Top Tips for new owners

Anything F-Type related......
AdoptedYorkie
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2024 1:39 pm

Post by AdoptedYorkie »

Ok, so as a very new owner of a lovely P340 R-Dynamic Auto, it got me thinking.

Having seen many other posts about people looking or recently purchased, to you experienced owners - what would be the best tip you could give to a newbie?
MY2019 Caldera Red P340 RWD Auto R-Dynamic

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WShudds
Posts: 533
Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2023 10:43 pm

Post by WShudds »

- Drive it as much as possible under different conditions, on different modes, until you've learned the car's limits. Having done that, I now only drive in Dynamic mode.
- To Fuse 15 or not to Fuse 15, this is the question. I cross to the dark side and never looked back
- Tyres! Make sure you're running on UHP tyres, Pirelli P zero J (OEM) as a minimum and replace them at 3 mm
- Don't use a tunnel wash, 5 pound car wash as it will ruin the paintwork. The clear coat is more on the soft side and can scratch easily. Learn how to take care of it.
- Careful with the wider body. I scratched my rear passenger wheel driving into a very narrow car park entrance within days having never ever done that to any of my previous cars. It's been repaired now.
- List your previous cars here
viewtopic.php?t=8304
MY18 Manual :o P340 R-Dynamic RWD Coupe, Caldera Red on 19˝ Centrifuge wheels. Pzero. Mods: Reverse camera, interior/puddle lights and tinted windows.
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scm
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Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 11:39 am
Location: Southampton, UK

Post by scm »

WShudds wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 3:39 pm - Careful with the wider body. I scratched my rear passenger wheel driving into a very narrow car park entrance within days ...
It's not so much the wider body as the wider rear wheels and offset. Though the width did surprise me when I tried to park behind a Volvo and banged the kerb - those Volvos are so narrow! :shock:
MY18 F-Type V8 R AWD in Glacier White
Lots of leather and toys, and loads of noise!
gasgas
Posts: 601
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2018 6:55 pm
Location: Devon

Post by gasgas »

simple just get out and drive it, enjoy every second
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MajorTom
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Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:57 pm
Location: Luxembourg

Post by MajorTom »

Lots of good advice above. To put it short, enjoy it, take good care of it and it will take good care of you. :) But to be a bit more specific:

- Drive it properly and give it a good Italian tuneup every now and then. Good both for the car and you. ;)
- Apply mechanical sympathy. When the water temp gauge has reached its normal level the engine isn't warm enough. Rule of thumb is to drive the car for 12-15 minutes before really opening it up.
- Only use good high octane fuel. On top of that a bottle of injector cleaner like BG44K once a year or so is good.
- Be aware of the length of the front of the car. It's probably longer up front than you're used to from other cars so be careful if you're parking with the front towards a kerb where the front parking sensors may not catch it and you can hit the front spoiler if not careful.
- Part of taking good care of it is to garage it if you can, although I realise that's often not possible in the UK.
- If you intend to leave it outdoors in rain or wash it - make sure to have the engine cover on and modify the engine cover by adding something on the sides that directs water away from the engine block. Especially useful if you have the open mesh vents which I believe you have.
- In hot dry summer weather, better keep the engine cover off.
- Consider blocking the symposer. It's a tiny completely reversable modification which takes a few minutes and improves the in cabin sound by removing unnecessary engine drone.
- Presuming that you have the LED lights, as long as you have a warranty, keep a close eye on the left hand side DRL which seems to fail more or less sooner or later in all facelift cars.
- Check the rubber along the side edges of the boot opening which tend to become loose over time and cause some odd in cabin noise at higher speeds.
- Get familiar with how to manually put the gearbox in neutral with the little strap in the centre cubby, to be ready in the unlikely event of needing to be towed. In connection to that, remove the cover that hides the strap and consider removing its clips to make it easier to remove if needed.
MY18 V6S R-Dynamic coupé RWD with about every toy and option you could get
BRG, design black pack, 20" carbon blades, pano, full Sienna tan interior with performance seats...
DaddyDarren
Posts: 1044
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2016 7:30 pm
Location: Nottingham UK

Post by DaddyDarren »

Tiny smear of silicone grease along all rubber door & window sealing strips. Doesn’t need much, just a tiny bit on your finger will do both sides.

Makes world of difference for the smooth opening & closing of doors/windows.

Dry rubbers cause juddering, strain on door window mechanism, can move rubbers out of place causing gaps & wind noise.

Only needs doing once a year. Small tin on eBay for £3.88
White 2014 V6 Coupe
OEM P7 Grill
VAP Lowering Springs
VAP 200 Cell Cats & Downpipes
VAP Pulley & Stage II 453 BHP Remap
Vorsteiner 21” V-FF 103 Alloys
PB Brakes 8/6 Pot Drilled Big Brake Kit
mono-uk
Posts: 178
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2021 10:26 am
Location: Warwickshire

Post by mono-uk »

AdoptedYorkie wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 2:31 pm Ok, so as a very new owner of a lovely P340 R-Dynamic Auto, it got me thinking.

Having seen many other posts about people looking or recently purchased, to you experienced owners - what would be the best tip you could give to a newbie?
Dont bin it
Current: Black MY16 V8R AWD F-Type Convertible, Blade wheels, Exterior Black Pack
Previous: Black MY15 V6S F-Type Convertible, Blade wheels
Kev
Posts: 412
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2023 4:01 pm
Location: Near Chichester

Post by Kev »

Install a trickle charger/battery maintainer
Avoid Pirelli P-Zero (grip) and put either Michelin PS4S or Continental Sport Contact 7's on and you'll feel more confident with the grip, but do be aware that UHP (Ultra High Performance) tyres don't perform at their best when ambient temperatures are in single figures
Be prepared for compliments from strangers regarding the car
Keep on top of the service intervals
Don't ever mention Fuse 15 on the forum
Consider PPF in areas susceptible to stone chipping
If you don't already, use the two bucket method or snow foam etc. to wash the car
Keep the tailgate drain holes clear
Enjoy driving it!
MY18 V6S AWD P400 Santorini Black
MY16 V6S AWD British Racing Green (Rejected)
mickjaguar
Posts: 1334
Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2016 6:07 pm
Location: Chichester

Post by mickjaguar »

Keep an eye out for steep inclines and cambers at junctions etc. The plastic lip will make a horrible scraping noise, but it is designed to do this. You'll soon get used to spotting when ground clearance is poor and approach these at an angle rather than head on. Traffic bumps are never usually a problem.

Also, leave slightly more distance when being the first in the queue at traffic lights. That way you don't have to duck down to see when the lights go green.
2019 SVR Coupe, Velocity Blue
Previous 2015 V6 340 Coupe IRR
AdoptedYorkie
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2024 1:39 pm

Post by AdoptedYorkie »

Awesome tips everyone, thank you!

Useful to me, hopefully to others as well.

Is it just me or does the ride seem less choppy at very slow speeds (20mph ish) when in Dynamic mode?
MY2019 Caldera Red P340 RWD Auto R-Dynamic
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