So tonight I was with a friend who was trying to teach me how to pull out of a slide. We were in a well lit parking lot with no cars - I felt safe doing the manuevers as we had acres of free space all around us. Anyways, in preparation for the slide I turn the VDC off and and turn the wheel to the left. Let off the brake, hit the gas hard in 1st gear and begin to slide with my rear around. The SLIP light comes on (I expected that) but even after I'm done sliding and have brought the car to a complete stop the SLIP light is still on. It doesn't flash like it does when the manuever is happening, rather it's just ON. And my VDC Off light is illuminated like it was before the manuever, but pressing the toggle switch doesn't make it go away.

I could only make the SLIP and VDC OFF lights go off after turning the ignition off. When I start the car back up everything is back to normal. I repeated the maneuver several times until I perfected it, but each time the same thing happened with the VDC and SLIP lights.

So being the n00b that I am, I have to ask you guys...Why does the car keep the VDC OFF and SLIP lights on? It's almost like the computer that controls those lights froze - it just doesn't respond unless I "reboot" it by turning the engine off. Am I pushing the cars computer to overload or something? Is there another way to reset it other than shutting the engine off? And please don't tell me not to do stupid maneuvers in parking lots - I'm just trying to familiarize myself with the power of the RWD G35.
Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

Its normal, you can also take off the vdc fuse, so it doesnt come on at all..

 

By "normal", you mean it happens to every G? I kinda figured as much.
But do you know WHY it does this? Is it just too much slippage for the computer to handle? and is there another way to reset the lights other than turning the car off?

 

When the VDC & SLIP light turn on and stay on - you are in oversteering nirvana. This is 'Mode 0 - VDC completely off,' the G35 turns into a burnout/drifting/sliding machine. This mode is the best way to explore the raw FR nature of the car.

 

Cool, but is that the only way to get the car in to "Mode 0". It doesn't sound like it's in "mode 0" when the VDC button is pressed. Or is it?

Also, is the mode 0 the official term or did you just make that up

 

Unfortunately you can't get to Mode 0 by pressing the VDC button. You could achieve VDC zen (Mode zero) by disabling the VDC by pulling a fuse or disconnect the vehicle yaw sensor located under the center console though. Be careful as the plug is right next to the airbag sensor and you don't want to accidentally trip that one. As far as mode zero - I made it up. ha

 

lmao, im thinking.. mode 0?? WTF? good one

 

Thanks for the info Sukairain. Yes, I agree that VDC and the SLIP protection were TOTALLY off when the car was going wild. I do think that's kind of counter-intuitive, because if I was actually driving the car on the road and my car started to slide like crazy, that's exactly the kind of situation that I would WANT the computer to help me out with the VDC and SLIP. But, it is what it is, and hopefully I don't ever end up doing donuts accidentally in the middle of the freeway. lol

I also wonder if the SLIP would have turned itself off completely if I had NOT turned off the VDC. Maybe they programmed it like that to allow the car to be toyed with by speed freaks like me!

 

If the vdc is on the slip light will blink but will NOT stay on. I personally think with just VDC off you have a lot of control over the cars balance, actually so much control that i haven't noticed a difference between vdc off and vdc off with slip light on.

 

I never really understood the difference between SLIP and VDC anyways...I read the manual but they seem so similar.