So my 2nd, 911 turbo wheel has failed.

Thomas, the owner/manager of fanatec (guy that sounds like aaaaanold on youtube)

said this exact quote in a previous thread of mine:

"The problem you describe is due to a poor soldering on an IC which handles the motor. If you make very fast tunrns, this IC can overheat if the thermal pad is not soldered well. The new wheels will have proper soldering and they we use a heat sink on that IC. As we cannot identify a good or a bad soldering with any test it is saver to offer you a replacement wheel from the new series. "

so after communication with another member of the fanatec team, they wont give me a refund and they will replace it with a turbo s wheel that comes out in two months..... (late july now, they said this a few weeks ago)

well, i dont want to be without a wheel that long so i opted for a replacement. and i am firm about the fact that i do no want this to happen again so i ask.....

CAN a 911 TURBO WHEEL handle fast 900 degree turns???? as expected in a wheel, i often do autox and drifting so i need something that can handle it, and this is the email i get back:\

"we can send you a new PWT but we just have no chance to test it before ship it to you because we have only a warehouse in the US, sorry. I am also shocked that you received two wheel with a malfunction and I am starting to think that our products may be harmed on the transport to the states. If that is ok now I’ll forward our conversation to the office to send you a new PWT as soon as possible."



remember now, thomas claimed poor soldering.....

so whats the deal???? will this wheel hold up to anything but oval racing????

]do i have the right to be absolutly bull with this company?

another problem is each email takes at least 2-3 days, so all this time communicating ive been without a wheel for almost two months!!!!!!! and it sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what do you guys think about the situation?[/COLOR][/B][/B][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE]

A user on another forum had the same issue with a Fanatec similar to yours. He made a couple of threads about multiple wheels that were the same breaking.

November thread: http://forum.rigsofrods.com/index.php?topic=16221.0

March/May thread: http://forum.rigsofrods.com/index.php?topic=19199.0

the worst thing is they are overseas so i cant call them i have to wait about 3 days to recieve an email back and forth....its awful.

Why the hell would you turn down the free upgrade? It's only a 1 1/2 month wait. Racing games aren't the only games that are fun, surely.

i have already waited 2 months!!!!!!!!!i just want a damn wheel.

a the only thing upgraded on the turbo s wheel is the fact that you can use it on xbox.

Quote from s2knott :

a the only thing upgraded on the turbo s wheel is the fact that you can use it on xbox.

... and it has the heat sink, and as such would not have the heating problems.

thermal pad + soldering makes me go.

The thermal pad should never need to be soldered to anything, the IC is soldered to the board though, and those connections can and should be tested on a pin bed specificaly designed for the board before the wheel is even ready for assembly.

If the soldering is suspected to be failing the whole production run should be considered potentialy faulty and a notice to all waranty owners should be issued. Additionaly, any known faulty wheels that are returned should be replaced with ones that are known to not have this issue.


And people wondered why I originaly said Fanatec wheels arn't as good as they seem. I'd rather have my driving force GT than any of the wheels made by Fanatec. They have the porsche branding, and work on the 360, but thats as far as the apeal goes for me.

I have a similiar problem but haven't received a response... This is with the new GT3RS wheel. If I can't get their attention through email I might as well get it from here with you.

My father and I ordered two sets of GT3RS wheels with clubsport pedals and received one defective wheel unit, have sent emails multiple times with no response. Not the first time to have run into bad experience with Fanatec Support...

The wheel fails to keep itself updated properly and goes off-center even when reset.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <removed>
To: [email protected]
Date: Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:06:46 -0700
Subject: Fwd: Defective Porsche GT3RS Wheel Received - Order #1183
To Whom It May Concern,

This is my fourth e-mail and yet I have no response to the defective Porsche GT3RS wheel received May 29/09.


Thx Richard


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <removed>
To: [email protected]
Date: Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:07:54 -0700
Subject: Fwd: Defective Porsche GT3RS Wheel Received - Order #1183


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <removed>
To: [email protected]
Date: Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:45:27 -0700
Subject: Fwd: Defective Porsche GT3RS Wheel Received - Order #1183
Hi Sabine,

I am still waiting for your response on the return of the defective Porsche GT3RS wheel?


