VDC Defeat Switch Install **NOT FOR ROAD USE**

[AmericanClubRacer]

Hello All!

 

Last weekend was the first autocross of the season, and 2 runs in I found out how restrictive the Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) is with the new stiffer setup. I could feel my brakes engaging through most turns, as the system felt my car should be kept in line. This was also with the traction control disabled. Unfortunately, with traction control disabled, stability control is still in play. I was fed up with losing so much time in the corners to the stability control, so I poked around and found the fuse to pull in order to disable all features.

 

I will tell you, it makes our cars a whole different animal. You can actually break loose the rear end, and even get some wheel hop out of corners. HOWEVER, this is intended for use in a controlled environment, and not for use on the road. It disables all of your safety features, including ABS, as well as turning off any brake lights. Also, you must remove the fuse while in drive, and the moment you put it in park the car will not allow you to shift out of park.

 

With that cautionary message out of the way, here is how to install a switch to easily turn on and off your VDC. If you just need to know where the fuse is, that'll be in the very beginning! I figured I would install a switch, as it got annoying having to pull and reinstall the fuse after each run.

 

Cost is like $40 at most if you buy all the stuff I got, which were full kits of terminals rather than the select few of what I needed. I'd say under $25 if you buy only the bare minimum to do the job!

 

Items Needed:

4 - 4.8mm Female Spade Connectors

1 - Inline Fuse

1 - 7.5A Fuse

1 - Switch (doesn't need to light up)

1 - Length of Wire (preferably red)

1 - Low Profile Mini Fuse Socket Connector (specifically I bought this set https://www.amazon.com/General-Technologies-Corp-GTC062-Connector/dp/B0787HV5MH)

 

Optional Items:

1 - Bolt

1 - Nut

1 - 4.8mm Female Spade Connector

1 - Ring Terminal

1 - Length of Wire (not red, for ground)

1 - Length of Shrink Tubing

 

Procedure:

The fuse for the VDC is in the fuse panel located in the cabin, inside the pulldown door below the switch panel.

 

Specifically, it is the 7.5A fuse located 3 in from the left on the bottom row.

 

You can easily do this job without pulling the lower dash off, I decided to as I was also trying to reuse one of the switch panel slots for my new switch. Feasibly, you could assemble everything outside of the car, and then just plug in the assembly by opening the fuse panel and replacing your fuse with the assembly. No cutting no mess! If you do pull the dash off, you'll at a minimum need a Phillips head screwdriver to remove the one screw by the driver's door. Everything else is just a pop in tab.

 

I chose to use one of the dummy switch panel inserts to house my new switch. As you can see, it is hollow but has a bunch of ribbing.

 

I used some needle nose pliers to break out the ribbing, drilled out some pilot holes in the face to make guides for my rotary tool, and then used a cutting wheel on my rotary tool to cut out a hole for the switch. As well, I cut off the back section of it to allow the wires to easily exit to the under dash. It doesn't look pretty on the inside, but the finished product looks good from the outside.

 

Here is the assembled Inline Fuse.

 

Connect your Inline Fuse to either spade on the Fuse Socket Connector. Connect the other end to the power (+12V) spade on your Switch. Connect your return wire to the accessory spade on your Switch, and then to the remaining spade on your Fuse Socket Connector.

 

***OPTIONAL***

The next 2 images are optional! Skip to after these next 2 images if you aren't using a light up Switch.

 

I needed a ground to have the bulb light up in my Switch when the VDC is enabled (fuse is "on"), so I drilled a hole for a bolt and used a length of old speaker wire to ground the Switch. I connected the wire with a female spade connector to the ground (-) spade on the Switch. I used a ring terminal to run a bolt through, and into the hole I drilled. I then added a nut to the back of the bolt to tighten to the plate.

 

ALSO!! If you choose a light up switch, the light will ALWAYS be on as this circuit always has power. I have decided that when I am not at events I will unplug the Fuse Socket Connector and place the fuse back in. That way I don't have to worry about draining the battery, and using the defeat switch will be part of my autocross event prep!

 

With everything connected, switch on means VDC on.

 

Switch off means VDC off. Also, you get a message the first time you switch it off while the car is running. Again, the car will not leave park at this point, so you need to turn off the VDC while the car is in drive.

 

Finally, all buttoned up!

 

Hope this helps everyone. Let me know if you have any questions!!

Edited May 10, 2021 by AmericanClubRacer

[boxkita]

that's a cool solution. nice writeup too.

 

be sure to upload the pics to the site so when imgur ages them out , they aren't lost