Living with a McLaren 650s Spider as an (almost) daily
Discussion
Not used the car since Tuesday, and was really looking forward to using it today - plus have a 200 mile round trip tomorrow.
As usual, another electrical issue. Air con seems to be switched off and can't be switched on.
It comes on if I start windscreen demist - and stays on when I switch demist off. But then can't be turned off.
Another one to add for the service. List is fairly long now, and there's another month to add to it!
As usual, another electrical issue. Air con seems to be switched off and can't be switched on.
It comes on if I start windscreen demist - and stays on when I switch demist off. But then can't be turned off.
Another one to add for the service. List is fairly long now, and there's another month to add to it!
Re. your headlights, might be a long shot, but some xenon headlight set ups have a self levelling mechanism. On my VW it was a little potentiometer mounted on the chassis and connected to a rear wishbone by a ball jointed rod. Anyhoo, the rod had disconnected, leaving the sensor in the position it would be if the rear suspension was compressed, resulting in low aimed beams.
Of course, it’s not going to be that simple on your Mclaren, a 20p cable tie fixed my car, you’ll at least need a £100 carbon fibre cable tie and 10 hours of labour!
Good thread, Dave, I’m disappointed for you that some of the enjoyment has been spoiled, but grateful for your insightful and honest posts about Mclaren ownership.
Of course, it’s not going to be that simple on your Mclaren, a 20p cable tie fixed my car, you’ll at least need a £100 carbon fibre cable tie and 10 hours of labour!
Good thread, Dave, I’m disappointed for you that some of the enjoyment has been spoiled, but grateful for your insightful and honest posts about Mclaren ownership.
davek_964 said:
I had found a similar thread on there which seemed to imply that low beam can be adjusted, but high beam can't - but I'd not found that one. I'll take a look later.
I recall 'Andy A****' in the MOC had issues with his headlights. Cannot remember exactly what it was but may have been something to do with them being set up incorrectly for driving abroad.MAC 720S said:
I recall 'Andy A****' in the MOC had issues with his headlights. Cannot remember exactly what it was but may have been something to do with them being set up incorrectly for driving abroad.
I’ve got to ask. Are the *s to protect anonymity or does Andy have an unfortunate nickname? Seems the climate system really has a mind of its own now.
Air con goes on and off randomly. So does mono. So do the rear window heater and windscreen demisters. And they can't be turned off.
This one seems to be more than a one off glitch. And the fact that I can no longer select where the air is directed may limit the use of the car - I can't demist the windscreen or the rear window now. The climate system might decide to do it itself, but I can't change the settings anymore. Temperature and fan speed seem to be the only things still under my control.
Will have to keep a sponge in the car....
Air con goes on and off randomly. So does mono. So do the rear window heater and windscreen demisters. And they can't be turned off.
This one seems to be more than a one off glitch. And the fact that I can no longer select where the air is directed may limit the use of the car - I can't demist the windscreen or the rear window now. The climate system might decide to do it itself, but I can't change the settings anymore. Temperature and fan speed seem to be the only things still under my control.
Will have to keep a sponge in the car....
Edited by davek_964 on Sunday 17th November 20:59
I was intending to try and get all the issues sorted at the service in December - but the list is now a bit long, and I don't want them keeping the car over Christmas / new year if I can avoid it. So I've mailed them with a list of faults this morning, and asked when I can drop the car off.
Hopefully, they can fix :
- The climate system which appears to have become sentient and no longer does what I want
- The driver side mirror which has now failed to fold out 4 times in total
- The headlight which seems to have been left slightly loose after being adjusted the last time they had it
- The fact that a candle would throw more light than high beam
- The rattle from the passenger door
Etc. etc.
Hopefully, they can fix :
- The climate system which appears to have become sentient and no longer does what I want
- The driver side mirror which has now failed to fold out 4 times in total
- The headlight which seems to have been left slightly loose after being adjusted the last time they had it
- The fact that a candle would throw more light than high beam
- The rattle from the passenger door
Etc. etc.
You won't have much to write about if it's ultra reliable;)
Seriously, I'm looking for the same car now and my search is just beginning. I'm expecting niggles with any car to be honest, it's all part of the ownership experience. If I want motoring perfection then I'd buy a Skoda or whatever the most reliable car is but I want the supercar experience and that comes with challenges which I'm prepared to accept.
My last McLaren tried to kill me which is a niggle too far so it's gone, onto the next one now.
Seriously, I'm looking for the same car now and my search is just beginning. I'm expecting niggles with any car to be honest, it's all part of the ownership experience. If I want motoring perfection then I'd buy a Skoda or whatever the most reliable car is but I want the supercar experience and that comes with challenges which I'm prepared to accept.
My last McLaren tried to kill me which is a niggle too far so it's gone, onto the next one now.
Crazy4557 said:
You won't have much to write about if it's ultra reliable;)
Seriously, I'm looking for the same car now and my search is just beginning. I'm expecting niggles with any car to be honest, it's all part of the ownership experience. If I want motoring perfection then I'd buy a Skoda or whatever the most reliable car is but I want the supercar experience and that comes with challenges which I'm prepared to accept.
