Hello 350z Fans,

before i start, sorry if my english isn't perfect, im from Germany and i want to buy a 350z US Model but i have a question where i cant find the answer.

The 350z Track edition in the US and the 350z Premium Pack in the EU have ESC (in germany called ESP) but all other Models (Base, Enthusiast, Touring) dont include ESC but VDC.

And my simple Question is: what is the difference?

Thank you!

Greetings from Germany

 

Welcome and your technical question is a good one. USDM 350Z models either came with simple traction control (TCM in base and enthusiast models, or VDC in all others). We never saw any ESC packages in the US, and all track model Zs came with VDC.

Traction control simply used wheel speed data to detect wheelspin and cut back power, while VDC used the same data to detect wheelspin and yaw rates to cut power and prevent a spin. All Z33 models (except the base) came with a viscous limited slip diff to aid in controlling wheelspin.

 

Welcome to the fold.

Simple explanation(s):

TCS - Traction Control System - monitors wheel speeds and compares them Front-Rear-Side-Side. If the system detects that one or more wheel(s) is rotating at a percentage higher than any of the others, the car's electronic control module is programmed to read that as slippage of that wheel and is designed to "take control" by either reducing power to that wheel or applying that wheel's brake enough to bring the wheel's rotation back to "normal" opoerating speed, thereby helping to maintain control of the car. TCS takes it's electronic signals from wheel speed sensors.

VDC - Vehicle Dynamic Control - designed to control not only slippage (as above) but also monitors the vehicle's angular motion; that is body roll and twist. It can determine if a car is about to spin or roll. It not only monitors the wheel speeds above; but also takes its "three dimensional" input from a yaw control sensor that monitors the vehicle's angle with respect to the ground. Yaw sensor located in the console of the car.

ESP/ESC- Electronic Stability Program/Control - the same functionality as VDC (but there may be variations in its settings based on geographical locale such as EU vs USA but I doubt it); ESP or ESC is the generic name and used around the world by multiple manufacturers; but VDC is more of Nissan's version and trade name for ESP/ESC.

Easiest to think that there are three levels of control in functional order: No electronic stability controls (found) in Base model, TCS, then VDC at the top level. Whether one is better than the other is debatable and depends on how/where it is used. For example, snow and wet roads, it's better to have TCS or VDC in normal use. Contrast that to being on track, where any electronic controls can be intrusive and possibly dangerous with sudden engine output cut the brakes being applied at the wrong time (say, exiting a corner) or at the limit so many people "disable" such for track use.

 

Thanks dkmura and Micvelo for the fast and friendly reply, now i know what i need to know

But im still a bit curious, why does the Track Model have ESC and not VDC, why did they changed that?

What is also interesting, what do you guys prefere, ESC or VDC? Or which Model of the 350Z do you drive?

At first i was shocked because i heard that the US Model doesnt have ESC, but when VDC is like ESC then its not a problem anymore.

If you are interested, this is the car im gonna visit tomorrow:

https://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/d...m&id=301297897

Hope everything goes well!

Have a nice weekend.

 

Servus!

Almost thought I was going to see my 03 Track edition I sold in Nürnburg in that link. I moved to Nürnburg (from Boston) in 2012 and spent a few years there. I brought my Z and before I returned to the states, I sold it to an American soldier. I have been looking to see if it is still around. I was not a soldier, my wife is German (aus Berlin) and i worked for Ericsson. Ich vermisse Deutschland. Natürlich die Autobahn ;-) Aber Nürnburg war sehr schön, "Franken" war ganz anderes... Im gegensatz Zu Berlin für beispiel.

 

The USDM Z33s had either VDC or TCS- not ESC. As far as preferences, my race Z has VDC disabled as it doesn't help on the track. For my street (track model) Z, I simply leave VDC on the majority of time.