Can you 'abuse' the SI Drive?

[EquinnoxX]

I use my SI button pretty frequently. I'll switch from to or [s#] occasionally to pass the slugs who feel the need to exercise their right to monopolize the passing lane. Sometimes I'll even (GASP!) hit the button while still on the throttle.

 

Anyway, just wondering if I should learn to curb this bad habit or embrace it. Granted it's probably an extreme case, but can you 'over-use' the SI drive enough to cause any kind of damage to the car?

[KA81]

meh

 

isnt what it was designed for? if it fails, they need to do more R&D

[Deer Killer]

Really, what's the point? Maybe some finer control of your right foot would do.

[badfish11]

There isn't anything in the manual about possibly overusing or abusing it so I think your okay;)

[Scoobeedooby]

I don't see the point.. Once the blue dot goes away its S#. If i am going to pay an arm and leg for gas i might as well enjoy it!

[Scoobeedooby]

Although if i am in stop and go traffic i tend to throw it in I to smooth things out a little

[-TT-]

i use s all the time. i switch to S# when getting on the freeway and then off again when off of the freeway.

 

and to the OP, no. you cannot abuse the SI-drive. you can, however, abuse the powertrain/drivetrain no matter what you drive so keep that in mind.

[Bbc84]

I use 'I' mode majority of the time and when im trying to pass someone, sometimes I dont have enough power to pass, i just hit the S# button on the wheel and off I go. Its like a OEM nitrous button

[Crawdaddy79]

I got used to Sport mode. I rarely ever put it in S# - and NEVER put it in I.

 

But in answer to your question - yes you can abuse it. One time I was turning the knob in tune with the music (supplemental beeps) that was playing for about two minutes and next thing I know all I could do was about 50% throttle no matter what mode I was in. Turned the car off, then back on and all was better.

[edkwon]

'is it true if you don't use it, you lose it?'

 

http://levgartman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/the-40-year-old-virgin.jpg

[-TT-]

I got used to Sport mode. I rarely ever put it in S# - and NEVER put it in I.

 

But in answer to your question - yes you can abuse it. One time I was turning the knob in tune with the music (supplemental beeps) that was playing for about two minutes and next thing I know all I could do was about 50% throttle no matter what mode I was in. Turned the car off, then back on and all was better.

 

 

dahahhaahhahahahhahahahh are you serious?

 

if so, :lol::lol::lol::lol:

[Lothar]

Correct me if I am mistaken, but putting the car into S# will not make you accelerate any faster than just being in S and just pushing your accelerator pedal farther to the floor. So there is no real point in shifting into S# to enter a freeway or pass somebody, for example... just floor the pedal. In fact, I think I read somewhere that you actually get better performance in S. All S# does is change the sensitivity of the throttle (i.e. how much throttle response you get for a given amount of accelerator pedal movement), not how much power you get.

 

S# is just for people who are too lazy to learn to use the full range of the pedal. That being said, I suppose I am one of those people, because I often use S#.

[deimos]

There have been dynos posted of the differences between the different modes. I believe there are actual whp/wtrq differences between the maps, especially I and S/S# but also between S & S#

[EquinnoxX]

I prob should have stated in my original post that my ecu is ecutek'd. Although the maps really only control the throttle response, there is a huge difference b/w my and modes. One is tuned for gas economy and the other is tuned for 'fun'.

 

Sure i can control the throttle in mode if I wanted to, but keeping my throttle limited in mode eases the strain my lead foot has on my wallet!

[spect2k]

I think I remember the thread with the dyno comparisons. In I mode, torque/hp was down along with max boost - something in the 7s I believe. In S & S#, they had the same torque/hp/max boost. If you are an excellent driver, then you can do the same in S & S# mode by not letting the car get out of boost. It is easier to keep the turbo kicking in S# mode because the gas pedal is more responsive. Also the fact that you can get the RPM to jump faster in S# mode will make the turbo spool faster and ultimately increase your speed....again, unless you are a better driver than me and can make S mode equal S# - I can't - I am sure there are people that can. That's at least my take on it.

