Hello from sunny North Carolina -- 370Z Traction control vs VDC issue

ssqpolo · 02-24-2009, 10:25 PM

So....im not sure what the VDC off button turns off and on, etc....but I know when i turn the VDC off, and i floor it the tires will break loose and i dont feel any systems trying to rob power or reduce wheel spin. I also have done a little drifting when it was raining with VDC off and again...no interference by any systems. I dont know what that means (whethere TC VDC or ABCD wahtever is completely off)...but when VDC is off you can have all the fun you want with no lights flashing or computers interfering...
Maybe i'm wrong, but thats just first hand experience. hope this is helpful

semtex · 02-25-2009, 07:53 AM

^^ That's very helpful! Thanks for sharing your first-hand experience!

PawnBroker · 10-12-2009, 10:22 PM

I just got my 370z base 6sp and there is a button left of the steering column to switch it off.

geterdone · 12-14-2010, 03:50 AM

Still comes on in my car, I have raced in SCCA events and can not stand when a stupid system cannot fully be deactivated.

Carpetbombing · 02-12-2011, 12:09 PM

Howdy. New here. I just got a 370z, but have only driven it about 150 miles before having to store it 1,000 miles away until the snow and salt on the Minnesota roads melt away. I can't verify this for myself since I'm not near my car, but I have been voraciously reading up on this forum and cutting and pasting things that were of interest to me for future reference.

I DON'T KNOW IN WHERE THE STATEMENT BELOW WAS FIRST POSTED, OR BY WHOM. I'm not trying to plagiarize anyone, I just wanted to pass along what I've read here. If anyone knows the original poster, please credit..

To COMPLETELY disable all VDC / traction control stuff (It’s only partially turned off when you select the ‘off’ button) : The Bosch yaw sensor (not the brake light fuse) is under the center console. Just pull the cup holder and look in front/under the e-brake. It's a little hard to get to like this but I did it. If not you have to remove the center console to get full access to the ebrake area. No drawbacks if u know how to drive without CDC and tcs. Let's u drift the car also. Yeah, the vdc and tcs lights will be on showing u that they actually off like when u push the vdc button. No other lights though. Nothing different then just pushing the button except u don't have to push the button anymore and no tcs interference.

- Has anyone else tried this?

WWJD · 08-13-2011, 03:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AK370Z

Ok Joey, here's your answer:

Here's the switch he is talking about (this picturea was taken from a base 370Z with NO OPTIONS)

So, if you DO NOT have this button, you need to go back to your dealership ASAP because you car wasn't put together right. And if you DO have the button, then turning it off should turn off any(all) systems as Nissan Technology Manager suggested. There isn't any other buttons. I hope this answers your question.

Sorry to bump the thread from dead. I just bought a basic model, and my car comes with the button at the same place but it;s not saying VDC OFF. Its a symbol that a car driving on slippery roads.
Do they still make mistake on the button even though my car is 2011? Or basic doesn't come with VDC off?

sboden · 08-13-2011, 05:00 AM

That symbol means it is off if it is lit up. It is a symbol used in many vehicles when someone turns off the manufacturer's control system.

WWJD · 08-13-2011, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sboden

That symbol means it is off if it is lit up. It is a symbol used in many vehicles when someone turns off the manufacturer's control system.

So it still means VDC OFF even it doesn't say it?
maybe i should try it out later

zeecarr · 11-10-2011, 09:53 PM

I have a 2009 automatic car and it sure seems like VDC is still active even after shutting it off. It goes from way too intrusive when on, to mildly irritating when "off." I don't believe it ever is truly off.

RiCharlie · 02-14-2012, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeyD

Now the upswing is the TC in the 370 is nothing like the 350. In the new car it is somewhat progressive and only a minor inconvience. In the 350 it was something that quite honestly could of gotten you killed.

Just curious why you think the traction control could have gotten you killed

blackcherry20 · 05-16-2012, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeyD

I just bought a 370Z last friday. I've spent the last few days browsing the forums and figured it was time to introduce myself and give a few early impressions.

