I search and searched the forum, but could not get specifics. Can someone relate prior experience for the G35C with the VDC-off at cornering limits? Can you feel the car begining to loose it? Does it break away gradually or does it snap-out suddenly?

I am wondering if the VDC kicks in pretty early. I've gotten sort of a pulsing (entire car seems to pulse every half to one second) feeling when zipping through sweeping hwy exits, and on sharper street turns, I've gotten the slip light to come on easily. For a car that can pull that many G's (on paper), my sense is that it is loosing it a earlier than expected.

I have had some track experience 4-wheel drifting my Audi 20 to 30 feet, but the quattro-system tends to take care of you. I've also take my wife's mid-size rear-drive Mercedes (with ESP; which is like VDC) through some "fun corners", and I've never encountered this pulsing sensation or gotten the Mercedes slip light to come on, unless I purposely induced it. Another way to describe the pulsing is that I feel the entire car wobble/rock back-and-forth, ever so slightly.

Just wanted to know that to expect when I turn off the VDC; esp. with it telling me that I am slipping so much. BTW: I've got an AT with the 17" wheels. ok...so I did not get the 18", but my two german auto's have smaller wheels and they are still fun at the limits.

Thx.

 

The G's handling limit shows up as understeer (pushing), unless you are too hard on the throttle in the corner, then you lose the rearend. With the VDC on, it kills the throttle when it senses the slip, long before you get into trouble.

If you want to have extreme fun (powerslide, drift, spin, etc.,) you need to turn the VDC off. Make sure to do it in a safe place, with nobody nearby. Better yet, take it to the track and go crazy.


Black/Willow 03.5 6MT, Premium, Navi, Aero, SAT
350Z Nismo CAI

 

The 'pulsing' is the VDC at work. It is attempting to hold your intended racing line by applying brakes to the appropriate wheel(s), but doing a 'choppy' job at it. This has always been one of my major gripes with the Nissan stability system. By the way, the 'Slip' light does not go off durring this 'pulsing' shenanigan (at least it didnt' with my '04).

Try with the VDC 'off' and you will find all of the above absent. Do be careful with the sudden oversteer. I would suggest trying this out at a track or something. It's the only place where you can safely exploit and learn your car at its limit.

Clint (THX723)<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small"><EM>Edited by THX723 on 01/17/04 07:40 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

I almost ended up on the other side of the road with VDC turned off. My music was too loud, and I didn't hear the tires spinning out. I didn't even realize that I was pressing the pedal too hard. Luckily, I noticed the spin, and let go off the gas on time. Be very careful with VDC off.

G35 Coupe. Diamond Graphite, Graphite, Premium and wheel and Tire package. Zaino Baby.

 

If you can find a local autocross, that'd probalby be the best place to try performance driving with the VDC turned off. It's relatively low speeds, there's only cones and it's usually a wide open skidpad/parking lot, other than the cones.
It's a whole different car at the limit, with the VDC off. I prefer having it off, so I can drive the car and have the car respond to my imputs, regardless of what they are, or what the car is doing.
And yeah, it feels almost like someone's sorta tapping the brakes, right?


Justin McClanahan
Heavily Modified 95 Infiniti G20
Working on a G35 Project Coupe
http://www.EverythingG35.com

 

isn't the brake tapping coming from the ABS, and not the VDC?

G35 Coupe. Diamond Graphite, Graphite, Premium and wheel and Tire package. Zaino Baby.

 

ABS only pulsates the brakes under heavy braking, to keep the wheels/tires from locking up and sliding/skidding on the driving surface.

Justin McClanahan
Heavily Modified 95 Infiniti G20
Working on a G35 Project Coupe
http://www.EverythingG35.com

 

DO NOT TURN VDC OFF AT ALL
Words written in higher caps can often be interpreted as someone screaming or yelling. In this case you should interpret it as just that. I got in a whole ton of trouble because of having VDC off not to mention a reckless driving summons. Don't do it unless you in an unrestricted area. I learned the hard way...

2003.5 Blk/Blk w/all dem options

 

All-righty-then - Thank you all for your words of caution and experience. I guess, I'll have to find an auto cross event to test out the limits. Yes - the pulsing sensation is just like someone is tapping on the brakes, and the slip light does not come on. Also THX723 mentioned "sudden oversteer" - which is exactly the words I was hoping not to hear, but that tells me exactly what I wanted to know. This is a great forum, thanks.

 

I prefer driving with the VDC off when I want to have fun because it seems that it kicks in way too early. I wonder if the nismo sway bar kit alone would take care of that understeering.

 

I usually drive iwith it on, unless I plant to redline the car and only do this in a straight line.

VDC has helped me in the rain, and doesn't seem to come on too early. In fact I drifted the car when it was cold out without having the slip light engage for some reason. I'm not sure if that is normal or not though.

 

3do, where are you located?
I wish people would ad that item to their profile

I agree with alot of others by saying the VDC is over-sensative, but it is neccessary for the masses.
After you turn it off and get busy on a damp road you'll understand why the engineers made it this way. Can you imagine someone with no rear drive experience getting in this car with the VDC off? Scary thought!!
You have track experience so I'm sure you will approach the limits slowly. This car is a refined racecar for the streets, it has factory dialed in understeer because it is considered a safety measure for street cars. The thinking on this is to keep the car going in a safe direction when too much steering is input at a given speed. It is considered safer for a car to hit something head-on than sideways or backwards, they're built this way.
I've tracked this car at Summit Point and find that it has alot of understeer initially, but after getting a feeling for it and the tires warmed up you can counter that by trail braking and the use of trailing throttle oversteer.
After a couple of laps the car is quite predictable and it loves to oversteer after apex. You've gotta be smooth on the throttle and fast on the steering, then your brain will say stuff live "wheeeeeeeeehawwwwwww" alot.

JD
2003.5 Coupe, Blk/Blk

 

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

..but it is neccessary for the masses.

<hr></blockquote>

AMEN!

However, I do not agree with some people who tell us to "NOT TURN IT OFF". Some of us have been driving RWD cars well before VDC, ESP, TCS, etc were even invented, and therefore understand the behavior of such cars. I do agree that if John Q. Public decides to buy this car to replace his '93 Accord, that he should certainly keep it on.


'04 G35C / 6MT / DP / Graphite / Prem / Aero

 

04G...
By me saying "NOT TO TURN IT OFF", I say it out of general concern and guidance based on past experience. I understand if several people here have the world of experience in RWD. Some don't! So ignore the statement and move on. Also you know no matter how much experience you got, everyone f*cks up once a while. And for those who have been with the inventors of rear wheel drive cars to know these cars so well no offense meant, like I said just statement because of a bad past experience. Take heed to if need or ignore it and move on.

2003.5 Blk/Blk w/all dem options