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FK8 Traction Control / VSA / Wheel Spin (R+ Mode) - FK8

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437
just looking for some fellow owners perspective here.

I'm finding when having a spirited drive with the car in R+ mode that the front wheels are spinning up in 1st / 2nd gear way too much (to the point I can feel the judder and wheels almost jumping under the front arches as they struggle for grip)

I don't (think) I have TC/VSA turned off (certainly no light on the dash saying it's switched off) but I'm wondering if R+ mode means the traction control function is disabled or greatly reduced. Maybe the roads are bit more slippery/greasy right now but I'm surprised to get the bang-bang judder at front rather than the system do it's job and limit the power to ensure traction is maintained.

what have others experienced, maybe i'm just too heavy footed. could be cold tyres maybe but again you'd think the car would sort it all out.
 
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just looking for some fellow owners perspective here.

I'm finding when having a spirited drive with the car in R+ mode that the front wheels are spinning up in 1st / 2nd gear way too much (to the point I can feel the judder and wheels almost jumping under the front arches as they struggle for grip)

I don't (think) I have TC/VSA turned off (certainly no light on the dash saying it's switched off) but I'm wondering if R+ mode means the traction control function is disabled or greatly reduced. Maybe the roads are bit more slippery/greasy right now but I'm surprised to get the bang-bang judder at front rather than the system do it's job and limit the power to ensure traction is maintained.

what have others experienced, maybe i'm just too heavy footed. could be cold tyres maybe but again you'd think the car would sort it all out.

I only ever use +R mode and see the same as you especially if the roads are a little greasy. I've learnt to be a little less binary and less aggressive with my right foot. Feeding the power in slightly more progressively certainly reduces the wheelspin and is just as quick in the end.

That's the great thing about this car. You need to learn how to drive it to get the best out of it :)
 
I only ever use +R mode and see the same as you especially if the roads are a little greasy. I've learnt to be a little less binary and less aggressive with my right foot. Feeding the power in slightly more progressively certainly reduces the wheelspin and is just as quick in the end. That's the great thing about this car. You need to learn how to drive it to get the best out of it :)

thanks, do you also find that when (ahem) one is being more binary on the throttle :lol: that you can feel the diff doing it's job with some initial steering torque feedback before it sorts itself out, ...again maybe a case of the car reminding us that it's the human providing most of the input.
 
thanks, do you also find that when (ahem) one is being more binary on the throttle :lol: that you can feel the diff doing it's job with some initial steering torque feedback before it sorts itself out, ...again maybe a case of the car reminding us that it's the human providing most of the input.

I'm not 100% sure what you mean but you can definitely tell theres a little bit of diff magic going on if you get aggressive coming out of corners! The front inner wheel just seems to tuck itself in nicely.

Quite a few times I've thought how did I manage that :) And that's from an X Subaru 4wheel drive 340bhp driver. This thing is mental and slightly magical coming out of bends!
 
I'm not 100% sure what you mean but you can definitely tell theres a little bit of diff magic going on if you get aggressive coming out of corners! The front inner wheel just seems to tuck itself in nicely. Quite a few times I've thought how did I manage that :) And that's from an X Subaru 4wheel drive 340bhp driver. This thing is mental and slightly magical coming out of bends!

Example is pulling out to overtake someone on a single carriageway, you jump on the loud pedal as you pull out - you feel the steering wheel fight you for a split second (torque steer) before it sorts itself out very nicely, but in a way it that the car is sort of telling you to maybe not be quite so hard at sudden direction changes & maximum attack in the future :)
 
I have certainly noticed a bit of torque steer or maybe just a greater tendency to follow camber in the current wet/greasy conditions. 1st and 2nd are a bit of a no-no on the b-roads around me....3rd is still lively! It really is a cracking car. It is incredibly competent but still really rewarding to drive.
 
Nope, not really noticed that. I promise to try harder in the future :) I have noticed a bit of wheelspin even in 3rd occasionally though. Saying that the roads are rubbish at the moment and there is a huge difference driving the FK8 on these greasy roads.

How long have you had yours. Have you had chance to drive on proper decent dry roads yet?
 
Nope, not really noticed that. I promise to try harder in the future :) I have noticed a bit of wheelspin even in 3rd occasionally though. Saying that the roads are rubbish at the moment and there is a huge difference driving the FK8 on these greasy roads. How long have you had yours. Have you had chance to drive on proper decent dry roads yet?

only 4 weeks, although 1 week of that the car was away having it's ceramic paint and protection film done. so you're probably right, not really had the best of conditions or warmest of roads/tyres to get the full picture.
 
I just had a quick butchers in the bible and it says that turning it off in modes other than plus R will reduce its effectiveness allowing the wheels to spin more freely. I read from that its never off, off. You can turn it completely off in +r mode only. So I reckon in R mode, standard is at the more relaxed setting maybe...

Its wheel spinning and sliding all over the place for me at the moment, so I've dialled it down a few notches unless its bone dry. Its 316 through the front wheels only I forget so what do I expect, but its so confidence inspiring in the dry it gives you that misplaced confidence. Have fun you RS and Gold R boys see you in the spring ha

I must say the Diff doesn't feel as aggressive or like its 'doing its thing' as a couple of Meg 250s I have been in, or even a Mk7 GTI actually....but then again everything bout this car is just smooth effortless competence
 
only 4 weeks, although 1 week of that the car was away having it's ceramic paint and protection film done. so you're probably right, not really had the best of conditions or warmest of roads/tyres to get the full picture.

Well if you're impressed now it'll probably blow your mind when it gets to the spring. This car definitely prefers nice warm dry roads.
 
just did some more reading and I quote "VSA and TCS in +R" - "Track orientated control allowing increased freedom for the driver" - page 513
 
I'm not 100% sure what you mean but you can definitely tell theres a little bit of diff magic going on if you get aggressive coming out of corners! The front inner wheel just seems to tuck itself in nicely.

Quite a few times I've thought how did I manage that :) And that's from an X Subaru 4wheel drive 340bhp driver. This thing is mental and slightly magical coming out of bends!

I would say the first description is the individual wheel breaking to manage understeer - it is very clever how it all works together.

I usually drive with everything off - but I've been surprised how much slip, and lateral movement the car allows in type R mode. I too like the fact that the engineers have had the confidence not to neuter it in R mode
 
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