Thank You,
Richard Wong


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <removed>
To: [email protected]
Date: Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:15:01 -0700
Subject: Fwd: Defective Porsche GT3RS Wheel Received - Order #1183

Hi Sabine,



Thank you for the shipment of the remainder items of order #1183 received on May 29/09. One of the two Porsche GT3RS wheels received is defective. The following is a list of the defective occurrences.



(1) Upon POWER ON and USB connected to computer, the wheel turns all the way to the right clockwise. Humming noise emits, and a burnt smell is noticed on the right top vent of the wheel body. Turning the wheel counter-clockwise is tough, and when the wheel is released, it automatically rotates clockwise back to the right end position. The wheel body is warm to the touch on the right side.



(2) Wheel Beta driver for Vista 64bit is installed. Initiating GAME CONTROLLERS in CONTROL PANEL, and selecting Fanatec Porsche Wheel Properties. FF and Vibration tests does not function. Re-calibrate Wheel function results in an error message "Calibration Failed! The wheel exceed its maximum calibration range." I have tried the Calibrate Wheel function numerous times, and each time resulted with the same error message.



Also, the brake pedal response on the Clubsport Pedals is not very sensitive. Is there a resolution to that action.



The other wheel operates fine in the Fanatec Porsche Wheel Properties, and in all PC games. Please advise on the replacement of the defective wheel unit.





Thank You,

Richard Wong

9071 Dayton Avenue

Richmond, B.C. V6Y 1E1

Canada


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <removed>
To: [email protected]
Date: Sun, 31 May 2009 02:25:37 -0700
Subject: Defective Porsche GT3RS Wheel Received - Order #1183

Hi Sabine,



Thank you for the shipment of the remainder items of order #1183 received on May 29/09. One of the two Porsche GT3RS wheels received is defective. The following is a list of the defective occurrences.



(1) Upon POWER ON and USB connected to computer, the wheel turns all the way to the right clockwise. Humming noise emits, and a burnt smell is noticed on the right top vent of the wheel body. Turning the wheel counter-clockwise is tough, and when the wheel is released, it automatically rotates clockwise back to the right end position. The wheel body is warm to the touch on the right side.



(2) Wheel Beta driver for Vista 64bit is installed. Initiating GAME CONTROLLERS in CONTROL PANEL, and selecting Fanatec Porsche Wheel Properties. FF and Vibration tests does not function. Re-calibrate Wheel function results in an error message "Calibration Failed! The wheel exceed its maximum calibration range." I have tried the Calibrate Wheel function numerous times, and each time resulted with the same error message.



Also, the brake pedal response on the Clubsport Pedals is not very sensitive. Is there a resolution to that action.



The other wheel operates fine in the Fanatec Porsche Wheel Properties, and in all PC games. Please advise on the replacement of the defective wheel unit.





Thank You,

Richard Wong

<removed>

fanatec is just terrible in the customer support section..... I JUST WANT A DAMN REFUND SO I CAN GET A G25.

Quote from s2knott :

fanatec is just terrible in the customer support section..... I JUST WANT A DAMN REFUND SO I CAN GET A G25.

Yeah... I already have a G25, I just want this wheel to work.

For me, Fanatec have been brilliant in the customer support section. When they had updated the Turbo wheel they offered to send me a free upgrade which I accepted very gratefully even though I have never had any troubles with the wheel in the first place. The wheel for me has been excellent. Far better than either of the 2 G25s that I have had. Really like it. Maybe I am just lucky not to have had any problems.

s2knott - My 911 Turbo wheel can handle quick 900 degree turns and it has been improved even further with the new drivers which make the steering feel lighter. Not a problem with it so far! Only positives at the moment, touch wood!

Quote from Gills4life :

For me, Fanatec have been brilliant in the customer support section. When they had updated the Turbo wheel they offered to send me a free upgrade which I accepted very gratefully even though I have never had any troubles with the wheel in the first place. The wheel for me has been excellent. Far better than either of the 2 G25s that I have had. Really like it. Maybe I am just lucky not to have had any problems.

I'm inclined to have that position. The shipping date of the Turbo S was just delayed but in compensation they're throwing in a free copy of Forza 3! Apparently the delay was to implement H-pattern shift into the game.

