it kicks back on under extreem driving conditions...

 

A Base Z with LSD

 

And how extreme do we have to be?

Because with VDC off, I feel very much on my own. I was pretty much helpless on my first drifting attempt, second gear and partial throttle with the wheels spinning, a good 180 degrees of opposite lock… I still ended up in a spin out and I never heard/felt any brakes being applied…

I have a ’05 Track, maybe the programming is different?

 

i was wondering the same thing as Kolia.

On many occasions, I've turned it off and been able to smoke my wheels without interruption. If not for me letting off the gas or shifting, they would keep spinning into oblivion.

 

Same with me. I hear this all the time about the VDC kicking back on but I've "drifted" and done uturns and donuts and never had any sort of interference.

 

that(and most of the cases discussed here) is just a traction control issue

VDC is much more invasive, it monitors throttle position, steering angle, brakes, differential and a bunch of other sensors. It doesn't only engage when accelerating and spinning tires, it can intervene in ANY situation, at any throttle rate, even under braking with zero throttle imput.

Honestly this topic has been debated to death, and personally, I still haven't understood this thing completely myself, lol. On one side I don't understand why it wouldn't be 100% off when switch is activated... yet some people (knowledgeable people) claim it's not 100% off and they feel a difference...

 

I remember when I first got my car and raced some 318, I turned it off, then flipped the clutch and it turned back on and bogged.....but then after that it never happened again

 

I was under the impression (this was back in '03) that the VDC would still intervene somewhat after you shut it off, but if you spun the wheels wildly after hitting the switch, the slip light would come on and stay on, indicating the system had totally shut down, and you could not re-engage VDC unless you shut the car off and restarted. Dunno about being able to do standing burnouts, though... I have not tried any of this myself...

The inconsistencies in stories here may be due to differences in model years.

Anyway, couldn't one just wire a switch into that box to kill and re-enable the system at will? I'd think that would be the ideal way to do it.

 

I will look into making a switch that will go nicely next to the heated seats button console...

but, i am not sure if it will work turning it on and off while driving ...

 

I just want to make a few comments, not sure if my car is weird, but I have a 2003 track model, build date aug 2002.

I've had my VDC disabled for about 10 months now. I've had a couple panic stops happen in daily traffic and both times the car skidded with a huge tire screech - which ABS is supposed to prevent right?

When I look at the service manual, ABS seems to be built into the wiring diagrams along with the VDC. So meaning you can't easily disconnect VDC and still have ABS unless you make a custom switch.

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....ght=brake+fuse

Z350Lover did exactly that and says he for sure has ABS now with VDC fully disabled

I haven't felt like I have ABS even when on the track I've locked a wheel up once or twice.

I'm considering doing a custom switch like what Z350Lover had done to give me my ABS back but still completely disable VDC.


When the VDC button is "off" it is not fully off. I don't know how many times people need to be told this who still say "off" means off. I've gone back and forth a couple times with it being disabled and "off" and you will see the occasional SLIP light come on and the throttle/brakes kick in. This usually easily happens when I power oversteer my car to kick the tail out when making an adventurous turn on a road.

"off" is not off




I still maintain that I think VDC is dangerous for most all spirited/fast driving - not so much the VDC part, but the TCS part where it cuts throttle by any amount

 

You will still hear a loud screech if your ABS is working... BUt your wheels will not be totally locked... Were you able to turn the wheel like completely to the left and the car still go completely straight and then all of a sudden shoot to the left? (example)...

Thats when the ABS isnt working... you will feel the brake pedal vibrate too...

The method described above still alows for ABS to work... I have not done the brake fuse pull...

 

yeah it was hard to tell cause I wasn't so focused on the ABS and was hoping I wasn't going to hit another car at the time.

When I was on the track, I suppose the ABS might not have kicked in , but it was during a mid turn and the car almost did a thing where it pivoted on one of the front tires around the turn and felt like it might have been brake lock up.

It's hard to tell when you're not expecting it cause you're not paying specific attention to it

The two times on the street I was going straight and didn't try turning

I know I could test it out if I go out and do a panic stop all on my own and see if I can feel the ABS, but my brake pads are wearing thin right now and don't want to beat up my rotors or risk flat spotting my tires any if the ABS were to be disabled.

The ABS light isn't on, just the VDC OFF and SLIP lights, so it would make sense if the ABS is still engaged, but i dunno.

Your car is a 2004 performance right jason? You've for sure engaged ABS and felt the ABS grinding feel?

 

I WANT SOMEONE ELSE TO TRY THIS, I NOTICED IF I TURN ON VDC OFF "LIGHT ON" THEN RELEASE THE BUTTON, THEN PUSH IT AND HOLD IT FOR LIKE 5 OR 6 SECONDS IT GOES OFF AND WONT COME BACK ON AGAIN TILL I RESTART THE CAR! WHATS UP WITH THAT???

 

hmm that'd be interesting, that's how corvettes work - hold the traction control button in for a few seconds and it disables everything except ABS I think

 

Sounds like your car started to oversteer and rear end slip out from under you... Thats what happens when you give it a little too much throttle under hard cornering... That will happen ABS or not...

I have a 2003 performance... I have engaged ABS with both my stock brakes and stop tech brakes with ths VDC disabled...

 

hmm well that's good news to me then.

maybe I'll try to test it out tonight

 

all good stuff, Jason!!! except for the VDC /SLIP light

I'd just get out the manual, find the circuit for that light and unplug that annoying sucker. i don't think there would be any probs with that, do you?

 

it doesnt bother me...

just put a piece of black masking tape over the lights... dont cut any wires..

 

no cutting...I was thinking of just unplugging the circuit wire to the light.

 

But the data does not support your position. Driving may be more fun and absolute tract times may be quicker with VDC off, but is less dangerous in general in the real world with VDC on. VDC has reduced the mortality rate, but ABS has not reduced the mortality rate. This may not make sense to some, but them is the facts. I should also note that some editors have found that track times are actually quicker in some high performance cars with very mild VDC (especially the TCS) on. This is of course, an opinion, not a fact.