GR86 Traction control

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Triggaaar

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How often, and in what circumstances, do you switch off traction control, or switch the car to track mode?


I've not been very adventurous with disabling traction control, partly because I've only had the car through winter.

Is switching it off likely to be in part responsible for people pranging their 86? Or are people somehow managing to lose control even with traction control on?
 
Barely ever. I might put it on sport mode when I'm out for a fun drive in the dry, but I'm not someone who likes to go throwing it around roundabouts, so the systems hardly ever intervene anyway. Besides, I prefer the normal dash layout.
 
Sorry. Track mode. Used to be called VSC Sport or something. Force of habit.
Basically the mode where it lets you slide a bit but traction control is still on.
 
I drive in Track (wet) or fully off in the dry. Having come from a couple of BRZs, and a succession of RWD cars I prefer to learn what the car can do and probably more importantly what I can do... or not! I have driven on track a fair bit in the past and I guess this has given me a decent understanding of how far to push both the car and my talent or lack of!! I am certainly no driving god however treated with respect theses cars are pretty easy to drive without TC on and rewarding when you do so. They don't bite as long as you don't take liberties(y)
 
Conscript said:
Sorry. Track mode. Used to be called VSC Sport or something. Force of habit.
Basically the mode where it lets you slide a bit but traction control is still on.
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I found the old car "sport" mode didn't feel so different to normal mode, but the GR track mode allows a lot more wheelspin and slip - to the point that I can't see why you'd turn it fully off on the road. Mine is left in normal mode.
 
FRAJ said:
I found the old car "sport" mode didn't feel so different to normal mode, but the GR track mode allows a lot more wheelspin and slip - to the point that I can't see why you'd turn it fully off on the road. Mine is left in normal mode.
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What year was your old car? They changed the VSC in the 2017 facelift. I had a 2013 car, the VSC wasn't as good and even if you intentionally got a bit of a slide going, it would quite abruptly nip the rear brakes. Didn't feel great at all. I did look at retrofitting the later VSC module (it can be done!) but couldn't get hold of the right module.
 
FRAJ said:
I found the old car "sport" mode didn't feel so different to normal mode, but the GR track mode allows a lot more wheelspin and slip - to the point that I can't see why you'd turn it fully off on the road. Mine is left in normal mode.
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The traction off button also has 2 settings doesn't it. Short press and long press (fully off).
 
Triggaaar said:
The traction off button also has 2 settings doesn't it. Short press and long press (fully off).
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I think the Track Mode button just dials back the stability control but leaves traction control enabled (hold for 1 second).
If you want to turn off TC, you have to use the TC button button (press to disable just the TC temporarily, hold to turn off permanently and it then also enables the track mode as above).
 
Conscript said:
I think the Track Mode button just dials back the stability control but leaves traction control enabled (hold for 1 second).
Click to expand...

As far as I'm aware, the traction control in track mode is speed dependent. at low speed you can light up the rear wheels to your hearts content, and it will also allow a moderate amount of slip angle. It will dial things back if you get too sideways though. Think of it more in terms of allowing wheel spin even with a bit of steering lock applied, rather than allowing a deliberate drift. At 'higher' speeds - I think over 30 or 40km/hr but don't hold me to this - it will interfere much more aggressively.

After being initially skeptical, I really like the rev counter in track mode. It's nice to have the part of the rev counter that matters enlarged so it's more visable at a glance. I just wish there was a way to show the tyre pressures while in track mode. switching back and forth between modes with a long button press on the centre console just to view the pressures isn't ideal. it would be nice to have that info on the centre screen when in track mode.

I put it in track mode whenever I plan on pressing on at all. As mentioned already, I like the rev counter. Also enjoying the little nuggets of partial oversteer is the best part about owning a well-balanced RWD car. There's no way I'm having the fun-police (TC) completely ruin this by cutting away power on the rare occasion this can be enjoyed.
 