[Penguin]

Of course you can abuse any feature or piece of equipment on a vehicle. What I want to know is why you want to damage it? Are you planning on hitting it with your trusty ball-peen hammer?

[Ronin Spec. B]

As soon as the blue light goes off, I'm in S# 100% of the time.

[Bbc84]

Correct me if I am mistaken, but putting the car into S# will not make you accelerate any faster than just being in S and just pushing your accelerator pedal farther to the floor. So there is no real point in shifting into S# to enter a freeway or pass somebody, for example... just floor the pedal. In fact, I think I read somewhere that you actually get better performance in S. All S# does is change the sensitivity of the throttle (i.e. how much throttle response you get for a given amount of accelerator pedal movement), not how much power you get.

 

S# is just for people who are too lazy to learn to use the full range of the pedal. That being said, I suppose I am one of those people, because I often use S#.

 

 

It will make you accelerate faster if you are going from I to S#. I limits max throttle to ~40% which results in around max boost of 6-7psi only when the pedal is to the floor in I mode. So if your in I mode floored and hit the S# button it should change that 40% throttle to 100% and let you boost fully.

 

I dynoed my 08' 5MT stock ussing all modes of the SI drive. S/S# pretty much exactly the same within 1-2whp.

 

But when you compare I to S#

 

I mode on dyno = 181.83whp/194.82wtq

S/S# = 222.24whp/251.12wtq

 

Definatly will feel a difference in acceleration when changing from I to S/S#

[dawkins20]

If there is no difference between S and S# other than throttle mapping, why does the car restrict the use of S# until it is warmed up? I'm not saying its not true, but it just doesn't seem to make much sense.

[pillboy]

Can you 'abuse' the SI Drive?

 

SI masturbation? I would expect the knob to get bigger.

[Bbc84]

If there is no difference between S and S# other than throttle mapping, why does the car restrict the use of S# until it is warmed up? I'm not saying its not true, but it just doesn't seem to make much sense.

 

 

Probably because S# is so much more sensitive that most normal drivers cant adapt to it.

[Carter]

I dont know....sometimes when I pass someone in S I dont notice until im passing, and I put in it S# and its like nawzzzz.

[Richard B.]

I dont know....sometimes when I pass someone in S I dont notice until im passing, and I put in it S# and its like nawzzzz.

 

that is most likely due to the throttle position between the 2 modes.

 

i too have si drive.

 

let's say in S you are hitting the throttle at 35% and you kick t over to S#. the pedal travel was at let's say mark C for it to be at 35%. in S# at mark C it will read at 95%. that huge difference will be felt. now, at full travel (redline)...let's say mark G... both positions will or have already been read at throttle position being 100%. you will not feel a difference as they are already equally maxed out.

 

 

to me though, it does feel like a good kick in S# when flooring from the line. i would swear there is a difference. S really doesn't feel like it hits as hard. S feels like it pulls to redline smoother and S# kicks hard then tapers off towards redline. FEELS is the key word. i am willing to take it to a dyno just haven't done it. actually anyone want to do a dyno day up here in WA i will go.

 

i want to dyno AFTER the car has learned all it needs to. none of this clearing and reverting back to factory unlearned mapping.

[Richard B.]

I use my SI button pretty frequently. I'll switch from to or [s#] occasionally to pass the slugs who feel the need to exercise their right to monopolize the passing lane. Sometimes I'll even (GASP!) hit the button while still on the throttle.

 

Anyway, just wondering if I should learn to curb this bad habit or embrace it. Granted it's probably an extreme case, but can you 'over-use' the SI drive enough to cause any kind of damage to the car?

 

 

technically...IF all it really does is throttle mapping, you really can't break anything.

 

no difference than using the gas pedal. just imagine putting a wood block underneath the pedal stopping half the amount of travel. does that harm anything? not at all. car will just be slower.

[ehsnils]

technically...IF all it really does is throttle mapping, you really can't break anything.

 

From what I understand the mode button both changes the throttle mapping and the gearbox changes (on AT models) so that it allows for more power instead of better economy. Since it's basically shifting software behavior there are other safeguards in place that acts as safeguards.

 

I suspect that it's your wallet that gets the most abuse.