Hi guys two questions for you about VDC- first off my car didn't come with a manual and I've been avoiding asking this for the past 2 months, waiting for some other newb to do it or just catch it by chance (yes I searched, it's impossible to find) but here goes: What exactly does VDC stand for?

Secondly, I happened to be driving completely sideways in the rain a while back, inadvertantly and with VDC on. I wasn't traveling very fast but clearly accelerated into a rounded left turn a bit too hard and broke loose very suddenly. It happened very quickly, I just took my foot off and corrected easily and just as quickly, but I was very close to a full 90 degree powerslide. Luckily it was a three lane, I was in the middle, and no one else was around. I wasn't flooring by any means, and yes I entered a bit fast but it was less than 40mph including the acceleration. I am auto but now it didn't downshift or anything, I had it in third. I don't know if the slip light came on or not since I had other things going on at the time. I've since replaced my rear wheels with wider stickier better tires on them, but is this normal for the VDC being on? Thanks!

 

VDC = Vehicle Dynamic Control

 

VDC can only do so much. It will hit the brakes in order to get back in control But of you are flying and crank the wheel, no amount of VDC will help. Physics > VDC anytime.

 

Thanks guys, I guess I just need a nice empty parking lot and some rain to get the proper feel of the car, but we all need empty parking lots in the rain sometimes.

 

Maybe your old tires were worn....

 

Darn...i thought this thread was about how to drive Dukes of Hazzard sideways.

 

It could be... with the proper throttle pressure and steering adjustments you can drift in a circle forever like in the movie, until your tires blow out or you run out of gas anyway. The G needs some power adders to do this effectively/more easily I would think, unless you're really good. Steering with the gas pedal is sweet!

Do we have a lot of drifters here?

 

+1 on the worn tires

 

You must have shake the steering wheel very rapidly for the car to do that with VDC on. VDC is usually too sensitive to allow something like that to happen, especially in the rain.

 

had it just started to rain? the oils on the road lift, and haven't been washed away yet, so the road is it's slipperiest. also, not all tires are good in the rain (even so-called all-seasons). even if you have great dry tires, they won't nesc. do any good in the rain...

if you really cranked it into the corner, there's nothing the vdc coulda done, and it can't do much for tires that can't cope with the rain...

might also want to check your shocks and springs in the back... that's what cause my last car to spin out all the time... wrong sized springs (previous owner's fault)

 

I love to get the g sideways evey chance i get. I wish there was a big area that I could screw around and not get in trouble

 

Back when my car was stock it was so much fun to pitch around in round-abouts or random turns because it could always come out of it. Not now, it has too much power and just likes to always try to turn around or actually go sideways on me. Still a ton of fun but takes more work to control now.

 

I've had the same thing happen to me before - getting the rear end way out on a slippery, wet road with the VDC on. I didn't see the slip light and never felt the VDC doing its thing. It suprised me a bit but easily corrected by just taking the foot off the gas. Not really a big deal for me since I'm used to rwd. When I was younger, I used to go out at night in the rain to drift, before I even knew it had a name. It's a little more tricky with the 6mt, though.

 

i have notice on a few of the rounded right hand turns around here that you can get it to drift right to left if you keep the car straight. if you break it loose and get the wheel just right you can get across one or two lanes in a slide without tripping the VDC...its fun trying to trick the sensors...with it off you can over power the rear with no issue at all even on stock engine.

that is one of the major complaint of the unfun outsiders...that the car is too tail happy!

i think most of us tend to love it...

 

Tail happy =