4.3 V8V traction control
Discussion
On a few occasions, in wet weather, I've seen a flicker of the traction control (DSC) light on the dash, so I know it's working.
Yesterday, while trying to pull into heavy traffic on a wet roundabout, the traction control simply didn't bother and I ended up with an armful of opposite lock. Coming from 30+ years of fast fwd cars, I'm not particularly keen on the back end trying to overtake the front, although TBH, at first gear speeds, it was all fairly tame and very controllable. Thankfully, the lady passenger I had with me thought I meant to do it and my status as PH Driving God is intact.
The manual makes no mention of TC being gear-specific, so I assumed it's supposed to function regadless.
I was wondering if it only checks wheel speed differential across the axle, rather than rear wheel speed compared with the front.
Yesterday, while trying to pull into heavy traffic on a wet roundabout, the traction control simply didn't bother and I ended up with an armful of opposite lock. Coming from 30+ years of fast fwd cars, I'm not particularly keen on the back end trying to overtake the front, although TBH, at first gear speeds, it was all fairly tame and very controllable. Thankfully, the lady passenger I had with me thought I meant to do it and my status as PH Driving God is intact.
The manual makes no mention of TC being gear-specific, so I assumed it's supposed to function regadless.
I was wondering if it only checks wheel speed differential across the axle, rather than rear wheel speed compared with the front.
It shouldn’t have happened. Are you sure you haven’t had a ‘DSC’ warning??
The only time a similar thing happened in my V8V was when there was a period with an intermittent ‘DSC service required/DSC disabled’ warning which I chose to ignore for a time, just being more careful when it popped up.
One time, the message had popped up on startup (it was 50/50, turned out in the end to have been a dying battery) - but I ‘forgot’ to be more careful. It was a greasy autumn morning and I was as usual enroute to work. Exiting a roundabout the back end snapped round just like my old Calibra turbo used to do and by the time I came to a stop I was stationary in the middle of a dual carriageway and pointing the wrong way. Somehow, thankfully, I hadn’t swiped any roadside furniture or barrier or even a kerb. One of the occasions in her life where ‘Purdey’ got lucky.
Assuming you really did nearly lose it, and it was you sorting a problem rather than the car simply saving you from your own extreme lead footedness, then check your messages, especially on start up, and use a diagnostic tool.
The only time a similar thing happened in my V8V was when there was a period with an intermittent ‘DSC service required/DSC disabled’ warning which I chose to ignore for a time, just being more careful when it popped up.
One time, the message had popped up on startup (it was 50/50, turned out in the end to have been a dying battery) - but I ‘forgot’ to be more careful. It was a greasy autumn morning and I was as usual enroute to work. Exiting a roundabout the back end snapped round just like my old Calibra turbo used to do and by the time I came to a stop I was stationary in the middle of a dual carriageway and pointing the wrong way. Somehow, thankfully, I hadn’t swiped any roadside furniture or barrier or even a kerb. One of the occasions in her life where ‘Purdey’ got lucky.
Assuming you really did nearly lose it, and it was you sorting a problem rather than the car simply saving you from your own extreme lead footedness, then check your messages, especially on start up, and use a diagnostic tool.
This was one of the reasons I sold my 2006 V8 Vantage. (Actually I exchanged the car for my current v12v)
A couple of times it got properly ‘out of shape’ where the back end tried to overtake the front. Once on a sweeping left hand bend and another time was when a jackass in an Audi undertook me on a motorway and had to squeeze into the gap between me and the vehicle in front causing me to brake sharply (on a dead straight lane)
As far as I can recall, both incidents were on dry roads. The back end just broke free necessitating a fair degree of opposite lock to maintain control.
As I had no DSC warning lights illuminated and nothing to suggest diagnostics had identified anything wrong. I then started to believe that perhaps it was a brake front/rear bias issue or similar.
Anyway, if I’m honest, I lost confidence in the handling and was happy to trade it in. (I made a point to make the AM main dealer aware of the problem at point of sale though!! )
I wonder if this could be the same V8V? Mine was silver, approx 30k miles. Sold in approx Jan 2017.
Needless to say, I’ve owned my V12V for over 7 years now and have total confidence in the handling…. (“Wonderful,wonderful,wonderful……”)
A couple of times it got properly ‘out of shape’ where the back end tried to overtake the front. Once on a sweeping left hand bend and another time was when a jackass in an Audi undertook me on a motorway and had to squeeze into the gap between me and the vehicle in front causing me to brake sharply (on a dead straight lane)
As far as I can recall, both incidents were on dry roads. The back end just broke free necessitating a fair degree of opposite lock to maintain control.
As I had no DSC warning lights illuminated and nothing to suggest diagnostics had identified anything wrong. I then started to believe that perhaps it was a brake front/rear bias issue or similar.
Anyway, if I’m honest, I lost confidence in the handling and was happy to trade it in. (I made a point to make the AM main dealer aware of the problem at point of sale though!! )
I wonder if this could be the same V8V? Mine was silver, approx 30k miles. Sold in approx Jan 2017.
Needless to say, I’ve owned my V12V for over 7 years now and have total confidence in the handling…. (“Wonderful,wonderful,wonderful……”)
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