When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have an 04 350z enthusiast convertible. I've always been a bit underwhelmed with the way the car corners. It feels like I can't really push it through an on ramp for example as much as I'd like to.
I recently drove the same on ramp I drive daily but with the TCS off. It felt like I could push it waay harder and it felt great. At no time in either drive with TCS or or off did the SLIP indicator on the dash come on.
Is my happiness with the handling with TCS off a figment of my imagination? I know if you want to hit the track you turn off TCS to enable some corner drifting, but I don't know if in normal hard street driving it makes any difference. I recall another person posting here a while back saying they always drive with TCS off unless it's raining, but I wasn't really clear on why.
i used to drive with mine off all the time, i didnt like how it would kick in during spirited driving and cut the accelerator. if you like the being able to carve a ramp feeling, upgrade the diff to a quaife or something and you will be grinning ear to ear
Though I've never tested it under controlled conditions, it feels like the TCS will apply before setting off the warning light, and unless an "threshold" of traction loss is met won't set the light off at all if it's corrected, but I can still feel the buzz-kill effect.
Or I'm just in serious denial about the traction breaking power of the Z. Probably that.
Though I've never tested it under controlled conditions, it feels like the TCS will apply before setting off the warning light, and unless an "threshold" of traction loss is met won't set the light off at all if it's corrected, but I can still feel the buzz-kill effect.
Or I'm just in serious denial about the traction breaking power of the Z. Probably that.
I tend to agree with this, based on my limited testing, that TCS kicks in before it hits the slip threshold, which makes sense because its probably preventative as much as it is reactive. Buzz-kill effect is a good way to put it.
My TCS stays off unless it's raining. The TCS turned on makes the clutch behave like garbage. The algorithms Nissan used on the 350Z pale in comparison the the stability control upgrades the 370Z received (better technology, better system.)
My TCS stays off unless it's raining. The TCS turned on makes the clutch behave like garbage. The algorithms Nissan used on the 350Z pale in comparison the the stability control upgrades the 370Z received (better technology, better system.)
Huh, that's interesting, how does it affect the clutch? Do you mean if you're engaging while the engine is at high RPM?
Nope, it's generally an issue when I'm just doing regular city driving. The car with TCS turned on is jerky on the shifts. Turned off, it's smooth as silk.
I'm gonna have to test the above theory. As a pretty new Z driver (though not a new stick driver), honestly didn't think the TCS could affect how smooth the manual shifts and responds. I do know how easy it is to do a burnout with the TCS off though!
Anyway, OP, how could you be underwhelmed by how this thing corners?? I'm baffled by that statement... perhaps you need new tires or somethin? Because TCS or not, I've been confidently whipping mine around the bends since the day I got it.
I'm gonna have to test the above theory. As a pretty new Z driver (though not a new stick driver), honestly didn't think the TCS could affect how smooth the manual shifts and responds. I do know how easy it is to do a burnout with the TCS off though!
Anyway, OP, how could you be underwhelmed by how this thing corners?? I'm baffled by that statement... perhaps you need new tires or somethin? Because TCS or not, I've been confidently whipping mine around the bends since the day I got it.
I agree about the TCS affecting shifting, I'm surprised to hear that and upon a first drive I can't say i noticed a difference in shifting with TCS off.
As for the cornering, I have pretty new high performance summer tires on 18" advan racing wheels, so I'm not concerned about my traction. It just feels when I push it through a corner that its like fighting back a little, but I noticed a clear difference with the TCS off that it really dug in and was much more thrilling.
i used to drive with mine off all the time, i didnt like how it would kick in during spirited driving and cut the accelerator. if you like the being able to carve a ramp feeling, upgrade the diff to a quaife or something and you will be grinning ear to ear
Originally Posted by mazzotta.al
I agree about the TCS affecting shifting, I'm surprised to hear that and upon a first drive I can't say i noticed a difference in shifting with TCS off.
As for the cornering, I have pretty new high performance summer tires on 18" advan racing wheels, so I'm not concerned about my traction. It just feels when I push it through a corner that its like fighting back a little, but I noticed a clear difference with the TCS off that it really dug in and was much more thrilling.
do the bolded part.....trust me, when i put mine in it was night and day difference
I agree about the TCS affecting shifting, I'm surprised to hear that and upon a first drive I can't say i noticed a difference in shifting with TCS off.