GRistopher said:
After being initially skeptical, I really like the rev counter in track mode. It's nice to have the part of the rev counter that matters enlarged so it's more visable at a glance. I just wish there was a way to show the tyre pressures while in track mode. switching back and forth between modes with a long button press on the centre console just to view the pressures isn't ideal. it would be nice to have that info on the centre screen when in track mode.
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This is one of my biggest gripes with it. It's great that it shows more precise coolant/oil temperatures, but stupid that it doesn't also display the tyre pressure. Also, there's a load of gauges on the normal dash - g-force, power band...think there's even telemetry for brake and throttle inputs. Obviously you can make the argument that they are just trinkets with little real value anyway, but it seems if they would be useful anywhere, it would be on a track, so why can't you see them in track mode?

Honestly think I would use track mode more often if I could just keep the standard gauge layout. I get that the bar type RPM meter is better weighted for high-revs, but I'm always on the road anyway and prefer the linear, circular gauge personally.
 
Conscript said:
I think the Track Mode button just dials back the stability control but leaves traction control enabled (hold for 1 second).
If you want to turn off TC, you have to use the TC button button (press to disable just the TC temporarily, hold to turn off permanently and it then also enables the track mode as above).
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You don't need to touch the TC button for Track mode to work (although maybe you have to hold the Track button longer, I haven't compared).
 
In the dry I warmer weather I use track mode all the time . It’s not difficult to correct any issues. I found that there not much point in fully switching of the TCS against track mode even on track. If it’s wet I leave it all on. I would not recommend turning anything off in the cold and wet if you have the PS4s on you could easily get caught out. Ok for a little roundabout fun I guess but wouldn’t leave it off in Normal winter driving. Having had the back sliding out at 70 in the winter in non icy conditions when I was not expecting it with everything left on. Not something my skill level is up to.🫣
 
GRpirate said:
Having had the back sliding out at 70 in the winter in non icy conditions when I was not expecting it with everything left on.
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Wow, scary stuff- could you tell us more as I reckon this would be beyond my skill level and would like to avoid! Were you at a steady 70 or accelerating / pressing on through the gears? motorway / on a bend or straight?
 
jb1750 said:
Wow, scary stuff- could you tell us more as I reckon this would be beyond my skill level and would like to avoid! Were you at a steady 70 or accelerating / pressing on through the gears? motorway / on a bend or straight?
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I was coming out of a very big roundabout on dual carriage way onto a dual carriagway slip road that was quite curved and it was about 5 degrees and dry with a bit of a salty road surface just redlined 2 into 3rd still hard on the gas and got into third no issues and and the back started sliding out in a classic arc revs flared up and the TCS light came on for what seemed like quite a long time. I kept on the gas as I was a bit scared to lift in case in snapped on round. Had to wind on opposite lock. It felt fairly controlled. However I don’t have the skill level to warrant doing anything like that deliberately. I did not expect it to break away based on not having much steering lock on and not feeling a huge amount of load on the tyres. I would go so far as to say I would have thought 90 MPH was perfectly possible around there although I realise hard acceleration puts extra loads on the tyres.
Always hard to say if the TCS completely saved the day but i have no intention of repeating the experience to find out. Had a lot of completely unexpected sideway moments last winter at lower speeds as well. Now on four seasons for since October for the winter and it’s rock solid although ultimate grip is a little lower in good conditions. Just coming up to 20k miles done now
 
GRpirate said:
I was coming out of a very big roundabout on dual carriage way onto a dual carriagway slip road that was quite curved and it was about 5 degrees and dry with a bit of a salty road surface just redlined 2 into 3rd still hard on the gas and got into third no issues and and the back started sliding out in a classic arc revs flared up and the TCS light came on for what seemed like quite a long time. I kept on the gas as I was a bit scared to lift in case in snapped on round. Had to wind on opposite lock. It felt fairly controlled. However I don’t have the skill level to warrant doing anything like that deliberately. I did not expect it to break away based on not having much steering lock on and not feeling a huge amount of load on the tyres. I would go so far as to say I would have thought 90 MPH was perfectly possible around there although I realise hard acceleration puts extra loads on the tyres.
Always hard to say if the TCS completely saved the day but i have no intention of repeating the experience to find out. Had a lot of completely unexpected sideway moments last winter at lower speeds as well. Now on four seasons for since October for the winter and it’s rock solid although ultimate grip is a little lower in good conditions. Just coming up to 20k miles done now
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Thanks sir, really interesting, and sounds like you handled it just right✌️
Also 20k miles - great stuff!
 
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