I'm a long time car guy. I've owned a 350Z, IS300 Turbo, a fully built MazdaSpeed6, and driven thousands of miles in a C6 and C6 Z06. So it's safe to say I know my way around cars.

My early impressions of the 370Z are all good with one exception...the "Sport Package". Who in there right mind builds a sports car without the ability to dissable traction control? Without the sport package I am stuck with TC always on. Lame.

That being said it really is my fault. I should have done a little more research. But at the time my Speed6 was about to go and I needed a new car asap. Unltimately, had I known I probably would of still bought the car. In my area the 370s are selling very quickly and quite hard to come by.

Now the upswing is the TC in the 370 is nothing like the 350. In the new car it is somewhat progressive and only a minor inconvience. In the 350 it was something that quite honestly could of gotten you killed.

First impressions of the handling and interior are all 9.5 out of 10. The auto (this is my first auto sports car) is a pleasure. I was leary at first because of the lumpy unpredictable shifts. However, after about 200 miles the system and I figured each other out and it's been great ever since. On my morning commute having an auto is great and being able to padle shift when the situation calls for it is a wonderful compromise. It's like playing forza haha. Overall my only regret is not having the TCS off switch like the sport package. I am holding out hopes of a tuner figuring out a bypass sometime down the road but for now wider tires seems the easiest fix.

thank god I have the sport package-thanks for the information...now, can somebody tell me how to turn off the traction control!? LOL!

!!should have read further!!

VinceThe1 · 07-15-2012, 02:13 PM

The problem here is that a lot of people have not read the entire thread and are confused. 95% of the answer is already written in this thread, however, not in the same post...and with the many wrong statements, there is plenty of confusion. This is what I will try to clear up in this post.

VDC is a stability control system, it uses input from each abs sensor on each wheel to determine exactly how fast each wheel is turning, and that is how it detects slip...if 1 or 2 or 3 wheels are turning at a different speed than the other wheels/wheel..and it knows exactly how much that difference is for each wheel. That way, it can apply brakes to whichever wheel the VDC computer decides in order to help correct a skid. It also uses pitch/yaw sensors to know the g-force and in term direction of the skid. All that information gets compiled to the VDC computer and it uses it's software algorythms to decide what is best for the particular situation...this includes reducing throttle as it pleases because it has full control of the electronic throttle input. How well it does it's job depends on how the software is programmed/how complex it is.

Now, because the vehicle stability control is so complex (VDC in our case), there is no way that it would not perform traction control duties of older, simpler systems when they had just traction control and no stability control. This in term means that the stability control system cannot function unless it reduces engine power as well (ie traction control). So the VDC system is indeed traction control and then some, quite a bit some actually.

According to Nissan as it seems, the VDC system gets completely disabled by the "VDC OFF" button, which makes complete sense, and it is true, all of it's skid/stability control functions no longer function so throttle is no longer reduced and brakes are no longer applied to wheels in order to aid the driver in recovering from a skid.

Nissan does however state the exceptions. ABS stays on but that system does not work unless you are using the brakes. So now, the only system left to interfere is the ABLS (Active Break Limited Slip). This system applies braking force to the faster spinning rear wheel in order to equalize speed between them, this system has nothing to do with speed input from the front wheels now, so it does not care if you are burning out or not, it only cares that one wheel is not spinning much faster than the other. This may indeed seem like a big interferance, especially on base models with no LSD where the system has to apply much more brake force to the corresponding wheel in order to equalize speed. This is why in the base model, you feel that system interfere a lot more often.

The other system that cannot be turned off is Nissan's brake override. This system cuts throttle down to almost nothing if you press the brake while trying to accelerate. You can floor the gas pedal and press the brake as little as only to light up your taillights, and you are not going anywhere. So to those people that like to drive one foot on the brake one on the gas...you could easily slightly hit the brake in a corner by mistake and make your power output dissapear.

Other than those systems, the car lets you play with it as you please...I would prefer one button that turns this car into a 50s car as far as driver aids, but no newer car can do that. However, I have powerslid this car in dry, rain, and snow...and I can confirm from experiance that there is no power robbing nanny with VDC off.

