sanwa stick, and the original stick was already showing wear on the PCB from the washer.
I wouldn’t worry a whole lot about reliability though. Even if that PCB had died, installing a new joystick is cheap and easy. The buttons are crap (in construction, that is) but they too are easy and cheap to replace.
Ah i see, i think i will look into buying another stick for now then to save the trouble.
Looking at the sanwa website i’m not really sure what to look for in a stick, do you have any you’d recommend? Money isn’t really an issue either, although i’ll stick with the standard buttons for now. I love how they feel 
I forget the exact Sanwa part numbers, but if you go to Lizardlick.com and look under the Sanwa joystick section there will be one that has the description that says that it is a drop in replacement for the Madcatz sticks. That’s the one, although you can make the other ones work. Don’t forget to buy a balltop.
My personal favorite for fighters is a Sawna JLF with an octagonal gate and a Seimitsu LS-33 spring added for a little extra stiffness.
EDIT: Removed, I’m an idiot.
So I just paid full price for the Chun-Li Fightstick and to be perectly honest the level of craftmanship is shocking. The artwork has a chip in it, the case has bumps and scratches in it, the faceplate isn’t fixed on properly and the buttons have pieces of plastic sticking out of them, it’s quite clearly a rushed job which has had barely any quality control applied to it other than the stick actually working like it’s supposed to. The plastic and bumps I can live with, but the fact that this art work not only has a chip in it, but hasn’t been placed on correctly along with the faceplate is kind of shocking considering the price I paid. Will Madcatz send me out a new piece of artwork and allow me to fit it? Or will I have to send my stick in and wait the 4 - 6 weeks wait time? Because to be perfectly honest I don’t want to wait that long for something which is a relatively easy fix…
I just bought 2 SE sticks and i was wondering what problems have been CURRENTLY been most common in the SE sticks so i know what adjustments i can look out for.
i realize some of the first ones had the washer scratching the pcb issue (i was gonna check if it was lose and glue it down), ive read about some pcbs just crapping out (i cannot future proof that). Are any of these issues just in old models?
I just want to extend the life of these as long as possible without a full conversion to sanwa/seimitsu parts right away. Anything i should look out for and possibly hotfixes?