I just bought a 2006 350z, Grand Touring! I love it! Such a sweet car. I have only been driving it for 2 weeks now, so you will have to excuse my lack of knowledge on the car.

When I take offramps, cloverleafs, etc, I take 'em fast, as you should in the 350.... Anyway, most of these fun curves are right hand turns. When I take it fast, my left front wheel pulses and chatters. I think this is the traction control but want to make sure. The weird thing is that there are many times when I know I could take the offramp faster, but it will pulse, slowing me down. My tires are probably only half worn, so that shouldn't be it. Is this normal? Is this the traction control? Would brand new tires help?

As I said, I have been able to create this on a left turn since there aren't usually any curves like this to the left.

Please help.

 

Why would there be traction control on a wheel that isn't a drive wheel? You are not making sense.

 

Turn off the VDC and see what the alternative is. Just make sure your insurance is paid up and there is no one else on the ramp as you will more than likely experience the a$$ happy nature of the 350. Because if you are taking the ramp at a high enough speed for the VDC to kick in, the car is trying to compensate for your driving style. Not ragging here, I take ramps at a pretty good clip myself on occasion but I leave the VDC engaged when I do. It is there to tighten the loose nut behind the steering wheel.

 

exactly. tcs/vdc does not control anything with the front wheels.

 

Actually, it does.

(From Consumers Guide)
Vehicle Dynamics Control
VDC enhanced vehicle stability and improved performance in emergency avoidance maneuvers regardless of the road surface or weather conditions. Working with the antilock and traction-control systems, VDC could reduce engine torque or apply individual brakes as necessary to stabilize the car under severe cornering situations.

For example, if the car were understeering in a turn, VDC could reduce throttle and apply the brake to an outside rear wheel to bring it back to the driver's intended path. Or if the car were oversteering, VDC could brake an inside front wheel to correct the potential fishtail and bring the car back into line.

This feature helped make the 350Z more of an all-occasion, all-weather car. With such a technological backstop, the driver could relax and enjoy the performance of the car a bit more.

Nissan engineers tuned the VDC system to provide necessary intervention, as when a tired or stressed driver finds himself on an icy road, but not to interfere with sports-driving fun on a dry road.

 

This could be an explanation too...

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....1&postcount=45


BTW - to clarify, I believe OP is referring to VDC not TCS. Traction control is what kicks in when the rear wheels slip. VDC is exactly what kicks in when the situation he describes happens.

 

Maybe you have 4 wheel drive in Canada. Its a Canada GT.

 

JUst turn off VDC and play in a safe place (track )

 

Ive made a uturn pretty quick before and my front brake kicked in on its own so that has to be part of the traction control.

 

No. Traction control applies to the drive wheels only.

 

Zakmartin correctly answers your question.

VDC is a system that integrates its features with ABS and TCS. VDC uses its TCS component to control power and ABS to control direction. In fact, VDC differentially applies braking to any wheel (front or rear).

You are experiencing this safety feature (You said: “When I take it fast, my left front wheel pulses and chatters”). The “wheel pulses and chatters” that you describe is VDC’s application of the car’s brakes (and thus activating ABS) to keep you going in the direction that you point your front tires. That’s why you feel pulsing.

If VDC is unable to align the car with the direction you point your front wheels by gently apply braking, VDC will activate its TCS component. The first thing you notice is a decrease in power (even when pressing progressively down on the accelerator pedal to regain power). If things get really bad (VDC senses a major under-steer or over-steer failure), TCS will completely kill power. And, while this happening, VDC continues to apply braking at the appropriate wheel (you feel this as the ABS-pulsing you describe) to straighten your car.

Comment: You should be able to take a ramp at a much higher speed than most drivers would be comfortable without activating VDC. I suspect there is something else going on here.

So… My Question: What size tires are you running?

--Spike

 

If they've littered as much gravel on the roads in Saskatoon as they have in Calgary this past winter, I'd wait until the road cleaners have made their rounds before pounding the off ramps like you've been doing!

 

So he's a little off on what system is controlling the wheel, vdc, instead of tcs. Big f[_]cking deal. That d]ck response was not needed.

 

I know! The roads here are literally COVERED in rocks! They've already started deerfoot & have been working on the residential on and off for a week or two now.

 

neither was yours so i guess you both are even

 

i got confused. the OP mentioned traction control instead of VDC. i meant to keep it TCS instead of making it both. thanks for enlightening me

 

 

I am running 245/45/R18 on the rear and 225/45/R18 on the front. What you are saying makes sense. I should also add that this "pulsing and braking" feature only shows up on turns with rough pavement. Up here in Saskatchewan our roads are terrible. It is rare to find nice smooth "new like" pavement. Especially in spring, it is like running a gauntlet to avoid pot holes that are more like craters.

Having rough pavement could kick on the VDC because the car might sense the front tires bouncing and wanting to leave the pavement?

 

^^ Yes. Uneven pavement (i.e., rough roadways), sand/gravel on the roadway, a wet surface, worn tires, or any momentary loss of traction can cause your VDC to activate.

--Spike

 

Stock tires Bridgestone 040's , that would also explain a lot. It doesn't taked much to make them start sliding , and when they do , VDC kicks in.

Those of us with Touring, and Grand Touring only have VDC , if VDC is on you get the stability control and TCS , if its turned off you get none. Thats why it goes to the non drive wheels.