My last McLaren tried to kill me which is a niggle too far so it's gone, onto the next one now.
I could live with "occasional" niggles. I've owned an Alfa, an Aston Martin and two (old) Ferrari's - all of which are expected to be full of niggles, especially electrical. Seriously, I'm looking for the same car now and my search is just beginning. I'm expecting niggles with any car to be honest, it's all part of the ownership experience. If I want motoring perfection then I'd buy a Skoda or whatever the most reliable car is but I want the supercar experience and that comes with challenges which I'm prepared to accept.
My last McLaren tried to kill me which is a niggle too far so it's gone, onto the next one now.
They are a million times more reliable than the McLaren. Did they occasionally have electrical glitches? Of course. But it was occasional - the McLaren feels like it's always got something wrong - the only surprise is : what.
Crazy4557 said:
I'm expecting niggles with any car to be honest, it's all part of the ownership experience. If I want motoring perfection then I'd buy a Skoda or whatever the most reliable car is but I want the supercar experience and that comes with challenges which I'm prepared to accept.
I’ve really been enjoying both the enthusiasm and honesty in this thread over the weeks it’s been running. You really must love the car to be as patient and understanding as you have. I wouldn’t; it would have been rejected and gone back. The fun factor which this type of vehicle is meant to bring would have been well and truly sucked out of me by a host of ‘niggles/failings’. Once the overriding thought is ‘what’s going to go wrong next’ no car is worth the bother.I disagree with Crazy’s comment in that you should expect niggles. From my experience (not of Mclaren I must add) is that modern supercars are generally fairly niggle free and pretty much as reliable as most everyday cars, Skoda included. To think otherwise is just making excuses. A car should be at least 99.9% reliable otherwise it’s just a liability imo.
Here’s hoping your dealer gets all this sorted for you ASAP and nothing else’s crops up
Either something needs a reset/reboot, or its a warranty replacement of the IRIS/door units unit I guess. I don't like the fact everything is touchscreen in Macs. Give me some knobs for the basics please. Allow me to focus on the driving instead of looking where I'm touching on the touchscreen please.
garystoybox said:
I’ve really been enjoying both the enthusiasm and honesty in this thread over the weeks it’s been running. You really must love the car to be as patient and understanding as you have. I wouldn’t; it would have been rejected and gone back. The fun factor which this type of vehicle is meant to bring would have been well and truly sucked out of me by a host of ‘niggles/failings’. Once the overriding thought is ‘what’s going to go wrong next’ no car is worth the bother.
I disagree with Crazy’s comment in that you should expect niggles. From my experience (not of Mclaren I must add) is that modern supercars are generally fairly niggle free and pretty much as reliable as most everyday cars, Skoda included. To think otherwise is just making excuses. A car should be at least 99.9% reliable otherwise it’s just a liability imo.
Here’s hoping your dealer gets all this sorted for you ASAP and nothing else’s crops up
My point here is that McLaren's are not high volume production products where robots give you consistent quality time and time again. Before anyone say's it I'm aware that this can also mean consistently bad as well as good. These cars are hand made mostly by humans and most things that humans touch when on a production line like these will be inconsistent and that's why I'm accepting this variance of quality whether right or wrong. I'm just more pragmatic than others I guess and to be fair I can pick up the phone to the local dealer and they despatch a lorry to collect the car, take it away and fix it. If I had to drive the car and get a lift back or a bus god forbid then quite possibly I'd take a different approach.I disagree with Crazy’s comment in that you should expect niggles. From my experience (not of Mclaren I must add) is that modern supercars are generally fairly niggle free and pretty much as reliable as most everyday cars, Skoda included. To think otherwise is just making excuses. A car should be at least 99.9% reliable otherwise it’s just a liability imo.
Here’s hoping your dealer gets all this sorted for you ASAP and nothing else’s crops up
Each to their own on this point.
Crazy4557 said:
My point here is that McLaren's are not high volume production products where robots give you consistent quality time and time again. Before anyone say's it I'm aware that this can also mean consistently bad as well as good. These cars are hand made mostly by humans and most things that humans touch when on a production line like these will be inconsistent and that's why I'm accepting this variance of quality whether right or wrong. I'm just more pragmatic than others I guess and to be fair I can pick up the phone to the local dealer and they despatch a lorry to collect the car, take it away and fix it. If I had to drive the car and get a lift back or a bus god forbid then quite possibly I'd take a different approach.
Each to their own on this point.
I kind of see your point - but there has to be a threshold where even you would get sick of it. Each to their own on this point.
It is - in many ways - an astoundingly good car. And if it had less issues, it would be the best (stupid) decision I've ever made. But at the moment, it doesn't feel like it is.
I am aware that it could be worse - I've even read examples of how it could be worse in various places. But it's happening too often.
Crazy4557 said:
My point here is that McLaren's are not high volume production products where robots give you consistent quality time and time again. Before anyone say's it I'm aware that this can also mean consistently bad as well as good. These cars are hand made mostly by humans and most things that humans touch when on a production line like these will be inconsistent and that's why I'm accepting this variance of quality whether right or wrong. I'm just more pragmatic than others I guess and to be fair I can pick up the phone to the local dealer and they despatch a lorry to collect the car, take it away and fix it. If I had to drive the car and get a lift back or a bus god forbid then quite possibly I'd take a different approach.