Fanatec is really a small company (relative to Logitech) and I can see their intention to provide good customer support, but fact is just that they are pushing new products faster than they really can, and many of the stufffs are not fully stress tested.

They have three different types of wheels.
Don't get the cheap one!!!. It has cheap soddering in it, they even said so.

well its cause they are a bunch of clowns! i still havent gotten a wheel and WHY THE F&*$# did i pay $360 for a cheap F(*## wheel?>?

Quote from DragonCommando :

thermal pad + soldering makes me go.

The thermal pad should never need to be soldered to anything

clearly as usual you have no idea what the heck youre talking about
most power ics have large heat dissipating ground pads on the bottom which get soldered to the pcb and connected the ground layer
thanks to the placement of those its impossible to check the soldering and thanks to rohs well see a lot more of these problems in the near future

Quote from Shotglass :

clearly as usual you have no idea what the heck youre talking about
most power ics have large heat dissipating ground pads on the bottom which get soldered to the pcb and connected the ground layer
thanks to the placement of those its impossible to check the soldering and thanks to rohs well see a lot more of these problems in the near future

Thats alot different than a simple thermal pad, and if it blocks the soldering joints then measures should be taken to insure that the soldering joints are done correctly before hand.

For the record what you are talking about is a heat spreader, NOT a thermal pad.

you should really stop if you dont know what youre talking about
and no its not a heat spreader and if you dont know the correct words dont try to lecture people who do

to put an end to your embarrasment its called an exposed pad which gets connected to ground layers through vias and thermal pads

well ladies and gents fanafail has gone and done it again.

i recieved my 3rd 911 turbo wheel about 1 months ago.

i have been playing nothing but gt5 and nfs pro street no more than 360 degrees and no more than 33 percent feedback.


after about one week and a quick countersteer the wheel made a jolt and a popping sound. so only when turning to the right it pops.

about one week later, when turning right the wheel would pop 3 times.

than 6 times....blah blah

now when the wheel turns on its stuck all the way to the right, you can turn the wheel back and forth but the positioning sensor is all the way to the right so turning the wheel does nothing.

and at the menu screens the cursor goes wild because the wheel is stuck all the way to the right.

This wheel is the BIGGEST PIECE OF SHIT I HAVE EVER BOUGHT (pardon my language)

i paid $500 for this wheel with the rennsport wheelstand and it has broke 3 times and each time i felt like the replacement had lesser quality.

I just want my god damn money back, im so sick of dealing with this company and this damn wheel but because my original purchase was in january, they dont wanna refund my money.

So guys what are my options here? i dont wanna go the legal route but im just pissed off over the edge here.

the thing that pisses me off more is that they keep saying "oh just send it back and we will replace it with a 911 turbo s which is an upgrade" but it costs me about $55 us dollars to ship the wheel back, and ive done that 3 times now! thats over $150 dollars just in shipping!!!! so ive spent $650 dollars on a crap wheel!!

what can i do to get my money back?

Wow, unless you're just trolling, you must be the unluckiest Fanatec customer ever! I have had mine about a year without any problems whatsoever.

You should have bought a G25 after it broke down the first time.

Quote from G!NhO :

You should have bought a G25 after it broke down the first time.

Funny that, I bought my Fanatec after my second G25 wheel stopped working for no apparent reason after about 6 months of occasional use. Not had a single problem with the Fanatec wheel after about a year of very frequent use. Stronger FFB, quieter belt driven wheel, a gearshifter that doesn't feel like a little toy. No brainer for me.

Well he certainly doesn't have any luck with fanatec, so go for a G25.

Idk why people say the G25 shifter feels toyish, but mine doesnt make any clicks at all and feels good.

The feel isn't about whether it clicks... it literally is about the feel. The G25's feels ridiculous after using the Fanatecs. You could probably move the G25 shifter into gear by blowing at it. A light draught might pop it out of gear. The G25 shifter does feel very toyish. It's probably the worst part of the package. The pedals are the best things about it the G25. I still use them with my Fanatec wheel. That's about it though.

Ask for new one, sell it and buy something else.