CrazyMD

I've been reading these forums for quite some time in anticipation of the time that I would purchase a new 911 Turbo. I found the car I was looking for and the vehicle turned out to be very sentimental to me. If you read the following article you will understand why:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2...-life/1811295/

After taking delivery of the car, I found the PDK paddleshift system to be reverse of whats normal for me and difficult to drive. So I started looking on the internet for options.

I came upon the Techart PDK paddle's. After calling Techart and talking with someone named Florian, he sold me on the $900 upgrade kit.

I received my kit and on sunday began the installation. Midway during the install (After my steering wheel is off the car and taken apart) I noticed that the plastic paddles have internal cracks in them. I should have stopped at this point seeing the poor quality of the kit. I put a little superglue on the inside of the paddle's and continued with the install.

For $900, the kit consists of 4 pieces of plastic...maybe valued at $5, manufactured and molded in china. 2 pieces are the paddles and 2 plastic pieces cover the front of the steering wheel where the PDK push button used to be. After everything was complete, I had the steering wheel back on the car, I completed the last step which was snapping the 2 PDK button covers in place. Not to my surprise, the fit and quality of the buttons was very poor. They do not fit into place correctly, it seems that the molding is a bit off. Infact when I pull the left paddle, the plastic cover moves quite a bit. Definitely not right.

So I immediately email Techart indicating that the installation went well, however one of the plastic covers molding doesnt seem to fit right and I'd like to swap that out for another one that would possibly fit better. The response I get from this moron is to disassemble the entire kit, return it to them and they will give me another kit. I tell him that it took 3 hours to install the kit. Why would I take everything off when all you need to do is exchange out a $1 plastic cover piece for me which is the last step in the instructions. Again I received the same idiotic response including that I should have had them professionally installed. I responded that had I paid a shop to do the install and you tell me to take everything apart to swap out a small piece they would be responsible for all my costs incurred. I could tell that dealing with this company is not worth anymore of my time.

So the bottom line, if you are looking at upgrading your PDK paddles I would recommend AVOIDING using Techart. Their quality control is horrible, their parts do not fit right, and their customer service is worse than the crappy chinese manufacturing used to make their parts.

I called American express today, opened a dispute on the charge. I'll be posting some pictures and a youtube video of the poor quality of their product. I'll be taking the entire kit off my car and putting it back to stock or just buying the Factory Porsche S steering wheel that has the paddles built in.


Update:
Just would like to say that the President of Techart called me. I explained the problem to him and he immediately had me come in to exchange the piece. I installed the cover and fits perfectly. He offered to replace the paddles as well however I didnt mind as they were already installed, cracks were inside the paddles, and I think the superglue will hold just fine.

I appreciate his time in resolving this issue. Now I get my multifunction steering wheel with paddles! If anyone needs help with the install let me know!

dianic

What a story on that link Yaz. Very well done!!
Its strange how the forces of the universe operate sometimes. And it certainly puts the paddle story in perspective doesnt it?

Welcome to the forum. Pics not only of the crap pieces but the whole car are mandatory!

phillipj

Great news about having it on AMEX. AMEX has saved me several times from the aftermarket sharks..

Sorry to hear it was such a piece of crap.. Sounds like Vivid and Tech Art have the same manufacturer..

CrazyMD

Thanks everyone for the response. I too am shocked at how bad and ridiculous the customer service at TechArt is. I don't expect that when you pay $900 for 4 small pieces of plastic. All they had to do was swap out 1 piece for the defective one and not ask me to spend 3 hours taking the entire steering wheel apart. Absolutely ridiculous and I wasn't even complaining about the cracks in the paddles either. I just hope this dissuades some people from purchasing from this company as a result of my poor experience with them.

Will post some pics and possibly a you tube video as well.

drvik

If it makes you feel better CrazyMD, I won't be dealing with Techart if they are that bad.

speed21

Sorry to hear the Techart experience was not what you had hoped (and paid) for. There is nothing worse than paying good money for junk and then getting screwed around after skinning your knuckles only to find you've been totally handled. Maybe these guys have moved everything including themselves off to china? Their exhaust systems are evidently overpriced overrated junk but I had no idea other products had been affected so thanks for the heads up.

My panel guy said positive things about the Techart front lip when he did the install but thats a few years ago now and i guess things can change. If these Techart guys have left you in the lurch then I'm with Vic, they are off my list permanently too. I'm getting sick and tired of hearing about these damn con artists.

CrazyMD

Just would like to say that the President of Techart called me. I explained the problem to him and he immediately had me come in to exchange the piece. I installed the cover and fits perfectly. He offered to replace the paddles as well however I didnt mind as they were already installed, cracks were inside the paddles, and I think the superglue will hold just fine.

I appreciate his time in resolving this issue. Now I get my multifunction steering wheel with paddles! If anyone needs help with the install let me know!

phillipj

Paul,

I value your opinion but in this instance you are dead wrong

Excuse me sir but my Tech Art exhaust (which is about 4 years old) is a beautifully made system. I bought it off a lease car and cleaned it up my self and installed it with a friend. It is beautifully made and the fitment was absolutely perfect. I have been around fabricated race parts including exhausts since I was a child and I know a well made piece.(my father was an amazing fabricator and welder.) I was de -burring racing merge collectors when I was 8 years old. So before you start bashing a system you have never seen or heard (for that matter) give me a break.

My exhaust is "over rated junk" Really? So how do you quantify that. Because that's what you have heard? You have no personal experience with this product at all.

