This busted Fanatec Porsche GT2 got the best of my skills to fix, including how to remove them buttons

How it should be

Another good one

I already posted some things about my struggle with racing games and steering wheels around here and now i present another chapter of my battle with this freaking Fanatec Porsche GT2.

The original problem: this shitty wheel always felt strange in some times, now losing its mind completely - by mind a i mean center, it was going off center hard.

The diagnosis: this is really a shitty wheel, since i found that the source of the problem was that the center hub that connects the round thingy to its base was completely busted: the holes that once held the wheel to the base became one giant hole AND the thing that goes out the base to hold the wheel was fucked up too (see images, please).

And the base thing

How mine was

I don´t care with the fact that this wheel was bought used and whatever the previous owner did with it. I simply can´t imagine a Logitech having the same "issues", if you dare to call them that. And by Logitech i mean the old an plastichy Driving Force GT and the G25/G27, that are the benchmark for me.

Solution

I had already removed that stinky alcantara off the wheel and have other issues with this so called

steering wheel. And now it´s too much. But i fixed them well. Look at the pictures to see an artist´s
work.

I had to make a steel plate, fix it with screws to the wheel and have some new holes in line to attach it to the base. Go look ate the pictures, go! It´s genius! Certainly a Logitech´s way to do things.

It worked great, but my problems started before i could see the real damage: searching for disassembly instructions online, i couldn't find how to remove those stupid second class buttons from the front of the wheel. Everybody explained the damn steps like this:

Solution after cables

1- remove the center cap with something;
2- undo the screws that secures the wheel to the base, yes, those in the middle, behind the cables;
4- hold the wheel while you undo the center screw that holds the base cover (yes this doesn't have anything to do with my problem);
5- remove the screws behind the wheel to remove the front plate;
6- undo the screws that holds the circuit board;
8- done! everything is awesome!

Yes, the steps 3 and 7 and 9 are missing:
3- detach the cable from the circuit board so you don´t have to hold the freaking wheel all the time!;
7- to remove those flappy front buttons you just pull out the metal cylinder that´s sticking out of the superior ones and pull the inferior ones out as well;
9- you still have a plastic structure to remove after the circuit board is out, just do it by pushing some plastic locks in its sides and be careful with the force feedback motors and its tiny wires.

Step 7: pull with your fingers

10- really done.

Step 3 is a problem for owners of older versions because the cable is fucking GLUED to the board, and i think this and the fact that most people are dealing with numerous motors, sensors and belts problems inside the base are responsible for this step being neglected.

But i really couldn't find how to remove those awful buttons anywhere!! And nobody cared about the plastic bit in step 9, since they didn't have to build a whole new center for their wheels - or simply threw them in the garbage where it belongs after this Fanatec crap misbehaved.

Solution after cables and plastic structure

So this was it. As you can see i´m a very happy person, loving the actual racing games scene that have titles that doesn't even support wheels, titles that have that nice arcade dynamics of the 90s and wheel manufactures that charge us more than the new generation consoles for their products, some of which are almost exactly the same product as the old ones that are incompatible (you too Logitech? Fuck!).

And, AND this Porsche GT2 piece of shit is now compatible with the Xbox One. No thanks.

I have to say that playing racing games with a joystick is really great, really underrated. We. Are. Fucked.