Sorry for the very long and probably boring post, but I just thought I'd clarify this misunderstanding when it comes to VDC.

worm031169 · 11-15-2012, 06:24 PM

If you guys are still trying to figure out how to get rid of traction control I have the solution. If you pull out your cup holder in the center console there is a bosch plug. It controls just the traction control. Unplug it and you will be able to do a burn out through 4th gear. lol

02-25-2009, 07:53 AM	#32 (permalink)
semtex A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Behind enemy lines Age: 54 Posts: 5,995 Drives: People to drink Rep Power: 32	^^ That's very helpful! Thanks for sharing your first-hand experience! __________________ "There are no small accidents on this circuit." -- Ayrton Senna 316.8whp & 248 ft/lbs (Dyno Dynamics) \| 319whp & 256 ft/lbs (DynoJet) (04/23/10) Stillen G3 CAI, CBE, Pulley / F.I. LTH / GTSpec Ladder Brace / Setrab Oil Cooler / UpRev-tuned by Forged Perf.

10-12-2009, 10:22 PM	#33 (permalink)
PawnBroker Base Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: North carolina Posts: 2 Drives: 2009 370z Black 6spd Rep Power: 16	Vdc on/off I just got my 370z base 6sp and there is a button left of the steering column to switch it off.

02-12-2011, 12:09 PM	#35 (permalink)
Carpetbombing Base Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 8 Drives: 2009 370z Graphite M Rep Power: 14	TC off.. Howdy. New here. I just got a 370z, but have only driven it about 150 miles before having to store it 1,000 miles away until the snow and salt on the Minnesota roads melt away. I can't verify this for myself since I'm not near my car, but I have been voraciously reading up on this forum and cutting and pasting things that were of interest to me for future reference. I DON'T KNOW IN WHERE THE STATEMENT BELOW WAS FIRST POSTED, OR BY WHOM. I'm not trying to plagiarize anyone, I just wanted to pass along what I've read here. If anyone knows the original poster, please credit.. To COMPLETELY disable all VDC / traction control stuff (It’s only partially turned off when you select the ‘off’ button) : The Bosch yaw sensor (not the brake light fuse) is under the center console. Just pull the cup holder and look in front/under the e-brake. It's a little hard to get to like this but I did it. If not you have to remove the center console to get full access to the ebrake area. No drawbacks if u know how to drive without CDC and tcs. Let's u drift the car also. Yeah, the vdc and tcs lights will be on showing u that they actually off like when u push the vdc button. No other lights though. Nothing different then just pushing the button except u don't have to push the button anymore and no tcs interference. - Has anyone else tried this?

08-13-2011, 05:00 AM	#37 (permalink)
sboden Track Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Kansas City Posts: 580 Drives: 09 Blue 370Z T/S 6MT Rep Power: 16	That symbol means it is off if it is lit up. It is a symbol used in many vehicles when someone turns off the manufacturer's control system. __________________ 09 Monterey Blue 370Z Sport/Tour, Takeda Shorties, Blk Nismo Wheels, Blk Painted Top/Exhaust cut out, Invidia Gemini CBE, Southbend Stage 2 clutch, Lite weight flywheel, Zspeed HD CSC, flat black headlights. Previously owned 03 G35 Coupe 6MT and Volvo C30 R Design.

