Troubleshooting

Installation

Windows SmartScreen warns about the installer

The installer is signed, so the publisher shows as PitLane Systems LLC. Because PitLane is new, SmartScreen may still say the app isn't commonly downloaded. Click More info, confirm the publisher, then Run anyway. This fades as install numbers grow.

Installer fails or hangs

Try running the installer as Administrator (right-click > Run as administrator). If the issue persists, make sure no previous version of PitLane is currently running.

Launching PitLane does nothing

PitLane only runs one instance at a time. If it's already open, launching it again brings the existing window to the front rather than opening a second copy. Check your taskbar.

Activation

"No active subscription"

Your account exists but doesn't have a subscription. Subscribe from your dashboard on the website, then activate again from the app. Click Sign in with browser and approve as usual.

"Device limit reached"

Your subscription allows a limited number of devices. The approval page in your browser shows how many slots you're using. Open your dashboard, deactivate a device you no longer use, then activate again from the app.

"Unable to reach activation server"

Check your internet connection. PitLane needs to reach pitlanesystems.com to validate your subscription. If your internet is working but the error persists, the server may be temporarily unavailable. Try again in a few minutes.

App shows activation screen on every launch

Your cached session may have expired. Sessions last 30 days. Sign in again. If this happens frequently, check that your system clock is set correctly. An incorrect clock can cause token validation to fail.

Connecting to AC

No race data appearing

1. Is AC running? PitLane needs AC to be in an active session. Practice, race, or online all count.
2. Is CSP installed? The data sidecar requires Custom Shaders Patch. If you're using Content Manager, CSP is likely already installed.
3. Is the sidecar activated? In AC, move your mouse to the right edge to open the CSP sidebar. Find "PitLane Lua Sidecar" and click to activate it. You only need to do this once.
4. Is the AC install path correct? Check File > Settings... > Setup and verify the path points to your AC installation directory. PitLane checks for an apps\lua folder inside it, so a path without that folder is rejected. An invalid path is flagged in the Setup tab and in the status bar at the bottom of the window.
5. Check the sidecar connection. When the sidecar is connected, PitLane shows car data in the leaderboard within a few seconds of entering a session. The Setup workspace's pipeline diagram shows the same thing at a glance.

Sidecar not appearing in AC's sidebar

The sidecar is auto-deployed when PitLane starts. If it's not in AC's sidebar

• Verify your AC install path is correct in PitLane settings
• Restart AC after PitLane has deployed the sidecar
• Check that <your AC path>/apps/lua/PitLaneSidecar/PitLaneSidecar.lua exists

Some data is missing (nationality, team name)

In offline races with AI drivers, ac.getDriverNationCode() and ac.getDriverTeam() return empty values. This is an AC limitation. In online races these fields come from the server's entry list, so they fill in when the server provides them.

Overlays and packs

A .pitlane pack won't install

The install error says why. The common cases are

• The error ends in "update PitLane Director to install it". The pack was built for a newer version of the app. Update from Help > Check for Updates....
• The error ends in "ask the pack author for an update". The pack targets an overlay format this version of the app no longer supports.
• The error says an overlay id "collides with a built-in overlay". The pack author must rename their overlay ids.

An overlay I installed doesn't show in the Library

The Library re-scans when you open its tab, and its refresh button re-scans on demand. If you unpacked a pack by hand, it must sit at %APPDATA%\pitlane\overlays\<pack-name>\<overlay-name>\, one folder deeper than you might expect. Check that each overlay's manifest.json is valid JSON with an id and a controls array.

OBS

Can't connect to OBS

1. Is OBS running? PitLane connects to OBS, not the other way around. OBS must be open first.
2. Is the WebSocket server enabled? In OBS, go to Tools > WebSocket Server Settings and check Enable WebSocket Server.
3. Check the port. The default is 4455. Make sure the port in PitLane matches what OBS is using.
4. Check the password. If you set a password in OBS's WebSocket settings, enter the same password in PitLane.

Overlays not showing in OBS

1. Is the overlay server running? The server row at the top of the Overlays panel shows the status and port with a Start and Stop button, and the Broadcast menu has the Overlay Server toggle.
2. Are the sources right? The scene wizard is the reliable path. It creates sources with a PitLane · prefix, sized to your canvas. If you added sources by hand, check the URLs against the table on the OBS Setup page.
3. Is the overlay shown? Hidden overlays don't render. Check the toggle switch in PitLane's Overlays panel.
4. Try refreshing. Click the refresh icon in the OBS panel header, or use Broadcast > OBS > Refresh Browser Sources.

Overlays appear but show no data

The overlay page is loading but not receiving data. Check that

• The overlay server is running
• The overlay is in your broadcast and shown
• AC is running with the sidecar active

Wrong overlay server port

If another application uses port 9100, change the overlay server port in File > Settings... > Setup. It takes effect the next time the server starts. Re-run the scene wizard, or update hand-added browser source URLs to the new port.

If port 9101 is taken, change the Sidecar WebSocket Port on the same tab and restart PitLane. The deployed sidecar picks up the new port automatically.

Enabled the replay buffer, but PitLane still says it's disabled

You checked Enable Replay Buffer in OBS's Settings > Output, but PitLane's Rpl tile stays dim and reads Disabled, and hovering it says the replay buffer is disabled in OBS. OBS's own Start Replay Buffer button never appeared either.

Restart OBS. This is an OBS quirk. Enabling the replay buffer mid-session saves the setting but doesn't create the buffer output until OBS starts up again. After the restart, PitLane starts the buffer automatically when it connects. You can turn that off in File > Settings... > OBS. The RPL indicator turns blue when it's live.

General

A workspace shows an error card

If something goes wrong inside one workspace, PitLane contains it. The tab shows an error card with a Reload workspace button instead of taking down the app. Click reload. If the same workspace keeps failing, note what it says on the card and report it.

App crashes on startup

If PitLane crashes before the main window appears, try

• Reset your settings. Open %APPDATA%\pitlane\ and delete pitlane-settings.json. This resets all settings to defaults. It does not sign you out.
• Reinstall the app.
• If the issue persists, contact support at gray@pitlanesystems.com with a description of what happens. If the problem involves updating, attach %APPDATA%\pitlane\logs\updater.log.

High CPU usage

PitLane polls for race data continuously. That baseline is normal and lightweight. If CPU usage is unusually high

• Check how many overlays are shown. Each one renders independently.
• Leave the program monitor source on Auto in File > Settings... > OBS. Pinning it to PitLane capture while OBS is running makes both apps capture the game and render overlays at the same time.
• Hide the program monitor panel if you do not need it. On PitLane capture it renders your whole overlay layer a second time.

How to report a bug

Email gray@pitlanesystems.com with

• What you were doing when the issue occurred
• What you expected to happen and what actually happened
• Your PitLane version, shown in Help > About PitLane Director AC
• Your AC and CSP versions
• Whether you're racing offline or on an online server