As for the cornering, I have pretty new high performance summer tires on 18" advan racing wheels, so I'm not concerned about my traction. It just feels when I push it through a corner that its like fighting back a little, but I noticed a clear difference with the TCS off that it really dug in and was much more thrilling.
Yeah, I've been paying a little more attention to how I connect to the road since turning off the TCS full time over the past 48 hours or so... and while I'm not sure if it's psychosomatic or not, I think I do feel a modest difference. Better shifts, a more raw and real driving experience... a little drift in a parking lot earlier today, just to say I did it .
Don't wanna ruin those new Nankangs I got though.
Anyway, I think I have a better understanding of where your head is at. My new tires definitely made a difference, so perhaps that's why I raised the subject to you... went up 20mm from stock on all tires (245 front/265 rear), and it's a double benefit... more comfortable, and "stickier" on the road.
Ah I see, so you weren't noticing the TCS affecting the traction as much because the tires were a limiting factor. good to know. mine are 245 front and 275 rear dunlop direzzas. I don't have a ton of tire knowledge, but they came with the car when I got it about a year ago and they seem good and were almost new. When I eventually get new ones I'll probably go top of the line just to know the difference.
How long have you had your car? Just curious because that's one of the first things I did was turn off the tcs. It's second nature now, I get in and turn it off unless it's raining. I had to learn that lesson though.
How long have you had your car? Just curious because that's one of the first things I did was turn off the tcs. It's second nature now, I get in and turn it off unless it's raining. I had to learn that lesson though.
I've had it since last september. Not my first manual but I'd say my first real sports car. Had an A4 quattro in the past but I definitely didn't push it like I've been pushing my Z, plus it was AWD. I only recently started messing with the TCS. I didn't understand exactly how it worked until recently and definitely didn't think it did anything under non-slippery driving conditions. Boy was i wrong!!
I agree about the TCS affecting shifting, I'm surprised to hear that and upon a first drive I can't say i noticed a difference in shifting with TCS off.
As for the cornering, I have pretty new high performance summer tires on 18" advan racing wheels, so I'm not concerned about my traction. It just feels when I push it through a corner that its like fighting back a little, but I noticed a clear difference with the TCS off that it really dug in and was much more thrilling.
As I'm driving mine more, with a lot more experience under my belt, I definitely understand it more now. The difference isn't huge, but I definitely feel better with it off on dry roads. More responsive, better shifts and such. I have all seasons on mine (New England, it's the responsible thing to do), but they're real sticky... haven't skidded incidentally even once since throwing those new Nankangs on on a few weeks ago.
TCS jumps in to "save" you waaaaaayyyyyy before you need it. The Z handling limits are much higher than what the TCS allows you to use.
That being said, finding the limits will, at some point, probably include going beyond those limits. When that happens, things can get ugly quick. I recommend a safe venue to learn the limits and what the car does when you go past those limits. (Autocrossing is a cheap way to get familiar with the car's limits)
Cliff's notes: Z is better without the nannies but it is also more likley to "bite" you for a mistake.
My TCS stays off unless it's raining. The TCS turned on makes the clutch behave like garbage. The algorithms Nissan used on the 350Z pale in comparison the the stability control upgrades the 370Z received (better technology, better system.)
My TCS stays off unless it's raining. The TCS turned on makes the clutch behave like garbage. The algorithms Nissan used on the 350Z pale in comparison the the stability control upgrades the 370Z received (better technology, better system.)
Stock or aftermarket clutch , my car is no different for normal shifting. It should not matter unless you don't know how to release the clutch
Would someone PLEASE EXPLAIN how an anti-skid system that directly impacts the BRAKING system also changes the clutch behavior because I've never felt any difference after 5 years of throwing the car around in various conditions?
I'm tired of scratching my head over this, particularly when it takes a hell of a lot more of a wheel speed delta than "normal driving" to trigger it.
06-14-2017, 04:14 AM
Traction control questions
.
