The last couple of days have been really nice here in Fort Worth, and with the lower temperatures the tires aren't quite as grippy as they are in the 90-100F ambient temperatures normally associated with August and early September.
So, I've been taking the opportunity to play with the VDC. And, I mean "play", not just cause it to trigger.
On my route home I have a couple of stop signs where I take a turn. There is a very simple way to play with the car, demonstrating how long the VDC takes to kick in and how dumb it is when it does kick in:
- Pull from the stop sign easily, turning into your new road. Turn very slightly shallow for the corner so you don't end up in the oncoming lane.
- Still in 1st gear, punch it.
- Only a split second later, lift completely. You'll get a jump out of the rear-end.
- Enjoy the noise as VDC gets confused.
Using this, you can jump the rear end 1-3 feet sideways before the VDC even starts to work. By the time VDC kicks in, you've already lifted and regained traction in the rear of the car. As you're off the throttle, you can actually hear the VDC working the brakes and throttle attempting to "straighten" the car out.
Of course, it does this completely uselessly, the orientation and stability of the car do not change while the VDC is working in this test.
It's also possible to do this in 2nd gear, however it's quite a bit more difficult. I am still trying to learn the trick, but I have accidentally rotated the car a couple feet using the throttle without tagging the VDC a few times. The problem with 2nd is that applying throttle increases rear traction. Breaking traction in this case requires more application of power, but also needs much finer control to avoid the VDC in the process. When it works, it's a beautiful thing.
Fun stuff...
Kal.
'04 G35 Coupe 6MT, Black/Black, Premium Package, Aero Package w/Spoiler, Infinity Basslink, Clear Bra
you can jump the rear end 1-3 feet sideways before the VDC even starts to work. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Nobody here pay any attention to Kal when he posts how many miles he got on his tires. [lol]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
[:P] [finger]
[werd]
Woo, I get to use emoticons.
Kal.
'04 G35 Coupe 6MT, Black/Black, Premium Package, Aero Package w/Spoiler, Infinity Basslink, Clear Bra
Well, in fairness to Inifiniti, at least they gave us a switch to turn the VDC off when we don't need the helpful overseer to protect us from ourselves. Also, remember that while I'm sure this was a fun demo (hmmm, I may try it myself...), it does not exactly reflect the conditions in which VDC was really meant to step in and do its thing. About a year ago, I was driving my previous car, a V-6 Camry with VSC (Toyota's VDC-like system), just after a rain storm. I took a tight Interstate off-ramp a bit too fast (60-ish when I should have been doing 35-ish). Sure enough, it quickly started breaking free from the slick pavement. Almost together, the low traction light came on and the "VSC correcting" tone went off. Most memorable though was how effectively the car corrected itself, despite my inept inputs. This is the sort of scenario in which VDC/VSC really shine. But I see your point too.
Oh yeah, do the coupes have handbrakes (I've got a Sedan)? The sort of fun you're describing can be greatly "enhanced" with the added control of a parking brake at your fingertips. . .
my stupid foot brake isnt working.... i dont know... it has WAYYY to much play and when i hold it down while going 40 it dont slow me down what so ever.. :-... my rear brakes have a lot of meat on them.. is this normal?
AIM: Jo3yf
'03.5 5AT Sedan | Brilliant Silver/Graphite | Premium | Winter | Heated Seats/mirrors
350z Intake Tube | Stillen CAB | Clear Corners | Drilled Pedals | Stillen Cat Back | Infinty Kappa Perfect 6.5 w/ infinity 111w X 4 @ 4 Ohms | Eclipse CD5442 Head unit | Skyline Dash Swap | 18" Coupe rims
View my car at http://www.cardomain.com/id/joebizz. UPDATED!!
stru ... mind locked up my rear wheels ... only tried it once but it definitely worked
bizz - was it always like this? I remember my mom drove her 4Runner for about 15 miles with the e-brake on ... don't remember the dealer's words but we had to get it replaced or something
Hah hah...I knew that would get you spooled up Kal.
I just wanted to makes sure that folks did not have fun with their car and then start a topic that they are getting tire wear and not as many miles as they did with their Michelin® Energy™ MXV4® on their Honda Accord.[]
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Playing with VDC - 6MT
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