Awesome thanks everyone, good info. I was curious and didn't find anything when I searched so I figured their might be people out there with a similar curiosity. Also the box info was pretty helpful never heard about it before!

 

Hmmm... sounds nice, but what if it shows you were 5mph over the speed limit, and yet that was a completely irrelevant factor in a particular incident. Regardless though, that fact (that you were technically "out of bounds") could be exploited to distort the real cause of the accident and make you potentially liable, or partially liable, where you may otherwise never have been suspected, let alone proven, to be at fault. It creates a technicality loophole for lawyers and ins. co's to jump through. Personally, I'd certainly prefer to go it sans black box, but at the very least, I'd prefer to have the right to control that info myself and decide whether I want to divulge it or not; much like deciding whether to "testify or take the fifth".

 

I have a supercharged g35. Almost 400hp to the wheels.. when i was stock, i turned off vdc and took a corner too fast, and crashed, after that, i NEVER turn it off.. I've been to the track, and unless its a straight line, i have vdc on at all times.

 

only when i drift :P

 

I have had the car for about 6 months and only turned it off a few times. I guess im not much of a daredevil

 

I am almost certain that having the box in your vehicle affects your insurance rate. Insurance companies are more likely to welcome the fact that there is a chance for them to get out of paying when a claim is filed. Be it paying you, or paying on your behalf to the other party involved in the accident. It is similar to getting a discount for having air bags, abs, or an anti theft device.
I do remember seeing a passage in the owner's manual, which mentions that Nissan reserves the right to scan the box when the vehicle is involved in an accident and the local authrities are asking for the recorded information, or even during routine service at the dealer for "improvements" or research - I can't remember the exact terminology used.

 

If VDC is affecting you on the streets gtfo of the streets and go to a track.

I drive 100% of the time with VDC on its their to save your *** if you mess up. You will never match how well VDC controls your car at the time of an accident/issue and if you are inexperienced then heck why are you even touching the button?

Only time it has been turned off for me is when I was at the track.


There is absolutely no reason to turn it off.


Here is what it does

 

I always turn it off because of my Nismo 2-way if not the car jerks like crazy. I don't go crazy with it off either I drive it as if it wa still on.

 

Ehh, I have to say that that video is lame; it looks like a cheap sales pitch. As you can guess, it purports to show what the traction control can do to maintain control of the car in a panic maneuver vs. what a would happen without it. However, what the video also clearly shows is that, when driving w/o traction control, the "driver" does absolutely nothing to steer into the skid and try to gain control by balancing the slide; he just holds the wheel in the same position and lets the car come completely around. If this is a given driver's instinct, to freeze up, lock the wheel in place, and basically make no effort at "driving", then by all means that driver should never be driving without it. But, if you think this video in any way demonstrates a fair comparison with what an experienced driver (not even a trained pro) would likely do in the scenario shown, I think your greatly mistaken and falling for their exaggerations.

 

Does a VDC light come on when it is activated during a manuever? I have been trying to get it to activate and it hasn't happened yet. Maybe I haven't pushed it hard enough yet.

 

Well, the "SLIP" light comes on when power is being routed to the front wheels. The only light referring to VDC tells you when it is off.

 

heh I knew someone would bring that up, yea its just an over steer VDC/ESP test rather then a driving scenario.

Just showing what it can do some people have no idea. How many people do you think know how to properly execute a save in that situation on the street or at highway speed?

But Yea sure, a "experienced" driver can counter steer give throttle ..ect but he cannot brake individual wheels let alone as fast as VDC can while applying ABS to the wheel for max grip.

Skip to 3min, This is Tiff Needell he is what you can call an experienced driver, if you dont know who he is google him


Yea its on sheet ice I know but it goes to show how effective ESP is.

Which is why I keep it on.

 

I will say the VDC in my 07 g35 sedan saved my *** on at least 2 occasions. In one instance I was going about 70 on a hwy in Dallas and this guy got pissed at me and slammed on his brakes right in front of me. I swerved to miss him and lost control but the VDC kept in in check. I have lost control that very same way and spun out so I could tell it was really doing something spectacular. I'm an advocate of this feature at all times. The ONLY time I turn it off is when I want to do a burnout off the line.

 

That was definitely a much better demonstration; there's no question of the system's superiority there. As a for my token plug for the human factor (you knew it was coming ), I'd have to say that the circumstances were clearly beyond what an experienced driver would/should ever have gotten himself into; 70 mph on sheet ice !! Hello, who does that?



btw, I am NOT an advocate of driving around with VDC off, I just hate the thought of a world where all drivers grow up driving cars that do all the driving for them (traction control, cruise control, parallel parking, lane change detection, etc. etc.). What bad habits will be fostered and forgiven? Will fundamental skills be developed, or will we just become more dependent? <<end rant >>

 

I got a buddy who is a forman at nissan and one of the best techs in so cal and he said that the only cars that can turn the traction control off 100% is the 350z. All the g35 g37 and 370z when switched off is still in a control state mainly because not everyone is as great a driver as they think they are. Like the corvettes have 2 different levels to their traction control, off and somewhat off. I've only had my 05 g35 for about a month and with the vdc on I get it skipping tires around corners and while off (even though im not try to) I don't feel it wanting to slid at all. I was just hoping to get a little more feel out of it but noticed no difference. Even launching I get no wheel spin but it is a 5at with lsd and I haven't tried power braking it yet. I noticed most of you posting have x's too so maybe that different being awd. Anyways that's what I've noticed.