Each to their own on this point.
The main Lamborghi factory only has one robot in it. Roberto - and he only goes backwards and forwards with stuff. The rest is all hand done by Italians. Each to their own on this point.
davek_964 said:
I kind of see your point - but there has to be a threshold where even you would get sick of it.
It is - in many ways - an astoundingly good car. And if it had less issues, it would be the best (stupid) decision I've ever made. But at the moment, it doesn't feel like it is.
I am aware that it could be worse - I've even read examples of how it could be worse in various places. But it's happening too often.
It's not a great situation is it. Like you, I know of several others who are having issues.It is - in many ways - an astoundingly good car. And if it had less issues, it would be the best (stupid) decision I've ever made. But at the moment, it doesn't feel like it is.
I am aware that it could be worse - I've even read examples of how it could be worse in various places. But it's happening too often.
Send a copy of your email to > client.services@mclaren.com
At least it gives them the opportunity to get involved, and if you eventually choose to reject the vehicle, you have an audit trail that you were reasonable giving the manufacturer a heads-up.
I may start doing that with the emails. They really need to step up their customer service.
Car is booked in for a week tomorrow. It had better come back with all these issues fixed - and behave itself between then and the 16th when it gets serviced.
(If not, there will be an orange McLaren parked at a TBD location on a TBD date, and anybody is welcome to start it with a screwdriver - although I suppose that's tricky without an ignition barrel.......)
Car is booked in for a week tomorrow. It had better come back with all these issues fixed - and behave itself between then and the 16th when it gets serviced.
(If not, there will be an orange McLaren parked at a TBD location on a TBD date, and anybody is welcome to start it with a screwdriver - although I suppose that's tricky without an ignition barrel.......)
davek_964 said:
I may start doing that with the emails. They really need to step up their customer service.
Car is booked in for a week tomorrow. It had better come back with all these issues fixed - and behave itself between then and the 16th when it gets serviced.
(If not, there will be an orange McLaren parked at a TBD location on a TBD date, and anybody is welcome to start it with a screwdriver - although I suppose that's tricky without an ignition barrel.......)
Fire! Like the Murci thread a couple days ago... Car is booked in for a week tomorrow. It had better come back with all these issues fixed - and behave itself between then and the 16th when it gets serviced.
(If not, there will be an orange McLaren parked at a TBD location on a TBD date, and anybody is welcome to start it with a screwdriver - although I suppose that's tricky without an ignition barrel.......)
I might get fed up with it, but it seems that most people still love it.
Stopped at the supermarket on the way home. As I got out of the car, a group of guys were walking past and were very complimentary about the car. And they clearly don't depreciate as much as people say, because one of them reckoned it must be over a million.
When I was leaving, had started the car when somebody suddenly appeared at the drivers window - a guy of about 20 who seemed very excited. Apparently, it is 'the b
ks'. At least, I think he said that - maybe he's just read this thread and said 'it's bks!'.
I don't actually like the attention it grabs most of the time - but today, it did make me smile.
Stopped at the supermarket on the way home. As I got out of the car, a group of guys were walking past and were very complimentary about the car. And they clearly don't depreciate as much as people say, because one of them reckoned it must be over a million.
When I was leaving, had started the car when somebody suddenly appeared at the drivers window - a guy of about 20 who seemed very excited. Apparently, it is 'the b
ks'. At least, I think he said that - maybe he's just read this thread and said 'it's bks!'.I don't actually like the attention it grabs most of the time - but today, it did make me smile.
davek_964 said:
I might get fed up with it, but it seems that most people still love it.
Stopped at the supermarket on the way home. As I got out of the car, a group of guys were walking past and were very complimentary about the car. And they clearly don't depreciate as much as people say, because one of them reckoned it must be over a million.
When I was leaving, had started the car when somebody suddenly appeared at the drivers window - a guy of about 20 who seemed very excited. Apparently, it is 'the bks'. At least, I think he said that - maybe he's just read this thread and said 'it's bks!'.
I don't actually like the attention it grabs most of the time - but today, it did make me smile.
Hopefully that took the edge of your niggle 'woes'. Stopped at the supermarket on the way home. As I got out of the car, a group of guys were walking past and were very complimentary about the car. And they clearly don't depreciate as much as people say, because one of them reckoned it must be over a million.
When I was leaving, had started the car when somebody suddenly appeared at the drivers window - a guy of about 20 who seemed very excited. Apparently, it is 'the b
ks'. At least, I think he said that - maybe he's just read this thread and said 'it's bks!'.I don't actually like the attention it grabs most of the time - but today, it did make me smile.
The Mac does attract a shed load of attention, but i am sure that the Ferrari spiders i had before did so also.
It just seems as though in the Mac people are more at ease to approach and pass comment or ask if they can get pics of the car....and I am always more than delighted to oblige.
I just cannot figure out why people just seem to feel more comfortable approaching than they ever were when i owned the Ferraris.
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