Does anybody else find the traction control to be too harsh?

[DarkSunrise]

In normal daily driving, I haven't had TC/VSC kick in except when the road is slick (rain, snow, loose gravel) or I'm giving a lot of throttle coming out of a slow turn in 1st/2nd. Be careful if you find it's coming on that much for you in everyday driving - it may actually be saving your rear end from coming around. You probably know this already but it's different from FWD cars where wheelspin will just result in soft understeer.

That said, it's simple enough to disable TC/VSC so you might consider that if it's really bothering you and you're comfortable catching the rotation (I disable TC/VSC but only at the track). Just be warned that a good number of Twins have ended up backwards or in ditches this way. A couple of years ago, I was driving behind a guy I know in his BRZ at the track when he lost his rear end exiting a corner at 80 mph and spun head first into a wall. Totaled his car. Felt awful for him.

[ThornhillSubaruOwner]

Originally Posted by Tor

I made this video some time ago in response to some comments about VSC sport in a Facebook group (how someone was "always using VSC sport and all-off was just for drifting"). It illustrates pretty well just how aggressive the TC is:

Ps.
I never use VSC sport, as I find it is the most unpredictable mode.

So, I'm new to cars and stuff. Is the conclusion to just use VSC Sport mode? It's my daily and for summer time

Everytime I've been driving, I just kept that on.

[Flo]

I just did a test of a hard launch on wet pavement yesterday. It kicked on but was still accelerating. I do have michelin A/S 3's on it though.

[Mr.Impreza]

I have this same issue with my traction. I never drive in Full, but even in VSC it feels like it steps in too much.

I'll probably just keep it all off once the weather gets back to summer temps. I use VSC mostly in rain and spring/fall when the temperature is not warm yet.

[thomasmryan]

semi-intrusive. it is fun learning the thresholds for the conditions. I think I kicked in the brakes on three corners the other night on a downhill right hairpin...like it was trying to rip the car in half.


it amuses me.

[itsAlex]

The only time I experienced significant loss of power was when I tried to launch the car with TC and VSC enabled (I drive a 6MT). If the wheels lose traction when I'm driving on the road, power is cut, but it's nowhere near the power loss I experienced when trying to launch the car.

I personally think it's your tires. The more your tires slip, the more aggressive TC will kick in. Either that or you're giving it way too much gas and/or releasing the clutch too fast. Not trying to bash your driving style, just pointing out reasons as to why TC would kick in so aggressively.

[DAEMANO]

Originally Posted by JoshMonster

I never said it was kicking in at the wrong time. You and others have said this. I know exactly why it's kicking in. Loose gravel, wet roads, hard shifting into 2nd. It only kicks in when my tires spin. My complaint is that it does too much. It slows my car down too much. Other cars that I've driven (Civic Si, Focus ST, VW GTI) have much more subtle TC. They stop the wheels from spinning, but the car isn't slowed WAY down like my car is doing. Maybe something is wrong with my car. IDK. I've only had it for 2 weeks.

Those are all FWD cars. Your new RWD 86 won't behave the same way as those cars if driven in the same manner. The 86 has both traction control (TRAC) and stability control (VSC). In VSC standard mode + TRAC the car is both maintaining traction and keeping you from excessive under/oversteer conditions mostly by braking the offending wheel (but also by cutting engine power). On the street this is keeping you from wrapping your car around a light pole. Put the car in VSC Sport mode to allow for greater slip angles and more tail happy (oversteer) behavior. Turn it off on the track or in someplace where you won't put anyone else in danger.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8qggahGNH0"]Toyota 86 Traction Control Demonstration [SKIDPAD] - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj7WIlliwgQ"]Subaru BRZ drift secrets, stability control, VSC and TRC settings - YouTube[/ame]

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by ThornhillSubaruOwner

So, I'm new to cars and stuff. Is the conclusion to just use VSC Sport mode? It's my daily and for summer time

Everytime I've been driving, I just kept that on.

Racecar yo crowd thinks it cramps their style so they turn it off all the time. The fact of the matter is it can save your bacon if you screw up. Leave it all turned on until you have much more experience.

[wreckedrex]

Fwiw, it was really intrusive for the first few days I had the car, even though I was keeping the revs under 4k. After the first hundred of few miles it got better, probably the mold release wearing off the tires. Still feels like something large and important is falling off and dragging behind the car every time though.

[B-R-Z]

Better tires = less tires spinning = less tc. The stock tires are terrible.

I'm with everyone who has no complaints with daily driving, it rarely kicks in for me when I'm not expecting it. Though, I will say when it does engage it does a bit too hard.

[themadscientist]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

Just be warned that a good number of Twins have ended up backwards or in ditches this way. A couple of years ago, I was driving behind a guy I know in his BRZ at the track when he lost his rear end exiting a corner at 80 mph and spun head first into a wall. Totaled his car. Felt awful for him.

That's called "losing control." It happens when you fuck up at this pursuit called, "um driving." Isn't developing and honing fine control of the car sort of the point when pushing it hard on, ahem "closed courses?"

that was a lot of quotes, huh, probably too much, comes off a bit too sarcastic and I'm not trying to be a **** about it.

If you are tracking the car, IMO, you are trying to exercise your driving ability and the whiz-bang BS should be off. I bet he learns to counter understeer next time he hits this corner.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqKi9_nEHf8"]Scion frs crash - YouTube[/ame]

It's cheating when it works perfect like the GT-R which people seem to laud for its driver assist technologies, yeah, on their way to get a pedicure and a green tea colonic before hitting the Sandra Bullock chick flick marathon.

It's downright dangerous when you have a system as ham-fisted as what these cars display. It's like haveing a crazy passenger that second-guesses you and screws with your inputs leading to a fairly unpredictable control response.

Leaving the system on when you are just driving, sure, makes sense. You aren't pushing to the ragged edge so the corrections aren't as abrupt and, I feel, do a decent job of keeping the car sorted in the wet.

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by themadscientist

That's called "losing control." It happens when you fuck up at this pursuit called, "um driving." Isn't developing and honing fine control of the car sort of the point when pushing it hard on, ahem "closed courses?"

that was a lot of quotes, huh, probably too much, comes off a bit too sarcastic and I'm not trying to be a **** about it.

If you are tracking the car, IMO, you are trying to exercise your driving ability and the whiz-bang BS should be off. I bet he learns to counter understeer next time he hits this corner.

Yeah I agree, I'm also a big believer in beginners learning at the track with the nannies off. If they don't see how the car reacts naturally with poor inputs, they'll never learn.

From the in-car video he sent me, it looks like he actually did countersteer, but just not quickly enough as the tail came around fairly quickly. It's a moot point anyway as I think he's bought an STI. Not much countersteer required there

[themadscientist]

I always like pushing cars in the rain. You don't have to push as hard to get it loose so you can work on your craft at slower speeds and less engine load. This car slides really nicely. Turn off the nannytech and it comes around really predictably, linearly and responds favorably to driver input. Great car to learn on.

[icybrzzz]

Only ever had the TC come on and slow me down like OP described once. That was when I was testing launch control on a closed course and forgot to turn everything off. Dumped the clutch in first and as soon I took off the power was cut completely and my TC light was going nuts. Had to let go of the gas to keep going after. Do not see how in the world you are setting that off with everyday driving.

I've been driving my brz with everything on all winter and even in slippery conditions I have not had it intervene like it did when I dumped the clutch at 3600rpm with launch control.