07-15-2012, 02:13 PM	#42 (permalink)
VinceThe1 Base Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada Posts: 186 Drives: '12 Z34 SR 6MT T/S/N Rep Power: 13	The problem here is that a lot of people have not read the entire thread and are confused. 95% of the answer is already written in this thread, however, not in the same post...and with the many wrong statements, there is plenty of confusion. This is what I will try to clear up in this post. VDC is a stability control system, it uses input from each abs sensor on each wheel to determine exactly how fast each wheel is turning, and that is how it detects slip...if 1 or 2 or 3 wheels are turning at a different speed than the other wheels/wheel..and it knows exactly how much that difference is for each wheel. That way, it can apply brakes to whichever wheel the VDC computer decides in order to help correct a skid. It also uses pitch/yaw sensors to know the g-force and in term direction of the skid. All that information gets compiled to the VDC computer and it uses it's software algorythms to decide what is best for the particular situation...this includes reducing throttle as it pleases because it has full control of the electronic throttle input. How well it does it's job depends on how the software is programmed/how complex it is. Now, because the vehicle stability control is so complex (VDC in our case), there is no way that it would not perform traction control duties of older, simpler systems when they had just traction control and no stability control. This in term means that the stability control system cannot function unless it reduces engine power as well (ie traction control). So the VDC system is indeed traction control and then some, quite a bit some actually. According to Nissan as it seems, the VDC system gets completely disabled by the "VDC OFF" button, which makes complete sense, and it is true, all of it's skid/stability control functions no longer function so throttle is no longer reduced and brakes are no longer applied to wheels in order to aid the driver in recovering from a skid. Nissan does however state the exceptions. ABS stays on but that system does not work unless you are using the brakes. So now, the only system left to interfere is the ABLS (Active Break Limited Slip). This system applies braking force to the faster spinning rear wheel in order to equalize speed between them, this system has nothing to do with speed input from the front wheels now, so it does not care if you are burning out or not, it only cares that one wheel is not spinning much faster than the other. This may indeed seem like a big interferance, especially on base models with no LSD where the system has to apply much more brake force to the corresponding wheel in order to equalize speed. This is why in the base model, you feel that system interfere a lot more often. The other system that cannot be turned off is Nissan's brake override. This system cuts throttle down to almost nothing if you press the brake while trying to accelerate. You can floor the gas pedal and press the brake as little as only to light up your taillights, and you are not going anywhere. So to those people that like to drive one foot on the brake one on the gas...you could easily slightly hit the brake in a corner by mistake and make your power output dissapear. Other than those systems, the car lets you play with it as you please...I would prefer one button that turns this car into a 50s car as far as driver aids, but no newer car can do that. However, I have powerslid this car in dry, rain, and snow...and I can confirm from experiance that there is no power robbing nanny with VDC off. Sorry for the very long and probably boring post, but I just thought I'd clarify this misunderstanding when it comes to VDC. Glokwork, ThreeSevenTee, tmack93 and 1 others like this.

02-24-2009, 10:25 PM	#31 (permalink)
ssqpolo Track Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 882 Drives: '12 Black Nismo Rep Power: 267	So....im not sure what the VDC off button turns off and on, etc....but I know when i turn the VDC off, and i floor it the tires will break loose and i dont feel any systems trying to rob power or reduce wheel spin. I also have done a little drifting when it was raining with VDC off and again...no interference by any systems. I dont know what that means (whethere TC VDC or ABCD wahtever is completely off)...but when VDC is off you can have all the fun you want with no lights flashing or computers interfering... Maybe i'm wrong, but thats just first hand experience. hope this is helpful

12-14-2010, 03:50 AM	#34 (permalink)
geterdone Base Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Yukon, Oklahoma Posts: 27 Drives: None Rep Power: 15	Still comes on in my car, I have raced in SCCA events and can not stand when a stupid system cannot fully be deactivated.

11-10-2011, 09:53 PM	#39 (permalink)
zeecarr Base Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Oregon Posts: 15 Drives: 2009 370Z 7 Speed Rep Power: 16	I have a 2009 automatic car and it sure seems like VDC is still active even after shutting it off. It goes from way too intrusive when on, to mildly irritating when "off." I don't believe it ever is truly off.

11-15-2012, 06:24 PM	#43 (permalink)
worm031169 Base Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Arkansas Posts: 1 Drives: 09 Nissan 370Z Nizmo Rep Power: 13	If you guys are still trying to figure out how to get rid of traction control I have the solution. If you pull out your cup holder in the center console there is a bosch plug. It controls just the traction control. Unplug it and you will be able to do a burn out through 4th gear. lol carlitos_370z likes this.

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