Driving with vdc off

[rosscarlson]

The only 2 times I've ever turned off my VDC are on the track, either dry tarmac or on snow/ice. And even on dry tarmac I've been able to get the car at about a 45 degree slide without the VDC kicking in too much. Its actually one of the better systems I've ever used (by comparison the VDC in my 07 350z was so bad you couldn't even floor it in first without it kicking on).

 

+1 for the posters that said if you don't understand it just leave it on. I'm guessing in 99% of situations you'll never even know its there and that 1% of the time when you need it I'm guessing it'll save your ass...

 

And ppettit2005, WTF was all that garbage dude? You can't post stuff like that sounding like you know what you're talking about when you so clearly don't. Does anyone have any idea what knob he's even referring to? The dash light dim knob? Power mirrors? What???

[Verwilderd]

That knob he's talking about I think is that si drive.

[ppettit2005]

sorry, jeeze!!! you guys are hard as hell on me! I was making a guess as to what the symbol meant!!! I thought that was clear!

[RJS5689]

The only 2 times I've ever turned off my VDC are on the track, either dry tarmac or on snow/ice. And even on dry tarmac I've been able to get the car at about a 45 degree slide without the VDC kicking in too much. Its actually one of the better systems I've ever used (by comparison the VDC in my 07 350z was so bad you couldn't even floor it in first without it kicking on).

 

+1 for the posters that said if you don't understand it just leave it on. I'm guessing in 99% of situations you'll never even know its there and that 1% of the time when you need it I'm guessing it'll save your ass...

 

And ppettit2005, WTF was all that garbage dude? You can't post stuff like that sounding like you know what you're talking about when you so clearly don't. Does anyone have any idea what knob he's even referring to? The dash light dim knob? Power mirrors? What???

 

Interesting, it usually steps in real fast to stop me if I pin it through a dry corner.

 

That's because your Z was RWD. Hell, I couldn't even gun my GTI in first without ESP (VW's stability program )stepping in.

 

That's the SI-Drive controller.

 

That knob he's talking about I think is that si drive.

Yep

[ppettit2005]

again, sorry! I was mistaken!!!

[ppettit2005]

and not all of that is garbage. just the whole part about which control does what...

[Throttlejockey]

sorry, jeeze!!! you guys are hard as hell on me! I was making a guess as to what the symbol meant!!! I thought that was clear!

 

There is no knob on the center console for VDC either.

[markc0220k]

I think the little button with the symbol of a car with skid marks behind it turns off the traction control, which is different from VDC. The VDC is the knob on the center console. If you don't have this knob, then you don't have a VDC to fiddle with, nor do you have traction control so don't worry about it.

 

http://www.cars101.com/subaru/legacy/VDClight1.jpg VDC off light comes on when you have temporarily disabled the VDC system (button is lower left dashboard) or when there's a problem with the system. Take to mechanic.

(quote from cars101.com)

mark

[ppettit2005]

yeah, I thought we just covered this...

[Verwilderd]

Basically until you learn better about the vdc and AWD for that matter, you should leave it alone. This is just like sti drivers and the dccd. So many of them ruin their cars because they play around with that and don't know what it does, why it's there and what setting is appropriate for certain situations.

[MANDALORIAN117]

Could have accomplished that for cheaper with an STi throttle map.

+1 to an owner that isn't willing to listen and learn about the car.

/thread

We were having this conversation yesterday and you never mentioned a throttle map,or anyone else for that matter.I don't blame anyone for not saying anything if they even new about that throttle map.There isnt much info out there on that and the spint booster has a money back gurantee.Now i'm going to get off factual information for a minute and make a guess and this guess is why i'm buying the sprint booster.For many drive by wire vahicles there is a delay in throttle response the worst i've experienced is a 2008 ram diesel manual trans.As mentioned in the post before fishbones the sprint booster does'nt just increase actual throttle input it removes the throttle delay so they say if it doesn't its going back where it came from if it does it was money well spent.Please stop flaming and harrasing from one thread to another with all your +1 crap sorry if i'm not cool enough to know what that even means.Maybe you should see a psyciatrist,because the way you say owners like you with such repitition and emotion is just desturbing.I love subarus and especially this car and pride myself on learning how to operate it to the best it can be as well as doing all my own maintenance always have.Just never gave the vdc any thought when launching the car and you can break traction onasphalt when pointed up a hill on a hot day with worn out yokohamas.Also never heard of the sti throttle map.Actually my next secular goal is tuning and as soon as i am done with current goals and obligations i will be devoting a lot of time to becoming a knowledgable tuner.Then i hope to know some of the finer aspects of modern cars like you resectively.Sorry about the wall of text i am in a hurry.

[mwiener2]

there is no delay, it's how it is mapped in the ecu. The sprint booster simply tricks the ecu into thinking you are pushing the pedal down farther and faster than you actually are. But if you floor it, you floor it. It can't tell the ecu 120% and make the after burners kick in.

 

 

Even if you re-map your throttle table to that of an sti, if you floor it, it goes to 100% instantly. It doesn't hang out at 80% and wait to see if you really want WOT or not.. it just goes to 100%.

 

An inline device CANNOT change this, and technically it ADDS a delay. It has to receive the signal from the pedal, do it's processing, then send a new signal to the ecu.

[fishbone]

We were having this conversation yesterday and you never mentioned a throttle map,or anyone else for that matter.I don't blame anyone for not saying anything if they even new about that throttle map.There isnt much info out there on that and the spint booster has a money back gurantee.

To be perfectly honest with you, I don't know if I'd recommend it. I'm pretty sure I have the throttle map that was thrown in by my tuner and I'm not a huge fan of it. There is little "in between". You're either haulin' ass or you're putting along. I've learned how to drive my car but sometimes when my wife jumps in it, I am reminded how hard the car pulls sometimes not even wanting to.

I have yet to see anyone else on these boards go the route of what you purchased. That's not to say it was necessarily a bad idea, I just question the necessity. Give it a shot and let us know.

[ehsnils]

There is one catch with the VDC system and that is that it may hide the real road conditions more, which can make you go even faster.

 

Those "oh shit" moments that wakes you up and makes you realize that you may have to take it a bit easier may be missing.

 

But of course - it depends on the driver too.

[F-WDC Spec B]

We were having this conversation yesterday and you never mentioned a throttle map,or anyone else for that matter.I don't blame anyone for not saying anything if they even new about that throttle map.There isnt much info out there on that and the spint booster has a money back gurantee.Now i'm going to get off factual information for a minute and make a guess and this guess is why i'm buying the sprint booster.For many drive by wire vahicles there is a delay in throttle response the worst i've experienced is a 2008 ram diesel manual trans.As mentioned in the post before fishbones the sprint booster does'nt just increase actual throttle input it removes the throttle delay so they say if it doesn't its going back where it came from if it does it was money well spent.Please stop flaming and harrasing from one thread to another with all your +1 crap sorry if i'm not cool enough to know what that even means.Maybe you should see a psyciatrist,because the way you say owners like you with such repitition and emotion is just desturbing.I love subarus and especially this car and pride myself on learning how to operate it to the best it can be as well as doing all my own maintenance always have.Just never gave the vdc any thought when launching the car and you can break traction onasphalt when pointed up a hill on a hot day with worn out yokohamas.Also never heard of the sti throttle map.Actually my next secular goal is tuning and as soon as i am done with current goals and obligations i will be devoting a lot of time to becoming a knowledgable tuner.Then i hope to know some of the finer aspects of modern cars like you resectively.Sorry about the wall of text i am in a hurry.

 

So is your concern more about throttle response? What Mode do you drive in? I mainly keep it on I mode cuz i have a heavy foot and this is my DD. But when i want to light it up i switch to S# and the throttle response feels the same as drive by cable.

[mwiener2]

There is one catch with the VDC system and that is that it may hide the real road conditions more, which can make you go even faster.

 

that's why there is a blinky light in the dash whenever VDC engages

[Platinum_Racing]

People are always going to find ways to crash cars, no matter what kind of electronic stability program the car comes equipped with.

 

If the car in front of you stops, but you're too busy with that iced mocha latte to notice, you're going to crash.

 

If you're driving 80 on the highway in the passing lane and some guy swerves into your lane in the split second you happen to be in his blind spot, you're going to crash.

 

If you try to "Show sum Civic Ricer up on da street n' put on a show fur the girls walkin' the sidewalk", but didn't notice that the road goes down to one lane because you're too busy watching that little Civic in the rearview, you're going to crash.

 

Fact is, people drove without Stability Control, Traction Control, and even ABS for years and years and years, and yet the rate of fatal car accidents has increased anyway. Maybe it's not the cars that aren't technologically advanced enough, maybe the drivers have gotten less responsible. There are also more cars on the road, not only increasing accidents that are truly accidents, but also giving those irresponsible drivers more stuff to crash into.

 

And I just wanted to say something about that last post you made that got locked...

You are, by definition, a ricer. Making excuses for why you aaren't fast enough by saying your clutch is slipping or your traction control kicked on = LAME. Here's the key, pull your pants up, put your hat on straight, speak english, and promise yourself you're never going to watch another Fast And Furious movie for as long as you live. You don't drive a race car. Most importantly, laugh at the real ricers, if you know you're faster, then why do you need to prove it? If you do race and happen to lose, it's your fault, AND your car's fault. There are some cars you and your car are just NOT fast enough to beat, no matter what you drive. You can drive a 10 second Lambo, and there will always be a 9 second Ferrari that's gonna beat you. Deal with it.

[Verwilderd]

^

[Platinum_Racing]

.Now i'm going to get off factual information for a minute and make a guess and this guess is why i'm buying the sprint booster.For many drive by wire vahicles there is a delay in throttle response the worst i've experienced is a 2008 ram diesel manual trans.

 

And the reason for the throttle delay... The reason? The Cummins 6BT 24V engine accelerates slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter. The thing redlines at 4 grand for crying out loud! It gets 650 ft lbs of torque at 1,500 RPM. The engine and transmission in that truck weigh almost as much as your Legacy does. Ghetto fab street racers shouldn't be driving such large, heavy, cumbersome vehicles if you don't know how. The engine wasn't made to accerlate, it was made for torque at a specific RPM. I know, I owned a Cummins 6BT with a manual trans. Next time you get behind the wheel put it in third gear at idle and drop the clutch, moving one foot to the brakes and watch the smoke pour off the tires. That's why it doesn't need throttle response.

[MANDALORIAN117]

And the reason for the throttle delay... The reason? The Cummins 6BT 24V engine accelerates slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter. The thing redlines at 4 grand for crying out loud! It gets 650 ft lbs of torque at 1,500 RPM. The engine and transmission in that truck weigh almost as much as your Legacy does. Ghetto fab street racers shouldn't be driving such large, heavy, cumbersome vehicles if you don't know how. The engine wasn't made to accerlate, it was made for torque at a specific RPM. I know, I owned a Cummins 6BT with a manual trans. Next time you get behind the wheel put it in third gear at idle and drop the clutch, moving one foot to the brakes and watch the smoke pour off the tires. That's why it doesn't need throttle response.

Yeah you know everything,not.The diesel comment is fact because i drove a 99 diesel manual with a smaller and weaker motor that had much faster throttle response not acceleration but actual throttle response.I'M not a ricer and your not going to lure me into discussing street racing by making my defense,so this thread can be locked too and i can be on my way to a ban.Good try though.I say this though occasionally adrenaline gets the best of me,and i always win ftw.

[rosscarlson]

I think this thread has gone completely to epic fail. Someone please stop the insanity...

[D_J]

I didn't notice any difference with VDC on / off ...selecting the VDC disable button. Didn't seem like it effected performance much as all , just left it VDC on.

[ehsnils]

that's why there is a blinky light in the dash whenever VDC engages

 

Which won't give the same level of feedback to the driver. "Just another blinking light" isn't the same thing as when you actually feel the surface.

 

I didn't notice any difference with VDC on / off ...selecting the VDC disable button. Didn't seem like it effected performance much as all , just left it VDC on.

 

Try int on a slippery surface - or at least gravel road.

[Verwilderd]

It's not there to hurt performance. It's supposed to help keep you on the intended path you're driving.

[Platinum_Racing]

The diesel comment is fact because i drove a 99 diesel manual with a smaller and weaker motor that had much faster throttle response not acceleration but actual throttle response.....

 

i always win ftw.

 

Do you even know how a diesel throttle works? There is no butterfly valve to control intake of air into the engine. The engine takes in all the air it possibly can every intake stroke, meaning at least 100% volumetric efficiency at all times once you factor in turbo boost. A diesel throttle is attached to the fuel pump on older models, or the fuel regulator on newer models, and regulates the amount of fuel the engine consumes to regulate engine speed. That's why when you slam on the gas pedal in a diesel you get a puff of black smoke, it's soot and unburned fuel because the combustion chamber isn't hot enough for complete combustion yet. Once the chamber warms up it burns all the fuel and the engine will have an easier time accelerating. Until the chamber has warmed up it may seem like it's bogging, because of the rich mixture at the instant you step on the gas. Newer drive by wire trucks hold back the throttle a tiny bit to let the combustion chamber warm up, promoting complete combustion and saving fuel. Once complete combustion is possible, the ECU will open up the throttle the rest of the way. Diesels have a Stoichiometric air fuel ratio that is variable, meaning the engine will run at different air fuel ratios. The IDEAL ratio is 14.6:1, whereas gasoline is 14.7:1. It's not uncommon for a diesel to run with anywhere from 3:1 all the way to 60:1. Since the fuel flow is controlled by throttle position, the air fuel ratio will be constantly variable, thus one could expect different performance from different throttle inputs. You're idea of going fast is slamming the gas pedal all the way to the floor. In a diesel pickup, you want to give it throttle progressively to promote a consistent air fuel ratio. A gas engine alters the amount of air the engine consumes when you give it throttle, then trims the fuel mixture to match. A diesel trims the fuel to alter RPM,s then the engine naturally will suck in more air in an attemt to maintain an ideal Stoichiometric air fuel ratio.

 

And yes, when it comes to diesel trucks, I do know everything. When it comes to ricers, I know enough to define you as one... That comment about how you always win proves it. Even when you don't win your mentality is that you could've won if your clutch didn't slip, or you didn't have so much turbo lag, or something.

 

I'm done.

[/thread]