It was set to race mode
Sorry had to laugh at that, can imagine you typing that like you are telling a parent you have done something wrong when you were younger and wait for the wrath!
NEARLY 2 YEARS WAITING: New Mustang GT PP is finally mine!
- Thread starter Gibbo
- Start date
Sorry had to laugh at that, can imagine you typing that like you are telling a parent you have done something wrong when you were younger and wait for the wrath!
Soldato
No I didn't, I was rather lucky as cars usually pull onto the roundabout into the outside lane, there was a car waiting but he allowed me to pass.
It was set to race mode
Soldato
Use the mode switch, but the image is a US car, on UK cars they are opposite way round.
Mode options:
Normal: Lazy throttle, ECS only marginal slip, TCS some spin, normal steering weight.
Sport+: Normal throttle, ECS more slip angle, TCS more spin, sport steering weight.
Race: Sport throttle, ECS lots of slip angle, TCS off, sport steering weight.
Wet/Snow: Very lazy throttle, ECS no slip, TCS no spin, comfort steering weight.
I use normal for only greasy or extremely heavy rain.
Sport+ I use for wet conditions and Race I use in the dry.
Sport+/Race transform the car, make it feel a lot more awake compared to the default normal mode. I always set steering weight manually using the other switch simply as in sports mode it has less feel due to artificially adding more weight. So I select sport+ or race and then I put steering weight back to normal using other toggle switch.
I was going by this ^
With it being damp and being stuck in traffic for my entire journey I wasn't expecting such a harsh response from the car
I've driven harder in the wet in race mode this week, I'm feeling like I might have got away with one there
MW
Soldato
I definitely have more respect for it now, I came from a 170bhp diesel so its a bit of a step up.
MW
MW
Soldato
lol, guessing a FWD diesel at that?
Take it gently and leave the nannies on otherwise you're going to break things.
Soldato
lol, guessing a FWD diesel at that?
Take it gently and leave the nannies on otherwise you're going to break things.
It was and I never dared turn off the traction control
The first thing I did after messing my pants was turn it to normal mode
Soldato
- Joined
- 29 Jul 2013
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Ha!!
It was and I never dared turn off the traction control
The first thing I did after messing my pants was turn it to normal mode
Find an a big open area and play with the modes, discover the amount of slip they allow for example.
In normal mode I got very sideways on a slip road due to things being too cold and that was in a straight line, its due to the torque and crappy pzero tyres. However normal mode on this car will allow more slip that most other cars, the nanny system is very much like a Porsche in this respect it gives you a lot of play room.
If its real wet or greasy, stick it in wet mode, it will look after you a lot more. Normal mode is ok for wet use and can still be too much for some to keep on the road and sport+ should only enabled in wet if your an experienced driver who can make regular saves.
In the dry race is fine and great fun and still has safety net of stability control as long as you've got half a brain behind the wheel otherwise keep it always in sport or normal.
People spin these cars in normal/sport mode, just like M3/M5's in MDM mode, the mode is designed to allow some slip for drivers who know what they are doing but are not a professional, so they allow some fun but still with a safety net. However MDM/Sport modes will maybe not rescue an in-experienced driver even in the dry.
Also get the alignment checked, I have a feeling most of these cars are poorly aligned from factory, which won't help things.
Not a marginal jump then. Just be glad that it didn't cost you this time and move on.
Soldato
If money is no object get some great wet summer tyres on the stock wheels like F1AS2/3, Pilot Sport 4, Conti 5P/6P, Rainsport 3 and make them your winter set wheels/tyres. Then buy some nice shiny wheels and fit MPSS.
Are the tyres going to be enough of an issue that I'll need summer and winter tyres or will I be able to use an all-rounder ?
No need for separate winter tyres unless you live somewhere where it snows a lot.
Just get a good ultra high performance summer tyre like the Michelin Pilot Super Sport or Continental Sport Contact 6's. Pzeros are frankly nowhere near as good in comparison (though not bad tyres).
Soldato
£750 for 4 new MPSS, would be cheaper than a crash
Yup!
Soldato
Ha, buying new tyres is a bit extreme when you could just drive sensibly...! 
Soldato
Ha, buying new tyres is a bit extreme when you could just drive sensibly...!
Worryingly I was
Soldato
You can break traction at any speed you like if you get it wrong (or want to...).
I have driven RWD cars for so long now that you develop a bit of a 6th sense about what you can get away with and what's going to bite you but essentially until you either have some tuition or gain a lot of real world experience you really ought not to do things which will upset the car like:
At modest speeds (ie on the road) the steering wheel should always be pointing where you want the car to end up. If you over-correct (like in this scenario), you'll end up asking too much of the rear tyres once again as you shift the weight back the other way, which will basically feel like a snap in the other direction.
One absolute tell-tale sign that you're approaching having a moment through too much throttle (and definitely in an FR car like yours!) is feeling the rear end of the car lift up on the suspension. It is an unmistakeable feeling and comes in just before you feel the steering go a little bit light. That's the time to act - if you're waiting until you're looking out the side windows you're probably too late.
While people can provide internet opinions and stuff like I and others have done above (and even chastise you, unhelpfully), there's absolutely nothing like getting some advanced tuition or failing that a wide open space to mess around in and learn what things feel like.
I did a carlimits.com day a few years ago in my old MX-5. I went there feeling like I could control my car just fine and left wondering how I'd not binned it spectacularly before I'd been shown how things are when you can really push them and what goes wrong when you push that bit too far.
I have driven RWD cars for so long now that you develop a bit of a 6th sense about what you can get away with and what's going to bite you but essentially until you either have some tuition or gain a lot of real world experience you really ought not to do things which will upset the car like:
- Getting on the power too early (or at all mid, corner if you're really new)
- Being too agressive applying the throttle as you exit a corner
- Changing direction agressively
- Going in too fast
At modest speeds (ie on the road) the steering wheel should always be pointing where you want the car to end up. If you over-correct (like in this scenario), you'll end up asking too much of the rear tyres once again as you shift the weight back the other way, which will basically feel like a snap in the other direction.
One absolute tell-tale sign that you're approaching having a moment through too much throttle (and definitely in an FR car like yours!) is feeling the rear end of the car lift up on the suspension. It is an unmistakeable feeling and comes in just before you feel the steering go a little bit light. That's the time to act - if you're waiting until you're looking out the side windows you're probably too late.
While people can provide internet opinions and stuff like I and others have done above (and even chastise you, unhelpfully), there's absolutely nothing like getting some advanced tuition or failing that a wide open space to mess around in and learn what things feel like.
I did a carlimits.com day a few years ago in my old MX-5. I went there feeling like I could control my car just fine and left wondering how I'd not binned it spectacularly before I'd been shown how things are when you can really push them and what goes wrong when you push that bit too far.
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