Opinions on Trac Control off for Autocross
 

I'm doing my first AC next week and am wondering what you guys do as far as Trac Control. On the tracks I use the VSC mode as the tracks I drive are fast (Big Willow, Laguna). I was thinking pedal dance mode for AC? Maybe best to start in VSC first and review?
Thoughts?

I will only speak for myself so take it all with a grain of salt. If you leave traction on you will notice that it will kick in constantly. I usually press my traction off button for 10 seconds.
Locally I do fine with that set up. My car is STX. Prepped. I have run using the pedal dance, but every now and then depending on how bumpy the course is I will activate ice mode.
I read somewhere that ice mode, a maintenance mode, takes you down to one channel for ABS. Pressing the traction control off for 10 seconds you still have four channels. So if one wheel spins ice mode is not activated.
When I bought my first BRZ, the tech rep said to hold it for 10 seconds and not three seconds as per the manual. I have no corroboration that that this is true. But it all works for me.


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Three second press on the left button, two yellow lights on the dash and go. Championships are won with the regular TC off mode.

Experiment once you get some experience under your belt, autox is hard, focus on driving the course well.

I understood that at 25 mph it automatically comes back on if needed?

I’ll experience the slip light coming on but not activating traction control.


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That's the short press. The 3sec press that lights up both yellow lights does not come back on.

1.5G I think does that.


I use 3sec press. No issues left-foot braking, so it's the place to start. Any TC on is obnoxious as heck on an autocross course.


I've experimented with pedal dance and have horrible results with ice mode... though running no ABS was also causing single wheel lock in the same spots - course, surface, technique probably all responsible in part. I spent last year really focused on braking technique, so will experiment again with PD mostly because its a curiosity.

When I do AC I use the 5 sec. press and go. Never had TCS intrude, never needed the ABS to behave differently.

If on a short course, TCS OFF works perfectly well.


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Long press is preferred over pedal dance for auto-x in our experience (and many others).

- Andrew

I haven't autocrossed one of these in.. oh 5 years? but I just did the long press as well.

Same at the track at a minimum. The car sucks in VSC sport at the track.

3s is longer than you think it is.

Long press is probably a better way to describe it. Two lights good, one light that says Trac off is the 25mph get out of snow mode that you don't want. Hold the button until you see the second yellow light.

Pedal Dance is neat if you're good on the brakes and great at judging a corners speed perfectly without ever driving it, bad at either and you'll blow a corner and lose a ton of time. VSC in the first series of cars is crap, there's some posts about it being much improved in the newer cars, but whats the point of autocrossing if you're not going to send it into a corner at 12/10ths without a safety net?

IMO what is the point of "off road" driving if not to learn? How much can you learn with systems on?

My 2013 had severe intervention, even with the long press. When I finally did pedal dance it was like magic. That's not to say you will be faster, but you might learn more.

To each their own, but i will never go to a track event with traction control on again, if i can help it.

Great info thank you all. Looks like 3-5 sec TC off button. Will start there. Was at my private skid pad a few days ago with the rain and used pedal dance and had a blast. Will try the other method though as suggested.

Ok, this makes sense of everyone’s opinions a little better...

I had an early 2013, and Pedal Dance was required for that car otherwise any form of traction control would lead to a loss of power and/or understeer.

I’ll have to try again with the new 2018

Thanks everyone