Techart may now be farming a lot of its manufacturing to China and that is too bad.. But the system I have is excellent and I have had zero issues with it..So perhaps I was liucky to get an early product

I have the experience with this product and you do not.. So who's opinion is more valuable? If had seen "over rated junk" when I saw the exhaust it would have never been installed in the first place..

speed21

Phillip firstly sorry if i've upset you....wasn't my intention. Now re my comments, maybe "junk" was being a bit harsh for this system but after reading the OP's situation it kind of lit my fuse. You are correct in saying the TA presents well in terms of manufacturing and fit finish etc....much better than many others however, what i was referring to was from advice received and, i believe it is 100% kosher advice...or i wouldn't be saying anything in the first place....is that (the TA) has drone ( which was the main reason why it was removed) and not much power gain, if any at all. If you like i can even supply a photo which i was shown by this vendor who prefers to remain anonymous at this stage, of the TA system being removed and replaced with an EP2 which the customer was advised to buy. Please also note i have been advised of the drone and performance by 2 separate vendors of systems that also sell them so i believe they ought to know what they are on about.

The back to back comparisons of these two systems were found to be absolute chalk and cheese in terms of power produced, engine note, and level of drone. So basically on all fronts excepting the manufacturing quality which appeared to be AOK for the TA, although obviously not in the same league as the EP2 using the photo to go by.

The EP2, whilst having a drone was much less audible and ceased at @ 2600 rpms which allowed the user to drive the car at freeway speeds in 6th gear. The TA however had a much louder drone and it extended much further into the rev range which did not allow the user to be able to tolerate it even though from what i was told he did try. If you like i will post the photo as proof. Just let me know and ill get it on to show you the two systems side by side at the rear of the car.

Incidentally re TT Chris's statement that the clamps were the sole culprit for drone i note the techart uses a very sturdy and well fitting clamping system so i cant see how it could leak and create "drone". So it is fair and logical to say the system design is the culprit and not the clamps.

PS sorry to OP for taking it off topic.

phillipj

My car does not drone. I don't care what you have "heard".. Ii have been driving it for almost 3 years everyday. If it "droned" I would know..And so would my passengers. Ask Art (A909)Who just bought a Europipe for his car if my exhaust "drones".. We went for a long drive when he came to LA and he thought it sounded great and didn't "drone"..

I have many friends with Turbos here in L.A. with all kkinds of diffeernt exhausts.. I have not heard a single one thatYes I'm a Heritec that wont give my sould to EP souned bad. They are all just different.

Yes I'm a heretic that wont give my soul to EP. It's time to lay off this "rant" about anyone's system except yours..

There are lots of happy people out there who DONT have EP's. But of course they are all driving "headache machines" and "Chinese crap" and so on..

Maybe it's time to give this topic a rest brother..

dianic

Back on topic. Did any of you read that story that the OP linked his original post to? No one commented on it... and its a good story.

Also, we have to extend congrats to the Techart president, who obviously has people following the forums, for a good comeback on this issue.

speed21

Phillip agree we are all brothers in arms here who share the same passion so let's not get too wound up ok. My "rant" was only in response to your own "ranting" anyway so again let's keep it on the cool side here and take this discussion over to where it started and where it belongs on the Tune and Exhaust thread rather than polluting this thread as we have both done. Poor OP is probably scratching his head going wtf!!!?

In fact phillip I suggest if you like just copy paste all your stuff here and just shift it all there and I will then do the same and match it up. We can always fill in the blank post boxes here with talk about OP's problem/success. That way this thread is cleaned right up and kept in context. I regret even saying anything about the damned stupid exhaust over here but as i said when i heard the OP's plight I got the ****s and added it in as I was aware it had issues as well. Hearing the OPs complaint got me going as my first thought was sheesh even Techart's now gone to the dogs....what next!

FWIW Techart to my knowledge and, in my experience, has proven to be very good stuff on the body kit side of things and I am to the belief they have also made their own sterling efforts in trying to make at least something decent for the buyer out of that utter rubbish Bilstein coilover suspension, along with developing lowering coils, lift kits and other good stuff which as also been reportedly good so far. As i said your exhaust at least looks like it's made well enough to not look out of place on the car......just that there has been users with less than satisfactory outcomes....sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings. But am i to be chipped for speaking it up? And if you want to lay the boot into my EP1 no worries fire away. You came to these forums looking for advice and, you also have your beef with Vivid (not surprising there). I wonder if you had found the right advice on the forums prior to spending your money, would you have wound up on your back with your legs in the air as you did with Vivid?....and, as many others have going by google search. Anyway let's not go there opening up old wounds.....there is a mine field of grief out there surrounding that outfit.

As i said, drone immunity is a trait not all of us were born with unfortunately and if we were, then there wouldn't be buyers changing these Techart and other branded systems out. If you love it that's great! And if you don't think it drones, even better! I'm truly not trying to spoil that experience. ...Just letting others know that seek to use these forums for quality information that the T/A does not have a 100% success rate. FACT. Now is there anything wrong with informing that? You make out like i'm on some sort of EP crusade when all i'm doing is providing quality facts from actual user experiences. If there are EP customers out there that have issues, i have no problem with any one of them reporting their issues on the forums just because i personally haven't found any. Anyway brother let's take this discussion back over to the exhaust/tune thread where it belongs. Then we can both "rant" away to our hearts content if we so choose.

PS i hear there is a dead horse over there that needs a darn good beating..

Zucc

I just wanted to see how the paddles are working for you. I am seriously thinking about adding them to my multiple function, carbon fiber, heated wheel. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks