Guys just a reminder that in situation that you are trying to get through some deep snow(not trying to drive at road speeds) in your driveway etc. That if you turn the VDC off you will more likely make it out than with it on. Yesterday I was leaving the house we had about 12" of snow and I did not want to clear the driveway til I got home, with the vdc on I made little progress(yes, I had snow mode on). Once I stopped making headway(1/2 way out) I was sure I was stuck, shut the VDC down, dropped the hammer and out she came. Just food for thought. Likewise, I would not recomend driving the car w/ VDC off down the road in bad weather. Safe drinvin to all!

 

I dont even drive on normal roads with VDC. The car just likes to unsersteer and i like have the confidence to just give it the beans and correct myself from any bad situations.

 

yeah, though i've been stuck a few times where the vdc allowed the wheels to "pulse" and eventually push the car out. other times it's useless. actually avoided an accident the other day that i wouldn't have been able to with the vdc on: an echo pulled into the intersection as i was going through, thought it was going to hit, but managed to swing the car out of the way just in time, vdc would have just slammed the brakes and made me slide into the echo...

on the highway, though, i tend to make sure the vdc is on, this is the last winter for my rear snows, so it can be a bit hairy.


if you pull the chip don't you loose the braking diff? (doesn't matter if you have a vlsd i guess)

 

You're walking on egg shells. I too have confidence in controlling my car when it comes to oversteer (RWDs oversteer a lot worse than the Xs) and I love doing some power induced oversteer on occasion, but for most driving, stability control (VDC) is engaged. That stuff flat out works and the stats clearly show it's the most effective safety advancement since the seat belt. Yes, stability control can dampened the driving experience at 8/10+ driving, but when that deer jumps out at you and you dodge it, put a tire on a sandy shoulder, and the car looses control, the VDC is going to do a far better job at controlling the car than most any driver, including race car drivers.

 

^ Well said.

 

I'm glad we don't have snow in Louisiana.

 

I agree. If im just out and about, everythings on. But if im in a spot that it needs to be off, its off.

 

I hear ya.

 

The best thing about traction control,vdc and awd is that when you mash the pedal and you will always be faster than any other traffic in the snow. Its also fun to fight the vdc around a curve and see how fast the car fixes itself. Woohoo! In the summer I have an older vette with no nanny electronics and it is scary fun.

 

i hate when the vdc kicks in when i don't want it to. i love it to keep me safe but when i want the rear to kick out it does but i hate the power lag! i have had to turn the VDC off in snow and skid the car up the driveway into the garage! lots of fun!

 

turning the VDC off made both my wheels spin whereas having it on just one kept spinning, i have a VLSD so it helps to get out of the snow better with the VDC off

 

HUH??

You must have some sort of special accident-causing VDC.

I've run autoX with mine on (by accident) and it never did anything with the brakes. Only when cornering too hard and/or spinning wheels will it cut power. And that would have no effect on avoiding an obstacle (unless that obstacle was coming AT you and you needed to turn and accelerate out of the way).

 

if i rip a corner too hard i hear a noise sounds like abs with the brakes make a noise and maybe it gives some brakes so i don't spin?

 

That's interesting.

I know with both my Z and now the G, it never applied my brakes for me.

 

VDC can certainly control the brakes. That's one of the advantages of VDC. It can brake individual wheels instead of having all 4 brake like when using the brake pedal.