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Driving without traction control

Joined
17 June 2003
Messages
642
Location
Washington DC
I have been an NSX owner for about 2 years. I normally drive my car with the traction control on. This weekend, I took the car for a spirited drive on a winding road with the traction control off and experienced the car in a totally new way. I found the rear tires breaking loose when accelerating around tight corners. (This was even after they had warmed up.) The traction control can really give a driver an inflated perception of ones driving ability. I really have a new found respect for the capability of the NSX and its power. Although, I have always considered myself to be a pretty good driver, I know that I still have a lot to learn with this car! Has anyone else had similar experiences?
 
Your timing is great. I have noticed that the traction control on my NSX seems to invoke earlier and more often that I'd like, so I tend to want to turn it off. I had it off yesterday and while driving through some pretty twisty sections near home, I noticed the back end wanting to break free. I was driving briskly, but not really pushing that hard through the corners and was surprised by the car's power. It was great. The TCS really bites into the power in my particular NSX more than any other car I've ever driven. I think its because it's a '92 and the rims are plus 1 over stock (I have polished '94 rims).
 
I drive with the TCS off 100% of the time. In my opinion, you can't get near as much out of the car with it on, and in some situations the TCS can make a bad situation much worse when it cuts the power.

Chuck
 
Don't mean to hijack the thread but can you disable the antilock breaks and still have the tcs on or off?
Trev
 
Has anyone ever experienced their factory radio getting fuzzy when the TCS is turned off? Mine goes crazy everytime I disable my TCS :confused:
 
Dave Hardy said:
How do you disable TCS? I took a test drive last week and couldn't find the fun button.
There's a button on the dashboard, to the right of the steering column and below the gauges.
 
Car still isn't broken in enough for me to be pushing it too hard. This weekend, I went to a meet and drive in the twisties where I had turned off TCS. I did manage to slide car around a few corners where I experience it's throttle steering capability. However, I didn't get the rear wheels to spin.
 
I completely unplugged the TCS ECU so that I would not have to see the light on the dash. Never liked the blasted setup anyway!!!!
 
I was actually surprised up to experience how much lay away the TCS lets you before it kicks in. I drove this whole week end on a track this week end and the TCS only came on in two occasions (Yes, I like to leave it ON, even at the track) : The first one was during on the cooling lap (I have the Cruise Control ON at 40 mph, trying not to touch the brakes at all, just scrubbing speed while turning). The second one, was when a guy spun in front of me in a turn and I lifted the throttle abruptly and got on the brakes while in a turn (I swear I saw the green blinking light) ! I did not know our TCS could actually behaving like an ESP :confused:
 
I normally leave mine on when on the track. It has almost never interviened. I guess maybe I am not pushing it hard enough? :confused:
 
I think that I had a false sense of security driving with it on. When it is off, I dont push the car quite as hard. I am a little afraid of spinning out in a mid engine car. I did that once when I had a 914 and it was not fun. I will test the waters gradually with the traction controll off until I really learn how the car behaves at its limits.
 
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